Scraping gaskets

[Superfridge]

Grizzly's post re the 8-180 got me wondering if there is a better way to remove baked on head gaskets other than a gasket scraper and hard yaka. We have a few water cooled SMC 116's to look after so thats 16 head and 4 side gaskets to get off. Plus the liner gaskets. The new inpregnated gaskets seem better than the old standard gasket material type.
I was thinking one of those multi-cutting type power tools that have a vibrating head might be the go?
Any sugestions welcome.

[RANGER1]

Superfrigdge, thats 8 head gaskets not 16, although it might feel like it.
Man up & clean them off, use grease on gasketss , if not already.
I use a wood chisel 25mm wide, sharp & even so you don't gouge metal
on head etc.
You can buy spray on stuff from auto supplies, but thats for girls, so you make
the decision if you want to use it!
Make sure you wear your gloves & maybe eye protection, also have frequent breaks so you don't
knock yourself up with cramp or something.

[james10]

I use armaflex glue remover solvent on them it softens them up no end,
it might be girly but saves your fingers from cramp

[Grizzly]

Hi Guys!
I don't know whether it is relevant? Only Sabroe have changed not only the gasket thickness but the material they are made of to a High Pressure quality material.
Is this what you are referring to as impregnated Superfridge?

Their mounting instructions as of (08 December 2010) which supersedes the original from (November 2000.)
States the different new torque settings for the different CMO and SMC Variants.
One thing said is.
"Do not lubricate the gaskets and the sealing surfaces of the covers and the compressor block before mounting the the gaskets. New gaskets must be fitted every time the covers are dismounted."

When the gaskets are purchased as a kit you get this info and a new set of washers.
These newer type gaskets don't seem to be so difficult to remove as they have been in the past.
Maybe time will tell?

Back to your original replies Superfridge.
The idea of you going anywhere near the gaskets ant their surfaces frightens the bejezzers out of me.
As suggested hand scraping using any decent tool steel edge will remove them with careful application.
Historically no self respecting fitter would be without his shortened file ground down at the end like a chisel.
But nowadays there is a huge variety of scrapers available that do the trick.
The bahco is a favorite of mine.



Or for light clean up work or smaller areas the Stanley retractable is really good and only a couple of pounds.



As Ranger implies there is no easy way to remove those more stubborn gaskets, other than steady persistence.
James I had heard of oil being used to soften the gaskets but I had not heard of using armaflex glue remover. (I thought the smell of the Ammonia would be enough?)
Your company must have deep pockets to buy you sufficient.
Mine is to tight to splash out on fancy removal solvents.

The biggest asset is being allowed sufficient time to do the job properly.
I am making silly little mistakes lately, maybe its the onset of age but its more likely because everyone is expecting the job to be done in less time.

Or is it just my imagination?
Grizzly

[monkey spanners]

Back to your original replies Superfridge.
The idea of you going anywhere near the gaskets ant their surfaces frightens the bejezzers out of me.

Grizzly, I'm guessing you meant gouging and not going!

I have a cheap stanley plastic scraper that take normal stanley knife blades, works well enough for the amount of gaskets i have to change, but the cover comes off the blade in the tool box unless taped on and gasket scrapes my fingers!!!

http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/5...05932 0-28-590



I know what you mean with the making small mistakes (or forgetting things....), seems i have more to think about in todays economic climate than just fixing things, there always seems to be someone round the corner ready to do it cheaper or quicker etc.

Jon

[al]

Scraping baked on gaskets off York J bodies was a rite of passage!! Stanley scrapers were the best i found, bit of wd40 to soften it up, but usually better dry. As you say Grizzly time and patience are the key ingredients. When i started with York it was one day per 8 cylinder, over the years that is down to nearly a complete chiller in 8 hours

al

[james10]

Hi Guys!
I don't know whether it is relevant? Only Sabroe have changed not only the gasket thickness but the material they are made of to a High Pressure quality material.
Is this what you are referring to as impregnated Superfridge?

Their mounting instructions as of (08 December 2010) which supersedes the original from (November 2000.)
States the different new torque settings for the different CMO and SMC Variants.
One thing said is.
"Do not lubricate the gaskets and the sealing surfaces of the covers and the compressor block before mounting the the gaskets. New gaskets must be fitted every time the covers are dismounted."

When the gaskets are purchased as a kit you get this info and a new set of washers.
These newer type gaskets don't seem to be so difficult to remove as they have been in the past.
Maybe time will tell?

Back to your original replies Superfridge.
The idea of you going anywhere near the gaskets ant their surfaces frightens the bejezzers out of me.
As suggested hand scraping using any decent tool steel edge will remove them with careful application.
Historically no self respecting fitter would be without his shortened file ground down at the end like a chisel.
But nowadays there is a huge variety of scrapers available that do the trick.
The bahco is a favorite of mine.



Or for light clean up work or smaller areas the Stanley retractable is really good and only a couple of pounds.



As Ranger implies there is no easy way to remove those more stubborn gaskets, other than steady persistence.
James I had heard of oil being used to soften the gaskets but I had not heard of using armaflex glue remover. (I thought the smell of the Ammonia would be enough?)
Your company must have deep pockets to buy you sufficient.
Mine is to tight to splash out on fancy removal solvents.

The biggest asset is being allowed sufficient time to do the job properly.
I am making silly little mistakes lately, maybe its the onset of age but its more likely because everyone is expecting the job to be done in less time.

Or is it just my imagination?
Grizzly

They have short arms and lomg pockets but fortunatley for me the girls who give out the PO nos havent got a clue and i think a trip to RS is in order for one of those Bahco scrapers

[Magoo]

Scrapping old gasgets is not my favourite past time, for years I have been using Hylemar [spellcheck] gasget treatment on new gasgets blue stuff, spray can or tube. Same as those pre treated gasgets you get from some suppliers.

[monkey spanners]

Scrapping old gasgets is not my favourite past time, for years I have been using Hylemar [spellcheck] gasget treatment on new gasgets blue stuff, spray can or tube. Same as those pre treated gasgets you get from some suppliers.

Is that the non setting stuff? Got a tube on the van, only used once and not been back to site to see how well its held up!

Jon

[glenn1340]

ball pein hammer gets the hardest of old gaskets off

[Magoo]

Hi MS
sounds like the same stuff, old gasgets just peel off. Its a Rolls Royce spec'd product. The faces have to be super clean, I usually wipe with an air dry solvent before install

[spinning wheel]

Coat the new gaskets with never seize and oil mixture, and the next time you remove them they will almost fall off. I have been doing this for years without a problem. I use a non metalic neversieze, and wipe off the excess.

[RANGER1]

Coat the new gaskets with never seize and oil mixture, and the next time you remove them they will almost fall off. I have been doing this for years without a problem. I use a non metalic neversieze, and wipe off the excess.

Graphite grease is also good etc.
I didn't think the USA new about anti seize, as products like Refrigeration specialties & Hansen are a dog to work on after the rust set in, broken bolts, rust etc

[Superfridge]

Hey RANGER1, these comps are SMC MKII's with a gasket on the water side so belive me when I say 16 or though it feels like 30. I have an old hand-me-down saw blade with a rag taped to the handle that has served well over the years and going by the above post's I should continue using it but i'm always looking to find ways to do the mundane jobs quicker.
Grizzly, the new gaskets I said that were inpregnated seem to have a graphite type feel to them. Inpregnated may not be the right description.....maybe a coating??? I read the same instructions as you so have been laying off the anti-sieze.
Anyone would think that anti-sieze was a new invention by the lack of it about the place.

[RANGER1]

As Grizzly suggests, an old flat file ground like a wood chisel.
I went the next step & upgraded to a wood chisel, which by the way has
to be resharpened regualarily for best result, bench grinder or oil stone.
,
If its sharp, job is a whole lot easier.
I'd still use grease no matter what instructions say, as can't see any harm, only good.
I think they are worried about gasket slipping out betwwen gasket faces, but we have had no trouble.

You should have been around a few years ago when Mycom used asbestos gaskets.
They didn't seperate of one side, but you had to split gasket down the middle, then scape it off both sides
of gasket faces.

Agrinder, with wire buff could help you on heads & water jackets, but would'nt use on or around compressor
due to bits of wire & debris coming off.

[Grizzly]

Hi Superfridge.

Grizzly, the new gaskets I said that were impregnated seem to have a graphite type feel to them. Impregnated may not be the right description.....maybe a coating??? I read the same instructions as you so have been laying off the anti-sieze.
Anyone would think that anti-sieze was a new invention by the lack of it about the place.

Its all starting to make sense now.
The dark graphite covered gaskets are for the water jacket side of the heads and oil cooling sump cover. ( it does indeed feel and look like some type of graphite impregnation to these gaskets.)
The Blue gaskets are for the refrigerant side.
I have oiled these in the past without issue however Sabroe say not to. the choice is yours.
Its worth noting that some water treatments that are added to the system cooling water.
Particularly if the water cooling circuit is fed off of the evaporative Condenser sump over a period of time remove the carbon content within the water jacket / head casting.
Making the cast surface soft, so extreme care needs to be exercised when scraping their surfaces.
I had one site where we had several heads / jackets skimmed by the local machine shop, removing the bare minimum of course!
I am only guessing guys, but as these new gaskets and torque settings are to accommodate Co2 systems. I would assume on ammonia etc older practices would still be acceptable?
Not that any manufacturer would say this!
As some have said before giving old gaskets a coating of oil does seem to help their removal.

However good luck my friend cos as you imply there will be some hard graft necessary however you tackle the issue.
Grizzly

[weagle]

Loctite makes a spray to remove gasket material.. could not believe the results. Its called the chisel. Spray it on-wait a few minutes and you will see the gasket material bubble up so much you can scrape it with a credit card. The beat tools I found to use it the blade scraper posted in this post or and I ain't lieing about this a 1 lbs ball peen hammer. You can use the round side and lightly tap on thicker gasket material it will bubble out so you can get a regular scraper under it.. sometimes if you hit it pieces go flying everywhere. Good post.. I really wish others post questions like this.