Copper washers

[tom52]

Is it OK to replace alloy washers with copper washers where the mating surfaces they will be against are alloy?

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[VicS]

If they are going to come in contact with salt water you will get corrosion of the alloy (presumably by alloy you mean aluminium alloy)

Perhaps fibre washers would be an acceptable alternative.

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[Avocet]

Are they sealing a steel banjo bolt to an aluminium casting? The banjo bolt will probably be zinc plated so there's already a pretty good "cell" going on already! 've seen both aluminium and copper washers used on this sort of system and my personal preference would be for copper but I'm sure there's not much in it!

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[Shakey]

If you can't get a fibre washer and a rubber washer is unsuitable then you might try hemp as a last resort.

You can buy it from plumber's merchant's, it comes as a big ball of string/wool that you can fashion your own 'washers' from.

Don't know whether it will be suitable for your purposes though, definitely not anything too high pressure.

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[tom52]

Thanks everyone. Perhaps I should have been more specific in my original post.
The alloy washer I want to replace is on the bleed bolt on the fuel system.



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[VicS]

Ok then corrosion is not likely to be a problem. If you are going to be bleeding the system regularly work hardening of copper could be. It would be advisable to anneal the washer every time it is reused (heat to a dull red and plunge into cold water) or you may find that you have to tighten the screw (presumably steel) excessively and put the thread in the aluminium at risk.

Why are you considering changing from an aluminium washer...... availability?

Regarding my suggestion to consider fibre washers; I would want to confirm that they are compatible with diesel fuel and also keep some spares handy to avoid reuse.

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[DavidTocher]

A minor point; annealing copper doesn't require quenching. Slow air cooling prevents warping.


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[tom52]

I only have to bleed the system each year when I change the filters. Every year I seemed to have to tighten the nut more and more to prevent weeping. Last year the inevitable happened and I stripped the thread on the chamber and then had to remove the whole thing to be helicoiled.
When reassembled and re-bled, unable to find a new alloy washer I sanded the old one and made do. Copper washers are easily available and can be annealed and reused. (I dread to think what my Volvo agent would charge for a new alloy washer ! )
If its OK to use copper to mate with alloy faces it seemed the way to go ?

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[VicS]

Re: Annealing copper

You're right, of course. Thanks for correcting me.

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