Profiteering and Ripoffs.

[prv]

Had no choice over the gasket though.

You said it’s 2mm diameter, and I’m assuming it might see fuel or oil so nitrile would be a better idea than neoprene.

£2.28 a metre

Pete

 

[rotrax]

The other is a Yanmar rocker box gasket, a simple loop of 2mm dia rubber total length (if split) about 2 feet.
£23.
I know Yanmar's agents charge like a wounded buffalo but that's obscene.

Being a practical sort of chap and firmly adhereing to the premis that an engineer is a bloke who can make for a tanner what everyone else pays a quid for I purchased, 45 years ago, a Loctite "O" ring kit.

It had a selection of various popular sizes of O ring stock, good quality round synthetic rubber on spools. A special angled cutter - sort of like a mitre block - and a razor blade.

You measured how big your O ring was to be, decided where to cut by overlapping the correct size stock in the cutting block, cut it at an angle and the clever bit then followed. With the tube of Locktite superglue supplied you put a dab on the end and glued it into a circle. The angled cut gave a larger surface area for a stronger joint.

Simples.

That kit is long gone, sold with a business.

The theory though, still remains.

I often make O rings to suit the job I am doing if no spare exists. I have a great selection of leftover O rings of various lengths. I choose the diameter needed, cut to length and glue. Never had a failure of a home made O ring using this method.

Buy some rubber stock and a tube of superglue and make your own.

I doubt Yanmar will notice, but you will feel REALLY good!

As this is the PBO forum, I hope the above may get others out of a tight spot. Never discard extra O rings - you never know...........

 

[Rappey]

There is 3 things I can think of where superglue is really good, rubber, wood and your skin.

 

[Freebee]

O rings that go anywhere near oil or fuel should be Viton and there fore most likely more expensive! That could be a reason why OEM seals seem more expensive!! It could be the case that cheapest is not always the best.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Speaking to a chap today who runs an Auto Spares shop about disposable gloves. He says the wholesalers are not profiteering its the manufacturers.
Then again, what are the cost of raw materials and the cost of extra production overtime etc. You have to know the facts of how a particular
business works.

I don't think it unreasonable for contributors to name the trade or business
that they are in.

I don't know of an chandler, marine diesel engineers or engineering companies living the life of Riley. In actual fact they have been in decline for
some years now.

 

[Slowboat35]

@***ing staggering - people apparently seriously trying to justify a 300% price hike in a year.

Good idea Rotrax, but only really useful if you're doing this fairly often.

LK - it may well be the manufacturers but the same principle applies. There seems to be no shortage of these goods, it's merely our necessity that's prompted the greedy to get rich quick.

 

[rotrax]

Good idea Rotrax, but only really useful if you're doing this fairly often.

I'm usually doing it for some poor sod who has broken down and cant fix it themselves, or stuck in an out of the way place with no bits.

There was a Nic 32 some years ago who made it back home from Ardglass with two pieces of American tinned 1/4 inch O/D electrical wire taking the place of the shagged out and missing balls from his Furlex. Suitably cut to length a la Loctite O ring kit and heavily greased they worked surprisingly well.

50 years experience of fixing antique vehicles helps get over parts availability.

I once cast a Bollinders piston in a paint tin using melted down Hillman Minx bell housings.....................................

 

[RJJ]

@***ing staggering - people apparently seriously trying to justify a 300% price hike in a year.

Good idea Rotrax, but only really useful if you're doing this fairly often.

LK - it may well be the manufacturers but the same principle applies. There seems to be no shortage of these goods, it's merely our necessity that's prompted the greedy to get rich quick.

Nobody needed to justify it; nobody tried to do so. If you don't like it, don't buy it.