Over the years, metal gaskets have become one of the most popular style gaskets to be used. Once properly installed they hold up under some of the toughest applications across a variety of industries. They perform consistently well earning both maintenance and operating personals confidence. Of course, all of this is determined by the proper handling of the gasket prior to installation. Quite often when a metal gasket fails, it fails somewhere between after being purchased and at the job site before installation.
A result of Careless handling
After hearing about and actually seeing a number of “broken” gaskets here are the top 3 ways you can destroy your spiral wound gasket before you get a chance to use them
- Through them in the back of your pick up right after you purchase them. This always seems to surprise people when they show up at their job site and the gasket windings are all over the back of the truck looking like a giant slinky.
- Loosely package them for a long journey in a makeshift card board box. Yep, they can only take a certain amount of bouncing, pounding, and jostling around before the windings come undone. Surprise!
- Lastly and I’m sure it’s not the least, bang them around your shop or work site. Even though these gaskets are made out of metal, they weren’t meant to be carelessly handled. I recently received a call from a somewhat panicked mechanic whose last metal gasket sprung. Miss handling the gasket in the shop was the culprit.
Avoid handling spiral wound gaskets like I mention above and you stand a great chance of actually using them as intended.
What work practice have you implemented to avoid damaging spiral wound gaskets before you get a chance to install them?
I didn’t know that they are so easy to break. It makes sense that not being careful would break them. Thanks for posting, I will remember this!