Exhaust repair - small hole in flexi

[ms08]

Whilst dealing with exhaust manifold gasket on the Saab 9000 noticed a small hole in the flexi joint. I know i need to replace but as a temporary fix does anyone have any recommendations other than Holts gum gum products? I guess there will be movement so something flexible, better bandage type thing than Holts which tend to dry out and crack though long time since i used one so may have improved?

 

[Pete.]

I have tig welded them before ut it was very tricky.

 

[Porkypine]

Well my default has always been 'bit of catfood tin and a couple 'o jubilee clips' type thing, I was told by a mate who 'does' Land Rover products that silicone sealant is used successfully to seal exhaust joints. It sounded a bit bizarre but he assures me it works so may be a viable and flexible temp sealant teamed with a jury rig bandage ?

 

[tom2207]

you can buy the flexi on its own ,,, cut out the old one and weld in a new one , they are about 8 quid , I do a few , for discos I have a jig made that makes alignment easy as space is tight and the lengths and angles need to be fairly close to make them work , but 8 qids better than 1200

 

[ajlelectronics]

Well my default has always been 'bit of catfood tin and a couple 'o jubilee clips' type thing, I was told by a mate who 'does' Land Rover products that silicone sealant is used successfully to seal exhaust joints. It sounded a bit bizarre but he assures me it works so may be a viable and flexible temp sealant teamed with a jury rig bandage ?

My "professional" manifold builders used silicone instead of the correct gaskets. Even if it works, I don't like it.

 

[Porkypine]

My "professional" manifold builders used silicone instead of the correct gaskets. Even if it works, I don't like it.

I agree it sounds 'orrible, but if it works as a cheapo stopgap measure then I'd go for it

 

[dobbslc]

I've used silicon on two stroke bike exhausts and it doesn't last long.

 

[Cal]

I have brazed these before, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

I have seen 'chemical metal', two part epoxy used too.
It freezes the flexibility in that section and the flex is taken up upstream/downstream.

 

[steveo3002]

was recommended silicone years ago, works a treat and doesnt crumble like exhaust paste

 

[8ob]

For small holes I only use exhaust paste and a jubilee clip over the hole, larger once’s get a bit of thin sheet steel under the jubilee clip.

Bob

 

[bricol]

A bodge job on one of my cars with high temp silicone to secure a flexi seems to be turning into a permanent fix three years later.

Just got to watch it doesn't cock-up any catalyst downstream of it.

 

[ms08]

Thanks all
I know i need to replace and have done so with other exhausts but at present the pipe is PIA to get off. Use of silicon has reminded me i have used NO More Nails before so a bit of this to plug the hole and a big jubilee clip/plate for now.....................

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Well my default has always been 'bit of catfood tin and a couple 'o jubilee clips' type thing, I was told by a mate who 'does' Land Rover products that silicone sealant is used successfully to seal exhaust joints. It sounded a bit bizarre but he assures me it works so may be a viable and flexible temp sealant teamed with a jury rig bandage ?

You can get high temperature silicone sealant for exhaust flanges so can't see any reason it won't work on a flexi joint

 

[Pete.]

Flue sealant is what I used on my bike. Mind you my bike tubo needed no flange gasket as I got it flat enough to seal without one.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I have never had any luck in repairing flexis, replacement is usually the only real fix that works for me.

 

[Farside]

Well my default has always been 'bit of catfood tin and a couple 'o jubilee clips' type thing, I was told by a mate who 'does' Land Rover products that silicone sealant is used successfully to seal exhaust joints. It sounded a bit bizarre but he assures me it works so may be a viable and flexible temp sealant teamed with a jury rig bandage ?

Stove temp silicone sealant works well on my bike exhausts.
It's what Delkevic supply with their systems to seal the pipes into the collector and collector to silencer.

 

[indykid]

A bodge job on one of my cars with high temp silicone to secure a flexi seems to be turning into a permanent fix three years later.

Just got to watch it doesn't cock-up any catalyst downstream of it.

I understand lambda sensors are susceptible to silicone poisoning too. I'd think as long as it's not gas contacting, it should be alright though - maybe a smear of exhaust paste on the hole first and silicone over it to keep it in place.

I've used plumba flue on the manifold to silencer link pipe on the kit car that's lasted 15 years (admittedly only covering about 3k miles) and have used sanitary silicone for sealing up silencers that have been split for repacking a couple of times and it works really well at the tailpipe end.

 

[NickW]

There's no need for any expensive, specialist silicone on exhausts. Any readily available brand will do, as long as it's clear. It's the pigments that burn, and clear doesn't have any

 

[Popcorn]

You want one of these:

 

[sako243]

Well my default has always been 'bit of catfood tin and a couple 'o jubilee clips' type thing, I was told by a mate who 'does' Land Rover products that silicone sealant is used successfully to seal exhaust joints. It sounded a bit bizarre but he assures me it works so may be a viable and flexible temp sealant teamed with a jury rig bandage ?

There is a flexible firecement that's available kind of like sikaflex but good for silly temperatures. One of our plumbers recommended it and to seal a hole that blew through between two of the water jackets in our boiler (big commercial type that has multiple jackets bolted together) and 6 years on still going fine.

Can't remember what it's called but was readily available at plumbers merchants and quite a few builders merchants.