What to use for a base gasket

[fields_mj]

I'm still in the process of repairing my 036. I have new bearings and a gasket kit on order. I suspect the dealer will get them in on Monday. When I finished checking for vacuum leaks, I checked the squish with some soldier and found that it was around 0.031" and pretty consistent all the way around the cylinder. I haven't taken the cylinder back off yet to check, but I'm guessing my current (stock) base gasket is of the 0.5mm variety. I had thought about doing a base gasket delete when I went to put everything back together for the last time, but my math tells me that I'd end up with a squish down around 0.010" which is too small. I've read something about using printer paper and permatex, but I can't imagine that having a thickness more than .006" which still wouldn't be enough. Is there a common material in the 0.010" range that people use in this situation?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[NSEric]

A beer can is likely pretty close to the right thickness.
Or 2 pieces of paper lol.

 

[slowcar281]

Use a file folder. When I put a piston and cylinder on my ms441, I ended up with about .009 squish with no gasket.

A file folder measures between .009 and .010

I coated both sides of the paper gasket with loctite 518. Rechecked squish and got between .018 and .019

 

[thompsoncustom]

For a 036 .016 would be fine but if you want it around .020 just look around the house you'll find some junk paper product the right thickness. I've also stacked 2 pieces like mentioned above but prefer not to do it that way just more a pain as I coat it all in Permatex.

 

[J D]

A file folder as mentioned or just about any plain card stock. Gasket paper is available in different thicknesses. A cereal box should work fine

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

You can use most card, even from a cereal box. Or buy the right size gasket paper. You can even buy 99% pure copper sheet, it’s cheap and will outlast the saw. It can be cut with scissors and reused as many times as you want by simply annealing it.

Price show is AUD.






Edit: he uses much thicker copper, but you get the idea and process.

 

[Woody912]

I deleted the base gasket in mine, just used sealant. No idea what my squish is but it runs good

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

A beer can is likely pretty close to the right thickness.
Or 2 pieces of paper lol.

You can have any size you like, so long as it’s 0.1mm

 

[fields_mj]

Thanks for all the responses! I wasn't sure if I could double up a piece of paper or not. I knew there was another common option (cereal box), but couldn't remember what it was. I hadn't heard about the file folders, but I'll check that thickness as well. Beer/pop cans would work if I was planning on keeping the same squish as the OEM 0.5 gasket, but I'm hoping to reduce my squish some.

Thanks again,
Mark

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Thanks for all the responses! I wasn't sure if I could double up a piece of paper or not. I knew there was another common option (cereal box), but couldn't remember what it was. I hadn't heard about the file folders, but I'll check that thickness as well. Beer/pop cans would work if I was planning on keeping the same squish as the OEM 0.5 gasket, but I'm hoping to reduce my squish some.

Thanks again,
Mark

A few takeaway points:

1). Any time you use card stock that isn’t true gasket paper, use a gasket dressing compound like permatex aviation form-a-gasket. I have never used printer paper so can’t speak on that.

2). When you make your own from copper, if the surfaces are good and free of damage / scratches, flat and you’ve annealed the gasket, there is no need for any dressing compound. If any of the above are false, use one. In low temp environments, form-a-gasket is fine, high temp environments you should use something like VHT.

3). When using aluminium can stock, it’s trickier to anneal, much lower temperatures are required and it’s easy to burn through the can. Heat the underside with a very low flame (cigarette lighter) until the polymer coating burns and turns a light straw brown caramel colour. Do this once the gasket is cut out - it’s much easier to control the heat. Same principles apply re the dressing

Good luck

 

[nedsim]

Thanks for all the responses! I wasn't sure if I could double up a piece of paper or not. I knew there was another common option (cereal box), but couldn't remember what it was. I hadn't heard about the file folders, but I'll check that thickness as well. Beer/pop cans would work if I was planning on keeping the same squish as the OEM 0.5 gasket, but I'm hoping to reduce my squish some.

Thanks again,
Mark

Common aluminum roof flashing is .010 inch, give or take a thou or two. It's NOT annealed.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Common aluminum roof flashing is .010 inch, give or take a thou or two. It's NOT annealed.

Nice!

 

[Mad Professor]

Easy way to anneal is to put on electric stove burner on a low heat.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Easy way to anneal is to put on electric stove burner on a low heat.

Not tried that but I like the sound of it! Very controlled even heat

 

[nedsim]

Easy way to anneal is to put on electric stove burner on a low heat.

The target temp is 650F for non-heat-treatable aluminums, including the alloys likely to be found in flashing, cans and shim stock. The cooling rate doesn't matter for these alloys.

 

[Mad Professor]

The target temp is 650F for non-heat-treatable aluminums, including the alloys likely to be found in flashing, cans and shim stock. The cooling rate doesn't matter for these alloys.

I was doing copper head gaskets from motorcycles.