Restoration Rant

[Keith Webb]

There are some old-timers at our local AutoPro shop who are very helpful. I asked one of them about gasket paper after a bit of reminiscing, chin scratching went past all the shelves of cheap junk made in China and produced a tightly curled (as Tony said) piece of thick gasket paper I've yet to find a use for. It would certainly not fit through a printer! At least those older guys knew what you were talking about.

Was Hylomar like the stuff we still have here made from some sort of resin like pine sap? Euan has a story about his father having it drip into his hair as he worked on the Jeep many years ago. The only solution was a close shave. That stuff sticks like sh1t to a blanket.

Bring back W.L. Ryan and restore Elizabeth St Melbourne to the way it was in the 1970s! In those days you not only had Ryans, but Repco (when it used to be reasonably good) Vanguards, run by a couple of ancient eccentrics, and even the Ring Gear Company which you could watch through the door as they oil hardened the gears. There's my rant. Plenty more to come in the future!

[Phil Waterman]

Trying to buy sheet gasket material at auto parts store here in the States is an exercise in futility, what they have is often ruined before you get it having been rolled so tightly that it is creased. Try and industrial gasket and seal house you may have better luck.

But as a substitute try a print shop, I took a couple of samples of the thicknesses I needed to a custom printing shop and ask the guy if he had any high rag content paper in those thickness. He came back with a carton about 24x36 with all sorts of different high grade printing paper. Asked him what he wanted and he said its all left over he was going to end up throwing away and gave it to me. I accepted with many thanks.

I've used it to make gaskets for the axle covers on the 3 tons, transfer cases. I cut the gaskets out then spray the with the red Pemitex Spray Gasket Cement. Only problem I've had is you can not use the Permitex Spray on fuel system gaskets, the ethanol in the gas now dissolves the Permitex you can see the red steaks running down the side of the carb.

Cheers Phil

[Mike Timoshyk]

Just a quick note from my Stoker days in the navy, we used Red Lead paint as a sealant especially on face to face items such as turbine casings and of course in a pinch good 'ol "Dog Shit"...which I might add can be used under the most unusual circumstances. Most commonly used to adhear thermometers to pillar blocks and bearing housings.

cheers

Mike Timoshyk