Technical Tricks for cork and paper gaskets

My wife and I were at a local show looking at old trucks. She asked me about the puddle of oil under the early Inter. I told her " That's the dipstick. It's got a Detroit 6/53 diesel and if there's no puddle underneath there's no oil in the engine".

 

Cork gaskets, Permatex #2 and some sewing thread to tie the gaskets through the pan bolt holes. Same on rocker cover gaskets. Can't get much more traditional than that .

 

Permatex#2 on one side if I think I’ll be removing them, like rocker arm covers. Water gets it on both sides. Studs on a few key spots help align. I also use #2 on fuel line fittings that are pipe thread.

 

i bought a box of 100 allen head set screws in 1/4 x 20 and use them as studs for valve cover and oil pan gaskets high quality studs at 1/4 the price of arp and 100 does a lot also got the nuts with a serated washer built on it i believe the stud lenght was 1 5/8 inch check against the bolts and add for the nuts

 

I once bought a NOS gasket set, and the cork gaskets had shrunk, to the point if you tried to stretch them into place, the bolts would tear the edge. I found that if you soak the gasket in water, it expanded to the right size, and all the fasteners would line up nicely. If you leave them clamped down while they dry out a bit, they keep their new shape. Then hit it with aviation gasket goop and mount.

 

I have a block of steel which has a bunch of different sized holes drilled into it, and have used this for making holes in gaskets with the ball peen hammer, instead of pounding on the part where the gasket goes.

 

When I was a young snot working on my first project car, I needed gaskets and got the shock of my young life... my Mother taught me ball pein hammer trick! WTF?? It turns out that when she was a young teenager during the depression, she worked in her uncle's auto parts store and cutting gaskets was one of her duties. Mothers are just amazing!

 

When I smell stale alcohol on someone’s breath I think of going fishing with my grandfather on the Long Island sound

 

That can be done in many cases, just use RTV in place of the gasket. Many modern transmissions are sealed that way.

Example, there are many instances though, where the gasket takes up space also. Such as front bearing retainers in manual transmissions. Not only is it real easy to crack a retainer when tighting the bolts, due to the space, but the drain hole in the case can get plugged with RTV due to the amount you need to seal the gap. Pans with a raised sealing ridge are another example. The amount of RTV will be excessive.

Bill

 

I’ve used shell casings to make the holes in cork. Nice clean cut.

 

how do you align all the holes then??

 

I was taught by an old mechanic who took me under his wing when I was a teenager.
- Clean and straight surface. Final clean with dry cleaning fluid.
- Old fashioned Gasgacinch
- Red GE RTV in corners if needed.
- DO NOT Over Tighten!

No matter what process, I think most issues are not properly cleaning, and over tightening.

*** Just realized I’m now about ten years older than that “old guy” who taught me so much. I can still hear his voice in my head - “Damnit, quit fixing WHAT’S broken, and start fixing WHY it’s broken!!!”.

 

Outstanding quote! Sounds like my Father!






Bones

 

Time does have a habit of sneaking up on us.

 

I do that too. I have a Starrett bench block I use to back the gasket up. It has holes so I can do them at the same time.

 

My buddy had a nice 69 GTO. He picked up a 455 HO from a 70 Grand Prix.

He used RTV on the new 455, however after about 500 miles it started ticking and the oil pressure gauge indicator was going up the down. So, we pulled the engine and that RTV was in the oil passages, blocking oil flow.
We took it to the machine shop and had it all cleaned up. We used the plain old Fel-Pro engine rebuild gasket set. It came with cork and black paper gaskets with Indian Head gasket glue. We glued the engine side of the gaskets. This was in 1976 and it's still running with no leaks. Even the crankshaft seal isn't leaking.

 

Hello,

Our dad had a plate glass top custom made for his favorite coffee table. Our mom was always dishing out coasters of all kinds to keep the stains off of the finished wood inlaid pattern table. So, the plate safety glass top was the answer to any and all drinks. No more worry about friends and family leaving water stains on a wood surface.

When the table went to table heaven for the next level room design change, we kept the safety plate glass in the backyard garage. It fit right on top of the wooden table on one side of the room. Our dad was not going to use it again for any new table, as it was a custom measured item. Although, that part of the backyard garage was his extensive fresh water/salt water deep sea fishing corner with multiple poles and reels of all sorts. He used the plate glass top for his intricate lure making applications and fly fishing hook tying times. Also, if he had to take apart a reel or two, he had a great clean surface to do the work.

So we took it and placed it on that table for a smooth surface to lay out a clean cloth for intricate small stuff. The other side of the backyard garage had the sturdy wooden work bench that got the crap beat out of it over the years of making it out of purchased lumber.

So, one Sunday morning, we were in need of a new gasket for one of the valve covers. The old one was starting to show too much wear and we needed an oil free application for the SBC motor. Since I was the only one that took industrial drawing in school, I had some skills to draw and measure out specific lines, angles and what ever for a project. Metal rulers were much sturdier than wooden ones, too.

My brother told me to use whatever we had to make a new gasket. He had purchased an equivalent cork material (from the auto parts store down the street) that they said people were making their own gaskets. But, the auto parts store was closed on a Sunday. So, out came the metal rulers, angle pattern shapes and a drawing pencil. The glass table top was now the surface to do all of the work. Laying out the old pattern, drawing the specific pencil lines and using a sharp Xacto Knife with a metal ruler to draw/cut the specific lines to create a new gasket.

The plate glass was perfect for being level, clean and solid for the design and work. It was a good thing we had plenty of sheets of cork we had bought at the auto parts store. Why would they sell us a blank sheet when they could make money on selling specific gaskets pre-made? It was for emergencies only and this was one of those times. I messed up one line and now had several drink coasters for our dainty backyard garage cool drink times. Ha!

Jnaki

So, we used Permatex and created a great gasket for the SBC valve cover. My brother was impressed that I was able to make a good replacement gasket for the SBC cover. It was also a good thing the auto parts store was just down the street as we had purchased more pre cut/pre made gaskets to keep on hand, too.

 

Slightly off the original topic, but commenting on some of the other off topic comments.

To make paper gaskets, assuming the surface is flat, and will fit on a scanner; scan the part using some software that replicates 1 to 1 (I use Adobe). Now acquire a piece of flat gasket material that you can print in your printer. Print the saved file on the gasket paper, and cut it out.

Your significant other's fingernail scissors with the curved tips are excellent for cutting curved gaskets.

As far as the sealer is concerned, if these gaskets (cork, paper, neoprene, or any other substance used by man) are carburetor gaskets, leave the sealer in the can; ALWAYS.

Jon

 

I hate silicone/RTV. I hate bondo too but yeah I use both when I have to, SPARINGLY. Put me in the Permatex Aviation line too. A mess for sure but worth it. Let it cure a bit. Go pour a coffee, have a smoke, something but give it time to firm up a bit. Not at all a some's-good-more's-better product. Studs, fk'n eh. Last pan I did was on a very high $$$$$$ Auburn Speedster. I put studs in all 4 corners, set the pan, pulled the studs and finished it how it was supposed to be, all bolts. Lazy like that.

RTV survival tip; so you used what you needed and cleaned out and sealed the nozzle and put it away. Yer fucked. It's gonna harden almost the whole tube. Just wipe the end and tape it shut as good as possible. The stuff in the tube will harden about 1/2 way down over several months and stop, effectively sealing the tube. I've had some a year old, still good. Clean empty tube is enough air to harden up the rest and it keeps going. Don't ask me the real science, I don't know' I don't care, it just works. I just used a tube that was sealed to the cap (no nozzle end) with no air space. It was 3 years old. Jus a li'l tip from yer ol Uncle Jocko...