Head Gasket

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52 fordman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
349
Location
Hastings , MN
Okay I have a old what i think is a craftsman air compressor. It has just gotten worse and worse.... so after digging into it i found it has a blown head gasket. So it appears that this gasket is no more then stiff cardboard! yep cut it with a razor blade real easy scraps like a water pump gasket also paper like.

So i have already looked for gasket and no luck.


Can any one give me a idea how to fix it? Do i cut a gasket? any kind of tube type gasket maker??




Thanks

52 fordman


And not wanting to throw it because when it is running it is great!
 
Permatex makes a product called The Right Stuff, and we recently used it to make intake end gaskets. Great product, but not sure how it would work under compression loads, like a compressor head gasket. I would call Permatex and ask, they were super helpful when I called them a couple weeks ago and suggested what we should use in several applications.

Don
 
head gasket...

Looks like carboard, hmmm
Might be carboard....
what do you do with a wheaties box after eating te cereal....
hmmmmm.

kerry_wheaties.jpg
 
Go to a local auto parts store, they should have gasket material in probably 1/16" and 1/8" thicknesses in 18x24 or 18x36 rolls. If it were me I would spend the $8-$10 on actual gasket paper over using a cereal box, but thats just me.
 
Assuming you mean the pump piston. You got to figure, the pressure on it is going to be no more than 130lbs or whatever your compressor shuts off at. It's not like it has to contain the force of ignition.
 
The head gasket on our compressor it very thin aluminum.........I know because it blew out and we had to get a new one from Eaton Compressors.

Don
 
Use a "manilla folder" to make the gasket.
Try not to use anything with glossy printed surface.
Spray some Copper Coat gasket spray onto both sides of the gasket.

Remember, although it's just a compressor it still gets HOT.
You should re-torque the gasket while the pump is up to operating temperature.

I've built many lawn mower head gaskets this way. Don't try it on anything with more than 6hp, it will blow out really fast.
 
Head gasket and neat trick...

Your auto parts store should carry a gasket material intended for head gaskets (usually light grey in color) and approx 1/16 in. thick.

The material has a high graphite content which makes it very resilient to high temperatures, fuels, etc. It is somewhat non-flexible when dry...just place it over a steam source (teapot, pan of boiling water) and it will become pliable.

Here's a neat trick...rather than using a knife/scissors/whatever to cut it to shape....place it on the top of the cylinder surface or the mating head surface and using the round end of a small ball peen hammer...lightly tap around the edge surfaces, head bolt holes, water jacket openings and any other cut profiles on the cylinder or head.

The gasket material will shear away leaving an almost perfect gasket. Sometimes a couple passes are necessary and any rough edges can be cleaned up with an X-Acto or small scissors.

Give it a try...works great!
 
Your auto parts store should carry a gasket material intended for head gaskets (usually light grey in color) and approx 1/16 in. thick.

The material has a high graphite content which makes it very resilient to high temperatures, fuels, etc. It is somewhat non-flexible when dry...just place it over a steam source (teapot, pan of boiling water) and it will become pliable.

Here's a neat trick...rather than using a knife/scissors/whatever to cut it to shape....place it on the top of the cylinder surface or the mating head surface and using the round end of a small ball peen hammer...lightly tap around the edge surfaces, head bolt holes, water jacket openings and any other cut profiles on the cylinder or head.

The gasket material will shear away leaving an almost perfect gasket. Sometimes a couple passes are necessary and any rough edges can be cleaned up with an X-Acto or small scissors.

Give it a try...works great!

Have made some odd-ball gaskets that way, works !!!
 

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