Which material for apron gasket

I ended up having to go back into my apron to fix a newbie mistake, but the ultra black permatex dries pretty hard and the new gasket I had installed was destroyed during removal of the oil sump cover.

I was going to make my own... I have some 1/32" thick "Tan Fiber" and some 1/16" thick "cork-rubber". What would be the better option?

I just used Permatex gasket sealer, not the silicon kind, no gasket.

I use Locktite 515 Gasket Maker. This stuff sets up to a hard rubbery consistency only in the presence of metal ions and the lack of air. It stays somewhat flexible, is oil safe and doesn't swell like RTV. It is one of the approved sealants to assemble the crank cases on a Lycoming aircraft engine. I used it on my Logan apron.

Craig

moya034 said:

I ended up having to go back into my apron to fix a newbie mistake, but the ultra black permatex dries pretty hard and the new gasket I had installed was destroyed during removal of the oil sump cover.

I was going to make my own... I have some 1/32" thick "Tan Fiber" and some 1/16" thick "cork-rubber". What would be the better option?

Click to expand...

Either one of your choices will work. Both will need a good clean surface that has been rubbed down with something like paint thinner or even alcohol to draw the oil's out of the castings. The tan fiber type would do better with some type of sealant used on both sides, the cork/rubber type will do better with everything dry ( no sealers).


I would probably use the cork/rubber because sometimes these castings have not so flat surfaces. The cork, plus it being thicker will help with this. Just be sure the castings are clean and dry and the cork will work great. Tighten it enough so the cork squeezes good, but not so tight it squish out. Ones sealed the cork will never leak, but if you don't get all the oily/grease off the surfaces it will never seal ( the paint thinner works great for this).


Of course the RTV and many other sealants will work fine too. It is not a hard to seal part if care is taken to get it clean. There have been a time or to when the surfaces where not flat and problems with sealing showed up. This is where the cork will show how well it works if so.


Jess

Please note, this information is general not specific to any lathe or machinery.

In theory, any of the above-mentioned fixes will work. But in practice there are several variables that might need to be addressed.
I don't exactly know what lathe you have, but I have a 9A. If I install the cover plate on the Back of the apron without a gasket, The gear tends to rub excessively on the cover. Although it is normal for this gear to rub some When the clutch is not engaged, when the clutch is engaged it should not rub at all. If you use a gasket that is too thick, the gear can move excessively on the lead screw and cause excessive wear on the Gear teeth. Also on the 9 and 10K you have a clearance issue between the apron and bed. So in this case at least, you should go back with a gasket that Is as close to factory thickness as you can get.

Stay safe and have fun.

Joe

I was going to cut out the cork rubber gasket but I could not find my hole punch. I didn't have any clearence issues with gears and the cover, so I just bolted the sump cover on with some ultra black permatex. It wasn't leaking oil last night, we'll see how it looks later this morning.

The lathe is a 13" of teh 1945 vintage.

Thanks for the help guys and gals!

Edit: Just checked, no leaks over night.

The job is done now, but for kicks and giggles, I'd be curious to know what the original factory specification was for the gasket on this lathe.