Cylinder head gasket material ?

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ianrichards
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Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by ianrichards » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:32 pm

Another quick question ... what's the best material for making a gasket on a steam engine ?
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Lopez Mike
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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by Lopez Mike » Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:09 am

Are you sure you need a gasket? I have only sealer on my engine in places like the heads. The stuff I use is high temperature anti-seize. Looks like a mixture of aluminum powder and goop of some sorts. I have to wipe up carefully after working with it as it gets everywhere. In my hair even and I don't have much!
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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by barts » Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:02 am

Assuming you're using normal hobby steam pressures and temperatures:

For reasonably flat surfaces, hi temp RTV works like a charm, esp. if you have a small groove in one of the mating surfaces. You can also use gasket material for automotive purposes - it seems to work fine in my experience.

If you have superheat or high pressures, uses Garlock 3000 or similar.

- Bart
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ianrichards
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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by ianrichards » Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:23 am

Thanks for that.
I’m I’ve got some RTV hiding somewhere.
When I got the engine the cylinder head and retaining nuts were in a box of bits and I just assumed that a gasket was needed as there is the fragments of one there.
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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by DetroiTug » Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:31 pm

I use standard high temperature gasket material - cut it to fit etc, when installing, I coat one side with anti-sieze compound, works very well for removal later on. Allows the joints to be re-tightened. I'd be careful using rubber like materials for high pressure steam, they can deform and be pushed out between thin spaces, as Bart mentioned, a groove in one mating surface helps with that.

There is a story I heard here in the states about a guy running a steam roller out on the road, he used a rubber gasket on the handhole cover, it blew out, luckily no one was around it when it happened. He was not injured.

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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by dampfspieler » Thu Nov 01, 2018 4:03 pm

I prefer ABIL N 0,5 mm. Some more information about you can found here - gaskest materials.

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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by hedleypiper » Tue Dec 04, 2018 5:09 pm

Brown paper and "Steamseal", foliac graphite and manganese seems to work very well on all my steam bits. w.p. 150psi

boiler tested to 250psi hydraulic.

Usually cut them out with a ball pean hammer and the odd ball bearing (for cutting holes)

Very simple.
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Re: Cylinder head gasket material ?

Post by ianrichards » Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:33 pm

Brilliant, many thanks everyone.
Progress on my launch is good.
Just completed the double skin and am now about to fit the skeg and stern gear.
Hopefully I will get this bit completed before the new year as the workshop is too cold for the glues and resins. I will then have to look at the engine instead.
What fun !
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