Rocker cover gaskets

[CLIVERALLY]

Does anyone know of a UK based firm that do a gasket that is nitrile or similar material ?

[classicswede]

I've not seen them for a good few years now only the cork type ones.

I need to look into getting them again

[142 Guy]

There are only two vendors that I have seen with the rubber valve cover gaskets. IPD in the USA and Skandix.

[CLIVERALLY]

Thanks lads..yes and there is an outfit in Holland flogging them for €12,..bargain but not with the €100 postage and customs charges
Wonder how much one would cost to make? Will look into it and let folks know if I come up with owt.

[Army]

I have a feeling things will change in the future - it can't carry on like this. Dutch companies will eventually start dealing with UK customers again but for now the new situation is still a bit too new.

Going the other way there are only a few companies in the UK who can send stuff here for a reasonable fee.

The cost of sending stuff abroad as a private individual has also jumped up one heck of a lot. Those prices at the post office I expect will start going down too - the difference between sending stuff (from) within Europe to Europe and from Europe to the UK is ridiculous.

[Bob Meadows]

Try classic car gasket manufacturers:~ quite a few should show up with most materials being available.

For a much older Riley I use "Nebar" purchased in sheet form to make my own-far better than cork- some engineering/hydraulics suppliers also stock it.
Regards Bob.

[classicswede]

I am not having any real issues with sending to the EU.

DHL have had a 100% success rate but the likes of DPD have been more like a 90% failure rate. Price has not changed much.
A couple of customers were hit with duty on top of VAT early on but that seems to be all sorted now

[CLIVERALLY]

Thanks everyone.

[142 Guy]

If you are adventurous, you could purchase a new cork gasket, make a mold of the gasket and then use the mold and some pourable rubber to form a gasket. Pourable rubbers are available in polyurethane and silicone based compounds. Nitrile / Buna N would be the hot ticket for oil resistance; but, I haven't seen a pourable nitrile. You would just need to figure out the appropriate material for the valve cover application.

I figure that with material expenditures and goof ups and re tries you might be able to produce a single gasket for around €100 + €12. If you have a bunch of friends with B18 & B20s perhaps you could do a batch run which might get the individual cost down to around €12.

I have the nitrile valve cover gasket form IPD and it is OK. I still have to apply a smear of hylomar to get it to seal completely. At least it does not harden, shrink and crack with old age like the cork does. I have been toying with the idea of fabricating an oil pan gasket from Buna N (100% nitrile ) rubber sheets because my cork gasket has pretty much oozed oil from day 1. To get a nice gasket you can use an original gasket to create a CAD drawing and then have the rubber gasket cut using a water jet. I think I might be able to produce my own gasket for around $250 - $350.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 142 Guy

If you are adventurous, you could purchase a new cork gasket, make a mold of the gasket and then use the mold and some pourable rubber to form a gasket. Pourable rubbers are available in polyurethane and silicone based compounds. Nitrile / Buna N would be the hot ticket for oil resistance; but, I haven't seen a pourable nitrile. You would just need to figure out the appropriate material for the valve cover application.

I figure that with material expenditures and goof ups and re tries you might be able to produce a single gasket for around €100 + €12. If you have a bunch of friends with B18 & B20s perhaps you could do a batch run which might get the individual cost down to around €12.

I have the nitrile valve cover gasket form IPD and it is OK. I still have to apply a smear of hylomar to get it to seal completely. At least it does not harden, shrink and crack with old age like the cork does. I have been toying with the idea of fabricating an oil pan gasket from Buna N (100% nitrile ) rubber sheets because my cork gasket has pretty much oozed oil from day 1. To get a nice gasket you can use an original gasket to create a CAD drawing and then have the rubber gasket cut using a water jet. I think I might be able to produce my own gasket for around $250 - $350.

Don't know about Canada but here in the UK we can get hold of nitrile impregnated cork gasket material.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283543928030

Probably enough there to do 6-7 gaskets, need a set of wad punches, a craft knife to cut out the inside and you're all set to make some gaskets that will be resilient, oil-proof and will hold the oil inside the engine a long time.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283499028618
Wad punches ^^^^^

Used that stuff on my other beast to make gaskets that were NLA and originally a sort of large "O" ring but not circular in profile and not available from any other source. Still leak free after about 7 years