Exhaust gaskets- shop bought vs. home made?

[Kelpie]

I'm fitting a new exhaust elbow on my Yanmar 3GM30F, but it wasn't supplied with a new gasket.
Gaskets cost about a tenner... Or it would appear I can buy a sheet of material, e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Exhaust-G...676445?hash=item235be6529d:g:IOUAAOxy3zNSlPSK for about the same cost but then get several gaskets out of it.

I am aware that the Yanmar exhaust elbow should be inspected frequently, and know myself well enough to realise that I am much more likely to do this if I have a piece of gasket material from which to cut new gaskets... whereas if I have to buy a new one then I am more likely to kick the inspection down the to-do list.

Is that material the right sort of stuff? Any downsides to DIY, other than a wee bit of extra time required?

Thanks

 

[nemodreams]

Yes - so long as you have the right stuff ? that does not look right to me ?
The Yanmar gaskets are graphite and metal - no paper ?
see here -

https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/products/121a-laminated-graphite-jointing-2-0mm-thick

This is a place I found a while back.
I was going to do just that - make up several gaskets so I can inspect the elbow regularly. The real graphite one tend to stick and split on dis-assembly.

This comes in various thicknesses as well.

I'm not saying this is the cheapest place to buy this - but it is the right stuff !

 

[ghostlymoron]

The first link looks OK to me and is much cheaper.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Is there any reason why a gasket made from whatever thick paper you have to hand, with a bit of Blue Hylomar (sp) on each side won't work. I recall doing a few gaskets on cars that way as a penniless student 25 yrs ago........

 

[RichardS]

The first link looks OK to me and is much cheaper.

+1 That dimpled metal finish certainly looks the same as my Yanmar 3YM30 gaskets. If it's exhaust manifold gasket material it will be fine. If it's cheap it will be even finer!

Richard

 

[teredo]

I don't think "thick paper" will work for an exhaust gasket, that needs to be the proper heat resistant material but I'm sure it is readily available in sheet form and will be fine with careful cutting.

"Thick paper" aka corn flake packet used to work fine on old BSA motorcycles and doubtless would on a marine diesel for non stressed gaskets (ie not cylinder head, exhaust, etc) but if you're not an inpecunious student why not use the proper stuff? Gasket "paper" of various types is readily available on ebay etc.

 

[earlybird]

Certainly cheaper, but cutting nice round holes for the studs and exhaust port, and in the right places, will promote bad language.

 

[teredo]

Well, maybe not. Careful marking, sandwich and tightly clamp the gasket material between two sheets of plywood and drill the holes with a nice sharp twist drill will get you nice clean stud holes. The bigger apertures are more easily cut with a scalpel or craft knife. You just need to mark and cut those really accurately. (use the manifold as a stamp. Ink it and use it as a printing press!
You'll do it just fine.

 

[TOKOLOSHI]

You can buy punch hole sets on ebay for as little as a fiver that will last a lifetime!

 

[earlybird]

Not saying it's impossible, but a craft knife won't make much impression on a metal/paper/metal laminate.

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks all, I will give it a go, a punch sounds an excellent idea for the stud holes.
One of the benefits of having an engine in the saloon is the ludicrously easy access to every bit of it- so if I bugger up the gasket I will spot leaks straight away.

 

[scottie]

Making a mistake with an exhaust system in a boat at all let alone a living area is the subject could lead to criminal charges as per the Lake District fatalities !!!
Some times it's just not worth the savings

 

[nemodreams]

This seems the right stuff - not paper fill, metal lattice core. But only one thickness - I think the originals are more like 2mm at least.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXHAUST-G...hash=item3a8a3eb202:m:m18aQwf-eghQ2gXP_Xoip5Q

Easy to make them - drill the small holes through ply clamped either side.

 

[Neeves]

And why not a hole saw, of the right diameter, again plywood front and back.

Jonathan

 

[Kelpie]

Making a mistake with an exhaust system in a boat at all let alone a living area is the subject could lead to criminal charges as per the Lake District fatalities !!!
Some times it's just not worth the savings

I think you'll find that all yacht engines are essentially in the 'living area', as the bulkhead between a typical engine space and the saloon will be completely permeable to gas. However in most boats the exhaust system is tucked away out of sight where problems can lurk unseen.
I appreciate though that CO is a serious issue, which is why I have an alarm.

 

[earlybird]

So far we've had recommended for this job, materials costing up to £18 and tools costing another £tenner+, (assuming need to buy).
For this, the OP can get 2 or 3 factory spares, might even have some change. Lacks the same challenge though!
They should last a while.
(FWIIW, my exhaust gasket is home-made, but I had the bits already to hand).

 

[Kelpie]

Being the last of the big spenders, the material and tools have cost me £11. Which is about the same as one gasket.

 

[earlybird]

Bargain basement obviously.

 

[peteK]

If its in good condition why not reuse the old one,possibly with a bit of gasket goo,always works for me.

 

[NormanS]

I smear each side of my (home made) gaskets for everything, with Coppaslip. It means that they can be taken apart without disintegrating.