Topic: JB Weld to repair small exhaust pipe holes

[gregwaits]

I am getting very close to finally having my '78 K8 on the road. It has an exercise in patience and penny pinching.

This is no ground up restore. I just did what I needed to get the old engine running again after 20+ years of sitting idle.

She has come around, and with less than 7k on the odometer, I think I'm looking at many happy years with this bike!

Cosmetics have had to take a backseat to budget issues. But one thing I wish I could drop the bread on is a new exhaust system. Not yet, my bank book tells me!

There are a couple of small holes on both exhaust pipes. Would JB Weld work? I was going to prepare it, then spread it over the small holes and let it dry, then either wrap the pipes or sand down lightly and paint it heat resistant black.

Then in a year or so - after I probably have decided this baby is a keeper - I can drop coin on a replacement set.

Anyone used JB Weld on their exhaust leaks?

[keiths]

I used an other hi temp epoxy on mine and it has held up well.

[Gordon]

I've tried JB weld on pipes before and it's not thick enough to stay in place while it cures.  On my 550 I used a paste I got from the auto parts store that's made for exhaust system holes and it's held up well for over a year.  It's not an epoxy, just a paste in a tube. 

[Terry in Australia]

Somebody JB welded up some holes in my spare K2 HM341 pipes Greg, and the JB weld looks like it's holding up fine, but I haven't used them yet. I don't know if I'd use it on the header pipes due to the heat, but my holes are in the mufflers, so a lot cooler. Cheers, Terry.

[upperlake04]

 I used JBWeld to glue a couple of custom made aluminum pieces onto the cylinder fins where they had been broken off. Files, sands and holds hi-temp paint well, withstands the heat-cool cycles and still is an invisible repair after a couple of years. Good stuff.

[andy750]

I used JB Weld on 2 holes at the baffle end of the my HM300 pipe (upper right one) during the winter and its held up fine so far (lots of around town riding and a few long trips at high speed) - weld still in place -not clean but works for me ;-)

cheers
Andy

[cb350twin]

Use the putty its alot easier to use and doesn't run.

[Terry in Australia]

If you don't want your JB Weld to run, put it in the refrigerator overnight. Makes it harder to mix, but it won't run. Cheers, Terry.

[Jonesy]

When I used JB Weld to fix holes in mufflers, I scuffed the surrounding area really good with coarse sandpaper, then mixed the JB according to the directions. I applied a dab of it to the hole and then covered it with a little square of self-stick aluminum tape. This kept everything in place while it cured,and gave it a slightly shiney appearance, passable for the "40 feet at 40MPH" observer...

Most of the spots were along the underside, so they weren't easily seen from the normal angle of observation.