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instead of buying the $10 gasket from max and waiting for it to get here....what type of material should i use to recreate the gasket myself. paper, rubber and cork, fiber....etc. original looked like fiber to me and the local auto store has sheets i can buy.

also is there a certain thickness to take into consideration?

this is the only thing holding me back from putting the steering box back on the car.

2nd.....what type of oil seal should i get to replace the one on the steering box....does anyone have the factory measurements on the inside diameter....mine was worn out and i know the outside diameter.

this is for the steering box on a 55 clipper w/ bendix.

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I would use the fiber gasket material. Take your old gasket with you and try to find something with a similar thickness. Also, when it comes to cork gaskets, don't use them anywhere fuel is used, as the ethanol that's in all modern fuels (other than diesel, of course) will eat them.

i can take what is left of the old gasket. LOL!

What I mean is, use your best judgment on the thickness needed.

Measure the old gasket thickness with a micrometer and add about 10%. When u make the new gasket do not be tempted to short cut the operation by not cutting out the inner area as the original gasket is made.

Look closely on the seal to see if there is a number. If not, then measure the OD of the shaft that it rides on.

gasket material link

it says rubber and fiber.....the fiber is special order only. this stuff is available now and cheaper than the plain fiber. looks like it only comes in 1/32" thickness. the plain fiber is 1/64"

Petroleum products dissolve RUBBER but not neoprene.
Alcohol dissolves NEOPRENE but not rubber.

I was unaware of the cork/alcohol issue that Eric sites.
HOWEVER, i find it odd that cork is used for wine and WHiskey storeage. I'm using cork fuel filter gaskets on Cushman, Indian and the Packard with no ill effects thus far for over 30 years now.

SOME (but not all) cork gasket material is made with rubber impregnation. Other cork material is just cork as far as i know.

I have some plain cork gasket material here that i will drop into a small bottle of Alcohol for a test.

To be a little picky, Neoprene is a brand name for a type of rubber (polychloroprene). The chlorine improves the resistance to some solvents. Petroleum solvents don't normally dissolve vulcanized rubbers, but will usually swell them. Nitrile rubber is normally used for gasoline resistant parts. Cork is used in alcohol storage because you want it to swell to make a good seal - that's why you store wine bottles on their sides. The other important factor is the temperature the gasket will see.

Dork moment over

Quote:

I've done quite a lot of research on the ethanol subject.

"5. Ethanol will ruin gaskets, seals, rings and more.

Running 100% ethanol or alcohol in an engine can cause damage to cork products.

The rubber neoprene used in the last 20 + years is resistant to the drying effect that ethanol may have.

Today's vehicles are built to withstand the corrosive effects of water in ethanol and gasoline. Any vehicle built since 1985 will have no ethanol related issues. Older vehicles that used more steel in the fuel systems or cork gaskets may have issues from long term exposure to water.

Vehicles in Brazil have been using ethanol for 30 years and they are completely free from using any foreign oil. "

Source: Change2E85.com

ok. I was not aware that Neoprene is aBrand Name. But now i'm a little confused. Is the "rubber" used in fuel sytems such as the accelerator pump seal made of Neoprene or Nitrile rubber????? Or is Neoprene just a particular Brand name for Nitrile rubber???

My 89 Caprice with TBI (pump in tank) uses some kind of a pink "rubber" seal on both sides of the filter. What are the pink 'rubber' seals made of??? I bought a filter at discount store but it had no little "rubber" seals. So i had to buy those at the Chevy dealer.