Hard To Find Engine Gaskets?

[philbey]

Hi all.

 

In the past I've seen people hunting down replacement gaskets, and often they can't get them without buying a new part (water pump etc) or a complete VRS kit.

 

I may be able to help out, if you can let me know of any you can think of that are a pain to find let me know. Not just Corolla gaskets, any gaskets you've had trouble finding in the past.

 

Let me know if I get enough interest then I might get some made up.

[Taz_Rx]

What sort of material you thinking of making them out of..... or any?

 

The biggest problem with boosted K is burning out the manifold gasket between ex ports 2 & 3. If you've got small inlet ports then a 7kc would be perfect (you can't port these 3 layer gaskets btw), but if you've got bigport sized inlets then a permaseal EM30 is the best bet.

I know Todd (Boost+K) had a bit of luck making his own copper manifold gaskets! If there was enough interest for these could you look at getting copper gaskets made?

[philbey]

Ahh, yeh should have clarified that, paper gaskets only, can't do metals, i don't have a big enough LASER!

 

Paper gaskets, like fuel pump, water pump, timing cover. I reckon there's one of those that is hard to find on a K engine.

[Taz_Rx]

Fairo. I know I can one made locally, just thought it would be a bit more expensive than a group buy type option.

 

Fuel pump & water pump gaskets can be bought cheap individually. Timing cover gaskets are only available in a "timing kit". They come with a front main seal and a few other smaller gaskets like a water pump one and a thermostat housing (To head) gasket. I did however once try and buy a one of those thermostat housing gaskets individually once (after seeing in the timing kit) and was told they don't exist.

 

I can't really think of anything else I've never been able to buy. :hmm:

 

Edit: actually there one - For the backing plate on a ke55/70 BW diff.

Edited December 14, 2010 by Taz_Rx

[parrot]

I bit the bullet and bought a roll of gasket paper. Fiddly depending on what you need to make, but gets you there eventually, as long as you keep your fingers away from the razor blade!

[ke70dave]

i wonder how copper would go around water though? potentially not that great. awesome for inlet/exhaust though.

 

i think turbo/manifold gaskets are usually copper? some chunky metal anyway.

 

also, taz, i bought a thermostat gasket once through repco. was like $4, i was surprised they had it, i was ready to get cracking with the gasket paper and razor blade...

Edited December 14, 2010 by ke70dave

[Taz_Rx]

also, taz, i bought a thermostat gasket once through repco. was like $4, i was surprised they had it, i was ready to get cracking with the gasket paper and razor blade...

 

For the join between the 2 halfs of the thermostat (easy as to find) or between the thermostat and the head - which is the one I'm talking about?

[ke70dave]

ah sorry, yeah this was just the easy one to between the two halves.

 

only time ive ever replaced that one your talking about was when i had a VRS kit for it, so i assume it came in there.

[parrot]

Also I recently picked up a quantity of KE1x axle flange gaskets, which always disintegrate. If anyone wants a photocopy of one to cut their own, let me know.

 

Actually, i have a K water pump with a new gasket too, and Ke20 k40 gearbox set and so on.

 

Maybe we could have a thread with photocopies of gaskets and so on in the FAQ's?

[philbey]

Yeh defintely get me a proper 1-1 scan of those gaskets if you've got them. Put a ruler on the copier next to it as well so that way I can check sizes.

[snot35]

Actually I vaguely remember seeing someone make gaskets by using the part as a template, covering it with the gasket material and then tapping away at it with the ball of a ball peen hammer. Anyone ever tried that?

 

I think a scanned database of gaskets is an awesome idea though. I've got an aftermarket 3K VRS set laying around, so I could do some, but they probably won't be the hard to find gaskets.

[Taz_Rx]

Actually I vaguely remember seeing someone make gaskets by using the part as a template, covering it with the gasket material and then tapping away at it with the ball of a ball peen hammer. Anyone ever tried that?

 

Yeah I quite regularly use that technique for making gaskets. You just use the hammer to press the corner of the mounting face into the gasket paper to leave a small imprint. Cut out the imprint and bolt hole and away you go.

[Felix]

Yeah I quite regularly use that technique for making gaskets. You just use the hammer to press the corner of the mounting face into the gasket paper to leave a small imprint. Cut out the imprint and bolt hole and away you go.

 

Same here. Hole punches are ideal for neatly and quickly punching out the bolt holes in the gaskets.

 

What I miss are the old pinkish extractor gaskets (yes I know they were asbestos based). They were a million times better than the metal-ish ones you get these days.

[Taz_Rx]

Same here. Hole punches are ideal for neatly and quickly punching out the bolt holes in the gaskets.

 

What I miss are the old pinkish extractor gaskets (yes I know they were asbestos based). They were a million times better than the metal-ish ones you get these days.

 

7kc manifold gaskets are the go if you've got small ports. There's a 3 layer metal gasket and re-usable. :wink:

[philbey]

sweer, anyone with a VRS kit, scan those suckers at 1:1, put a small ruler on the scanner as well to calibrate and post em up here.

 

I don't use the ball pein trick, I like a neater finish. I put a very thin smear of clean oil on the mating surface, press it onto the gasket, the oil shows the outline on the paper and then hand cut with a scalpel. Punch the holes and your done.