Head gasket material

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 9 of 9 known posts recovered

timme6 · Aug 13, 2001 10:43 AM

LAST EDITED ON Aug-13-01 AT 10:54 AM (EST)

I tore down and cleaned-up two old Torpedo 19's over the weekend.
One is a GH, the other a standard Torp. I didn't have new gaskets
for them, so I made head and cyliner/case gaskets from 30# roofing felt. Does anyone know if this material will work for gaskets? Will exposure to fuel affect them since they have asphalt in them?
Worst case, I spent a half hour cutting gaskets that I can't use, but I got some practice for cutting gaskets when I get better materials.
Thanks,
Tim

By the way, the crock-pot cleaning method works great. If cooked for 12-24 hours the cases look shiny. Beyond 24 hours they get blotchy and rather dull. But still clean. Although my green head is now silver. This does remove paint.

Jake · Aug 13, 2001 11:03 AM

#1 source

Playing cards work, so will automobile gasket material from the autoparts store. The main thing is how thick the stuff is, and how much it compresses under tightening the screws. I doubt you will hurt anything, but your's is probably thicker than needed.
All the Torp .19s are the same, the earliest ones had a silver head, changed shortly to green in the early '50s.

timme6 · Aug 13, 2001 11:23 AM

#2 source

Thanks Jake,
I have used playing cards for backplate gaskets and they work well. Now I have another question for you.
You said all of the Torp 19's are the same. Now I noticed the GH has a piston that is slightly taller than the other one, and also the ports in the cylinder are rectangular, where the the other sleeve has ovaled ports. The fin spacing on the cylinder is different too. The top of the connecting rod is also wider, covering the whole wrist pin, inside the piston.
Is this something other than a regular GH Torp?

Jake · Aug 13, 2001 11:41 AM

#3 source

I should have added the proviso "pretty much" in there...
There ARE minor running changes in production through the years. Out of the half-dozen .19 GHs I had, there were were tiny differences in a couple of them from the others. The changes were mostly to make it run stronger, and simplify machining of the components. The head colours differed slightly too, as they did on my other GH Torps.

timme6 · Aug 13, 2001 11:44 AM

#4 source

Thanks Jake.

Jake · Aug 13, 2001 11:58 AM

#5 source

LAST EDITED ON Aug-13-01 AT 12:03 PM (EST)

The earliest Torps were .32s, followed by the .29, and I think the .23, .19, and then the .35. I cannot recall now if the .19 was around in the "silver head" era, I seem to think not... I have seen motors thru the years with the head paint gone, worn off, or removed. They can be repainted, if you can get green heat-resistant paint (McCoys are easy!), there were several shades during the production life of the Greenheads.

Steve Helmick · Aug 13, 2001 06:39 PM

#6 source

I'm not a collector or a K&B 'spert, but my old friend Don Zipoy was. He had a Torpedo .24, and said it came prior to the .23. It was a silver head. Ran pretty good. As for a headgasket, I'd use a copper or aluminum ring. You should be able to find an easy to get gasket for an OS or such that will fit, tho you will need to figure how many to use to equal the thickness of the fiber JUNK!
I would prefer a postcard or heavy manila envelope for backplate gaskets, maybe 'cause I don't play cards. Steve

Jake · Aug 13, 2001 08:22 PM

#7 source

There were indeed Torps prior to John Brodbeck (of K&B fame) gaining rights to the name and all, including a .24.
The head gasket IS best , made of copper or aluminum. There ARE still NOS sets about, I recently got one for one of my .35s.

JAK

gcb · Aug 13, 2001 08:31 PM

#8 source

Tim,
One more opinion: considering how soft roofing felt gets in sunlight, I doubt that it will withstand running temperatures. Also, because of its composition, I'm guessing that fuel WILL affect it.
I tried a local auto parts store and could not find sheet gasket material thin enough. If you find some, please let the rest of us know what to ask for.
If you opt to make metal gaskets, as previously mentioned, make sure you stack up enough to get proper head clearance.
I don't have a GH .19, but I have the .09, .15, and .23.
George