Copper Gaskets

[teejay]

The gasket that fits between the exhaust elbow and heat exchanger on my 12hp Kubota engine is not suitable for re-use, even with annealing. I have been told that I can use cardboard liberally spread with high temp grease. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for an alternative.

Regards

Terry

[redbopeep]

Hey, your engine mfr should have a replacement gasket for your use. What is the one you're replacing made of? Ours is something sandwiched between two thin sheets of steel. The "something" in the middle gets squished and provides the seal. If I were forced to make something, I'd likely not use a flammable like cardboard but rather something that can take a high temperature. If it were something that we keep on the boat right now...I'd probably make something out of some Lava Wrap (because I have extra sitting here which is used to insulate the dry section of exhaust pipe before the injection elbow); I suppose you could sandwich a high temperature RTV between two thin sheets of copper or steel and then (after the RTV is dry) tighten the sandwich down.

Good luck on your project.

[atavist]

may be irrelavent but we used to make exhaust gaskets, head gaskets, and probaby would have made gaskets for about anything else for my old 302 boss mustang out of thin cardboard and lots of grease...

never had a problem... I'd do the same for my boat in a pinch without much reservation...

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by atavist' date='03 July 2010 - 07:30 PM

may be irrelavent but we used to make exhaust gaskets, head gaskets, and probaby would have made gaskets for about anything else for my old 302 boss mustang out of thin cardboard and lots of grease...

never had a problem... I'd do the same for my boat in a pinch without much reservation...

Amazing...head gaskets? Low compression maybe? We can blow out a nice head gasket in no time flat with a higher compression engine and/or Turbo boost.

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by atavist' date='04 July 2010 - 09:30 AM

may be irrelavent but we used to make exhaust gaskets, head gaskets, and probaby would have made gaskets for about anything else for my old 302 boss mustang out of thin cardboard and lots of grease...

never had a problem... I'd do the same for my boat in a pinch without much reservation...

The problem with paper/grease gaskets that are going to be used between 2 faces that are not completely FLAT is leaks. A head gasket that fails could mean VERY expensive repairs.

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Where a gasket is required between the engine block and exhaust/inlet manifolds - also between the exhaust elbow and heat exchanger. A substitute gasket should be made from a material that 1) can be compressed and 2) is heat proof.

A piece of new Copper sheet around 1.5mm (1/16th") thick coated with high temp grease. Torqued down so that the component is equally secure flat to the parent.

It is said that there is only one marine engine that can go without gaskets and that is the Gardner :- C L I C K