Gasket material for Oberdorfer raw water pump/impellor?

Hi,

Can someone tell me if there is a gasket material/sheet that I can buy at an automotive store to make my own gasket to the correct thickness to replace the gasket for the raw water pump--ie. between the impellor and the cover plate--on a Universal 16 hp diesel engine, model 5416? I can buy the gasket ready made, but it is super expensive; for that amount I can buy a few sheets of gasket paper and make my own for many years to come, but I don't know what thickness or grade is needed. I have heard that if the gasket is too thick, it will negatively affect the performance of the impellor, as water can leak by it.

Thanks for any help or advice!

Frank

I've personally used a non-winning lottery ticket for this purpose for an Atomic Four, and have also heard on good authority that a dollar bill can also be used.

You don't need to trim the inner portion of the gasket, the impeller zips it away in a few seconds and passes it harmlessly through the engine like so many little bits of seaweed.

Cutting that gasket paper to size.

Frank, Once you get the proper thickness material, consider cutting it using a small ball peen hammer. You probably already know this trick but others reading this might not. Secure the pump in a bench vise between two pieces of wood so as not to damage the pump and place the paper over the pump face. Begin with gentle taps around the outside to "cut" the paper to exact size, which will help hold it in place and then use the peen end for inside circles including bolt holes. This is such a cool and fast way of making your own gasket and it can be done in an emergency anywhere. Cheers, Glyn Judson, Dawn Treader, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey (currently at the Isthmus on Catalina Island).

Thanks for your helpful replies so far! Glyn, I'm confident I can cut it well (though Tender's comment about letting the impellor cut the inside away is intriguing--wouldn't it rip it mercilessly??) Also, Tenders, would your lottery ticket last well, being just paper? I think I would prefer to use proper gasket material if there is a size/thickness that would fit. If not, I guess it's the lottery ticket!

Frank

My Oberdorfer pump's gasket as supplied by the factory *is* paper. Maybe your pump has a rubber gasket? On mine, once the lottery ticket installed, pressed between the pump and the cover, the second the chamber gets wet the impeller pulps it and shears the unnecessary center off. The part that seals remains pressed between the pump and the cover, and stays dry actually.

I'm having difficulty imagining how the ball peen hammer approach doesn't mung up the body of the pump. Tapping the paper hard enough to cut the gasket around the edge of the pump doesn't put nicks into the pump?

I make gaskets for my Yanmar water pump and they work fine. I bought one paper gasket from Yanmar, then a couple of sheets of gasket paper from my local auto parts store. I used the official Yanmar gasket as a template, traced it onto the gasket paper multiple times, then cut new gaskets using an Exacto knife. I can make at least 20 gaskets this way for less than the cost of one official, factory authorized Yanmar gasket.

Captain Don
Gitana - E26

Cutting gaskets with a ball peen hammer really works.

Guys, I omitted a critical element in describing how to "cut" a gasket using a ball peen hammer. Just as the name of the hammer implies, one lightly taps/peens the edge of the pump body around the outside first. Then before going full circle, switching to cutting the inside and finally using the peen end for the smaller curves and holes. One could just as easily do this while holding the pump body in one hand and the hammer in the other. The only reason to use a vise is that as a third hand, it leaves one hand free to hold the gasket material in place to prevent it from shifting around. Honestly, a series of one or two light taps is all it takes to cut the paper. Test try it on the edge of a piece of scrap metal in your vise as long as the scrap has a sharp edge. As a poor teen hot rodder working on my flathead V-8 Model A Ford, it was quite common for any of us guys to make our own gaskets that way. Glyn

So no one has said anything yet about thickness of the gasket material--is this a critical factor, or will any gasket paper of reasonably close thickness be ok. I remember somewhere reading that if the gasket is too thick, it will allow water between the impellor and the housing, decreasing the efficiency of the impellor in moving water through the system. Is this correct, or not a big deal?

Thanks for all the comments so far--excellent information!

Frank

Any paper that is paper thickness should be fine. I've even used manilla folders, and I, like Glynn, use the ball peen hammer trick.

gasket thickness

Frank,

It is "paper" thin - 0.004"

Brad

Doesn't look like my picture attached in the first post.

Thanks, Brad and others. This is very helpful.
Frank