Exhaust gasket removal

[Mark G]

Removed my OEM exhaust tonight (a real bitch getting those 17 year old nuts off, even with PB blaster, extensions and a breaker bar!) and plan on installing my "previously owned" Comptech exhaust tomorrow.

I purchased replacement gaskets but I'm not sure how to remove the old ones as they seemed to be "pressed" into place pretty tight. Suggestions?

 

[C-speed]

Use a 90deg pick or a small flat head screw driver and pry it out. A small hammer with some light tapping with the screw driver to help it out will work too. Once its loose, it should just fall out.

 

[nigel]

NEVER use a hammer and anything on the exhaust or intake port surfaces.
Any scratches or gauling may lead to leaks.
Use a small putty knife or a proper gasket scraper. Even though the exhaust gasket is metal, (alloy) it can and will stick to the surface with some dilligance and possibly some of your PB Blaster will help release it after you manage to get it started with some simple scraping.
You now know the reason to ALWAYS use High Temp (gold) anti-Sieze on all exhaust related bolts and nuts when installing them.
Remember, work on it like your the next one to do so, as you probibly will be.

Cheers
nigel

 

[C-speed]

NEVER use a hammer and anything on the exhaust or intake port surfaces.
Any scratches or gauling may lead to leaks.
Use a small putty knife or a proper gasket scraper. Even though the exhaust gasket is metal, (alloy) it can and will stick to the surface with some dilligance and possibly some of your PB Blaster will help release it after you manage to get it started with some simple scraping.
You now know the reason to ALWAYS use High Temp (gold) anti-Sieze on all exhaust related bolts and nuts when installing them.
Remember, work on it like your the next one to do so, as you probibly will be.

Cheers
nigel

I would agree that you should never use a hammer on any of the aluminum surfaces, such as the head.

However, I believe he is trying to remove the donut (o-ring style) gaskets that are located on the tail end of the headers that would normally bolt to the cat and/or between the cat and the exhaust.

Those can get stuck inside the circular channel that is machined in the steel flanges. Using a hammer and lightly tapping them out with a small screwdriver/chisel works well and will not damage a thing.

For gaskets/Hondabond on the head/block/tranny, definately only use a single-sided razor blade or a putty knife.

 

[nigel]

C-speed, Absloutely correct. Sometimes they are a bi#^h. God knows i've had to use a very small chisel to get them to break loose.
I was just refering to the alluminum surfaces.

Cheers
nigel

 

[hepcats]

If you're talking about the metal ring gasket that's wedged in the groove/channel, I would just heat it up a little with a propane torch and it should drop out (did on mine).