Features The sad tale of a little O ring…

I have several ***ortments of o-rings. Some pretty pricey, some HF. Beats putting my tools away and closing the garage to run to the store.

 

Without seeing the application, it's hard to know for sure what the appropriate sealing washers would be, but here's the "uncrushable" type with a rubber insert in a steel ring. These ones are the wrong size, but just illustrate the style:


https://fortnine.ca/en/drag-special...wVMcDsVBHVX70Q3SqcAOLmBoCFlsQAvD_BwE#493=5708

We call those "Bundy washers" at work, but I don't know if that's a common term.
You could also consider Teflon or fiber washers.

Edit: The two attached file images at the bottom of this post are artifacts, I don't want them there but can't get rid of them.

 

I understand that buying locally is important. However, the 3 large chain auto parts stores in this country have worked very hard to drive out the small Mom and Pop auto parts stores. It’s happened in my small town. We had two locally owned parts stores and Auto Zone and Overpriced Auto Parts came to town and the two locally owned stores closed. One store even sold lawn mowers and outdoor power equipment. Most everything I need has to be ordered so, I might as well order itself and p*** the savings onto myself. My Wife started at Overpriced Auto Parts when they came to town and eventually became the ***istant manager. When she left, they still owe her a commission check. I refuse to buy there.

 

Had a buddy that would drive all over hell while beating on his 55 chev with gas guzling small block for the cheapest price on cigarets.

 

If I don’t need it now, I usually internet order it. Mainly for the convenience of having when I’m off work to use it. If I need it now, I go to town, the next town, etc, and buy it. I usually still look at websites to see who has the better price for the same part. But I won’t drive 15 miles to save 10 bucks when I can be back with the part at home, before I get to the place to save the 10 bucks.
There’s a break over point though. Ie I won’t spend an extra 100$ to save a 1/2 hour of driving.

 

I bought one single Strange Axle o-ring bearing seal (from Bears Performance in Windsor Ontario) 20+ years ago. I can't remember the cost of the o-ring itself but they wanted (and got) $7 just for the shipping (230 miles ... no border crossing). I said "can't you just slip it in an envelope and mail it to me for a couple of pennies?", they claimed they could not, they "had" to use their shipping company. To make matters worse, the o-ring wasn't the problem, the internal seal in the bearing itself had failed. I no longer own that car

 

The local O'Reilly's has a fleet of delivery trucks and services the local shops and a good number of local farms shops. They also have parts runs from thier local warehouse or their others stores in the area a couple of times a day. Great at Next day delivery for a lot of stuff too. The only "private" owned parts house is 18 miles away and charges full list to anyone off the street and doesn't give much of a discount with their steady customers who think they are getting a deal. I used to work in a parts house across town who's retail price was lower than that places discount prices. You paid a lot extra to have that charge account there. They have always had a great machine shop in back though and the machine shop is what gets them business in the front door.

As far as O rings I have a kit that I picked up at HF in the little bulk item plastic boxes and one that I got from Summit. I don't use a lot of O rings but those have saved me a few trips to town.

 

O-rings from industrial supply houses are usually Nitrile rubber (NBR) and are not resistant to modern gas with Ethanol in it.
For fuels containing Ethanol you need o-rings made of Fluorocarbon rubber (FKM) aka Viton.

 

when I shop for O rings on McMaster Carr, I get the right type for the application, they have lots of flavors.

they also sell them by the bag, that usually costs around $10. If they're really small O rings, you might get a hundred in the bag. Big ones, only a few.

 

^^^^^This^^^^^, support your local independent businesses (auto parts and more) or they'll go away. I would rather spend the $$, time and gas to get them from a independent hydraulic shop vs a chain auto parts. I know they employ local people but their overhead is all different from area to area, but the prices are all the same and you're lucky to get someone who has a little knowledge or even cares. All my local parts stores are gone now (I tried, as I used one exclusively) and it ****S.

 

I agree, my whole point was buy locally instead of online if possible. More so if it’s an independent business. Smaller the better.

 

We have a Mower shop/Ace Hardware store combined 5 miles away. Husband & wife, in their 50s.
Best equipped hardware store I've seen since the old Farmers' Union hardware in hometown, (Farmers' Union closed in 1956)
I have bought serrated washers (!) and the captured 'O'ring types there, good grade 8 bolts, and drywall screws by the bulk! Buy 5 to 1,000... Plumbing, etc. Will thread galv or black pipe, up to 3".
Nice folks, too. Sometimes their married daughter has the baby behind the counter. Glad I made the trip.

 

Local Carquest closed when Advance took Carquest over and one of the countermen who had been there forever went to Advance. He was not allowed to bring his books with him because it would give him an "advantage" over the younger, less knowledgeable Advance employees. He quit and went to NAPA but they are just as bad as any of the others. I miss counterpersons who actually know what part you're looking for without having to have the VIN number.

 

I replaced the gaskets on my '32 tank today. The neoprene fuel pickup gasket was installed in 2014, and was badly cracked around the screw holes. Also, the screw threads had no leak seal.
So this time I decided to use viton gaskets and o rings from Tanks, Inc.

The o rings fit the screw threads very tightly. I used a nut to force the rings up to the screw heads.

I hope this repair will prove to be good. Here are the Tanks, Inc. part numbers:
Fuel pickup gasket 3G-V-OR
Fuel gauge sender gasket SG-V-OR

Hope this is helpful.

 

My Spanish teacher in college (also drinkin buddy. I was old by the time I got this degree) would wait in line for an hour to buy stamps so he didn't have to pay the up charge in the vending machine of stamps. Then spend $300 on a bottle of wine at dinner.

Everyone has their peccadillos...

 

I use copper gaskets on fuel tank senders along with Permatex#2 o the gasket..no leaks.

 

With fuel systems and brakes, being cheap with seals will only cause problems, unknown o-rings, snap rings etc. that are bought from a hardware store, or found in a bag in a dumpster are a gamble, research the materials you need on a U.S. based manufacturers website, copper, maybe aluminum is used to seal sending unit screws, to test an unknown o-ring , drop it in a cup of gas for 2-3 days. O- rings don't work under a screw head unless in a located groove like on a holly float bowl.

 

And those bowl seals are square cut.

 

About 10 years ago, I was doing some work on my motorcycle, and I needed 6 o-rings. I went to the local bike shop, and they wanted $50 for them. I called a company in Baltimore that specialized in metric hardware, and the salesman I talked to said they're so cheap it's not worth charging me for them, and sent them to me for free.

 

We have a very cool, huge inventory local independent hardware store here in the dirty 'No. It's called Fresno Ag Hardware and it's a trip back in time. Family owned, lots of locals exclusively support it. My Bro used to be a tech for Pac-Bell/AT&T/Pacific Telesis and twenty other names in 30 years. He used his company account to buy stuff for his service van at Fresno Ag. Well-staffed, helpful knowledgeable people.
On the other hand I was working on an OT car and made the mistake of buying some metric transmission cooler line bonded metal/viton banjo washers at the stealership. Walked funny for a week after that one.