bad gasket and broken bolt on exhaust intake for cylinder#1

I have a 4th gen (1995) with 44k miles on it and recently it started backfiring on deceleration. I put a tissue on a stick and found a large exhaust leak all around where the exhaust connects to cylinder#1. I also noticed both of the bolts were very loose. When I tightened the one near the outside (the only one I could get it) the bolt broke off, I thought I was being careful (using a small wrench) and was surprised how easily this happens. I suppose I need to buy a small torque wrench so I can do tighten these with precision.

In order to replace this gasket (the one where the air exits cylinder#1) it looks like I have to pull the entire exhaust. I've purchased new gaskets and plan on pulling it apart this weekend, so here are my questions:

Is there any chance the gaskets will work with only one bolt holding the pipe in place?

Is there any way to put this bolt back in? Anyone tried this using J-B weld?

I have zero experience with exhausts and gaskets so any help is appreciated.

I also tried coating entire area with exhaust sealant, but there is still quite a bit of air coming out and I can't seem to get my hand in there since the rear shock and other exhaust pipes are in the way. Plus, since it is leaking all the way around don't think exhaust sealant is the correct solution, a new gasket seems necessary.

Thanks in advance for all your help, I love my VFR and you all!

Image of broken bolt and wrench I was using (for scale):

 

That truely sucks, I think Tink is correct in that pulling the engine is your only path.

 

Why would he have to pull the whole engine????

The stud has no pressure on it now. So it will just unscrew.
Plus there is at least 1/8 inch sticking out because that is the space between the exhaust clamp and the cylinder head. So he can put a tool on it to turn it.
Or carefully wire feed weld a rod onto it and turn it before it gets too hot. Battery ground disconnected and a good ground on clean metal.

I have replaced those on my engine and it was easy.

What we need is a photo of what is sticking out.

I had forgotten but you will need to get it from HONDA. The stud has different threads on each end.

I know I could get that out without taking the engine out.

Is it the front cylinders or the rear??

Do not use JB weld. It is a waste of time on this problem.
There is NO CHANCE of this working with one bolt. Forget about that.


VF1000R exhaust stud SHOWN

 

I have changed them before in the bike with a socket style stud puller on a wobble but it does not look like there is much left to grip but I would try before doing the ugly.

 

Yes i agree. I would try to spin it around with a ice pick or something like that.
There must be a little sticking out. Please give us a photo.

 

To clarify, there is nothing sticking out of my engine, just a hole where this bolt used to be. There are no threads on the center part of the bolt, I don't even know if it is threaded on both ends or just the end where the nut is. Are these were designed to be removable or not?

This is cylinder#1 which is located on back left side, just in front of the rear shock.

 

Thanks to Donald for the photo and all the replies, I think I have a good idea of what I'm up against now.
Since I'm having R/R electrical failures every couple thousand miles maybe I'll just upgrade to a '98
Or I can pull the engine and let my learning experience continue, I guess I have some thinking to do...

If any other ideas surface, I'd love to hear them.

 

On that STUD, is it the inside stud, or the outside stud?

By the way i cut that heat sheild down the middle when I had it off so that I can remove only the left side or only the right side at one time. Much easier.

If you could get at that stud... to me it would be worth messing with, with dental tools for two hours rather than taking the engine out . Right???

 

One final question,
I'm sure its not good for the engine to be riding it around when it is doing this popping on deceleration, especially since the leak is right next to the cylinder and that cylinder now sounds louder than it used to- but what will actually happen? will it reduce the life of the engine? will the engine seize up? will the failure be gradual or catastrophic?
I have a friend who is currently in Honda Moto Mechanics school in phoenix but I don't think he'll be in SF until the winter. I figure this would be a great project for him and I to work on over a weekend when he gets into town. I'm thinking I may just ride it the rest of the season and roll the dice...if I buy a bike I may end up with 2 and I only have room (in my garage and in my heart) for one.

 

The only danger is that if it is really cold outside like near freezing that the cold air can get near the valve during overlap in the combustion cycle and possibly cause warpage. That is what people have said since I was a little boy but I have never seen any actual damage.
Sometimes you will see cracks in the edge of the face of the valve but you are never told about how the owner treated the bike.
The mechanic just fixes the damage and if the owner tells you they abused it consider yourself lucky.

I have never seen that happen because usually the popping sounds drives the owner to put a stop to it.

You could go to a ceramics supply house and get some insowool and stop the leak a little, but the compression pressure will blow it out in short order.

Can't get to the broken stud at all?

 

Yes I agree 100%.

 

Here is another possible temporary fix.

On some engines a thin metal collar is fitted inside the exhaust tube and when the exhaust tube is put up to the exhaust port opening, the short thin tube is a push fit into the inside of the exhaust port a short distance. Like 1/4 inch or so. Then the one remaining stud and nut would hold the exhaust with the short tube in the exhaust port and keep it from leaking. The short piece of tube has to fit the exhaust port very well ....like a push fit.

There is your solution. I would use .049 or .065 wall tube.

 

I pulled the exhaust, you can see on the left side that most of the bolt is still in there.

I've ordered all new studs and nuts so I'm waiting on those before I do anything else, still undecided on what I'm going to do about this broken one.
I've tried getting it with an easyout but it won't really grip, it just grinds the screw. Getting a drill in there is tricky, but I can get my hand in pretty well. Because of this, I'm thinking I might be able to drill it out and then get a tap in there and rethread it. Is drilling and tap-ing possible by hand?
thanks again for all the advice.

 

It is GREAT that you can see it and get to it!

That does not look bad at all.
Here is what you have to do.

Get a 1/8 inch COBALT drill bit. Nothing else . Must be a NEW cobalt bit. Only a couple bucks.
Do not waste your time on the titanium bit. I know it sounds cool but it is not what you need for this job.

Drill in the center as much as possible.
Next is to get an easy out BUT WAIT....You want the type of easy out that has FOUR sides.
It is much stronger and more reliable than the spiral type.
Make sure to re drill the hole the size that the easy out package recommends.

Then lightly tap in the easyout and turn by hand. If possible.

You should get a tap too to clean the threads.
If you cannot get a bottoming tap be very careful not to go all the way to the bottom of the hole or the tap will break.

then you would have to get a broken tap out of the hole. It can be done and there is a trick to it, but don't go there.

Also one more thing,,,If you drill and it is going well. just drill all the way through till you feel it go through the stud and stop. It is good so chips can exit.

Turn the tap with a very small cresent wrench. By hand NOT an electric drill. Only turn taps by hand. About every turn or two turn the tap backwards a 1/4 turn to clear the chips.

 

+1 on what Donald said. However I would highly suggest trying to use a tap wrench instead of a cresent wrench if at all possible. I've had simple thread chasing procedures go wrong by not using the proper tool when I was able to do so... but was too lazy to go get the proper tool off the shelf.