With the price of a valve cover gasket set costing $180, has anybody made their own gaskets? A roll of gasket material from NAPA is about $10 for way-too-much material. Anybody else too cheap to spend $180? or is it just me?
I've done it. The 1st time I did my belts back in 2000 I also did a valve check. I ordered a set of gaskets (they weren't $180 then) and traced them on a piece of cardboard. I use that as my templete now and have made a few sets and used them. They work without any leaks. Pretty simple just takes a little time. Make sure you have a sharp set of hole punches.
I have a few different types of gasket material to mimic as closely as I can certain types of gaskets. I've tended to use it when a particular gasket was not available, in emergencies, and when I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the available gasket . . . What does one get for $180 in a Ferrari gasket kit?
The Ferrari gasket kit is roughly (from memory) the two valve cover gaskets, the two distributor housing gaskets, two cam end plate gaskets, and the two cork distributor gaskets. It seems to me that quality wise, they are nothing special, just the most basic plain paper gaskets available. The actual cost of making them is probably $10. But oh well. I think it would be nice if there were some higher quality gaskets that sealed better, for longer. Of course, it's a little difficult to do, since the gaskets would need to have the same thickness when tightened down, to maintain the tolerances at the rubber o-rings, etc. But it probably could be done if there was enough demand. Not that the oem are horrible, but better ones probably could be made.
I've made a lot of my own gaskets and they've always performed well. It's helpful to have high grade gasket material of different thickness so you can mimick the original if there's a need to do so to maintain tolerances. Frankly, if you get good at it you can make better fitting gaskets yourself than what comes in many gasket sets. It's not rocket science, you just have to be precise and careful. Helps to have a steady hand and very sharp knives and hold punches....
I've made gaskets for years if necessary but usually because they weren't available or they were small, easy to make gaskets with a roll of material and a ball peen hammer. Frankly, since the gaskets in question are readily available, I would pony up the bucks and buy the appropriate gasket set - looking for the best price, of course.
GT Car Parts in Phoenix has been making all the standard gaskets now for years. They are a fraction of Ferrari's price, IIRC valve cover gaskets are about $30 each. Oil pan gaskets are something like $12. (623) 780-2200. -Steve
I've heard a problem with valve cover gaskets leaking comes from many being New Old Stock. They are hard and won't compress. I've also heard GT purchased the rights to the valve cover gasket template and cranks them out with new material. This is only second hand information, but what was told to me by a reputable source.
There is a complete article on making your own gaskets in the current issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotic Cars.
My 308 always had a very poor feel to gearchanges , , the gearstick went forward and back but never felt like anything was holding it in gear .... it didnt slip out of gear but it didnt feel positive. When the gearchange bushing in front of the engine failed I had to take the gearbox base off and discovered a huge thick gasket which also had a huge amount of clear goo all over it (LOL ,, and it was still leaking). The base cover and gasket are the seating faces for the springs and balls that keep each selector shaft where it is supposed to be. Because the gasket has holes in it the thickness can regulate how much pressure is on the balls and springs locating the selector shafts. Making your own gaskets can help you to tailor how stiff or easily the gears go in and out. A really thin gasket makes it quite positive , , , a really thick gasket can make it much easier to go in and out of gear .......... I'm sticking with really thin (0.010" / 0.25mm) and having a very positive feel.
I had two sets made by a small shop in Denver, CO. He used the latest gasket material, and sold me a tube of goo to put in the corner of the seals. It all worked flawlessly.
Would be interesting if someone scanned the gaskets and then got the lasercutters to make them , it would be dirt cheap !! Once you have the DXF file you can do it again and again .
I bought a huge sheet of Klingerit gasket material years ago and enquired if I could get it laser cut , , , the sales people said it could not be laser cut. I'm not sure if this info is correct as making a sale that day seemed to be waaaaaay too much trouble for these guys. So aside from getting a computer file made up we need to know what types of material can be cut by which methods. Probably the fastest and easiest method is a flat surface , pencil , trace the cover / part and cut it out. I do all mine that way and every gasket I make does not leak. The time you spend just getting something to scan a cam cover will probably be longer than making a few full sets at home.
I bought a roll of material from Napa and made my own. It's pretty easy if you have the old gasket as a pattern. Just put the old gasket on the new material and trace around it. I also bought a hole punch kit from Harbor Freight for $10. It works great on the holes. Now, if it will just stop raining, I'll find out if it leaks.