Make your own gaskets
 

One thing we all do, is go for the cheaper part off eBay. It gets here, and no gasket. Thus was the case with my clutch slave cylinder today.

I keep a stock of fuel pump gasket material, $10 for a few feet. It's thicker, it can handle almost any chemical, and it's cheap.

So I made a gasket. Going out of town this weekend and need the car working.

The piston got in the way of my gasket making process, so I used my old slave and ripped the piston out. I laid the slave cylinder face down on the gasket material, and drew a line around it.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...a50ab65774.jpg

Cut it out with scissors slightly larger, it will get trimmed to fit.

I placed the slave back on the cut gasket and got out my sharpie. Drop it through the bolt holes and try to mark center. Not the most important for accuracy here. http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...07ada075fe.jpg

Remove the slave and center the bolt on the dot. Cut around with an razor knife. No need to go all the way through, just mark it and remove the bolt and then cut free hand. The break away blade type razor is the most sharp, and always start with a fresh edge.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...3dd937039a.jpg

Put the gasket on the slave and push the bolts through. Trim up any material that gets pushed up.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...9e2cddd5dc.jpg

Now clean up your outside edge with the knife. Use the slave as an edge. Don't cut too close like I did, leave a lip if sections will end up thin.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...a7bdc2ba71.jpg

Now do the large hole for the piston. The pic shows my old slave with the gasket and bolts, and the new to highlight what your trimming for. Take your small ball-pine hammer and use the round side. Tap around that round edge with the hammer and crease the gasket.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...c2e944435c.jpg

Eventually it will start to perforate and tear. You should be able to lift it out.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...0da73cf9fe.jpg

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...3b89b5ea2c.jpg


It should be noted that the hammer is the most effective method for cutting any holes. However sometimes the knife is better. Like making the outside edge larger and not having such a slim piece of gasket material.

And it's done.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...2472318e21.jpg


That outside edge is way too thin, but this isn't actually sealing anything. No oil or water to escape. As well, it's my own car so I'm gonna run it.

You can make pretty detailed gaskets with this hammer method, but if it's difficult to reach or important I buy one. I made an oil filter housing gasket as they sent me the wrong one, but I will replace it next oil change.

A good trick to know when you are in a pinch. Some old timers make all their own gaskets. Leftover from the days before we had machines to do it for us.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...b11dee4009.jpg


Long term build thread:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/restoration-projects-long-term-builds/362300-1970-220d-long-haul.html

Nice idea if you had done this for say the covering on a thermostat (or perhaps something else)...

...problem with doing this on a clutch slave cylinder is that the original gasket is a lot thicker than the one you've made. For this part of the car you should consider the gasket to be called "spacer". If you fit the slave cylinder with that gasket it will be sitting too close to the bell housing. There will be a chance that you will be pushing too hard up against the clutch release fork.

The gap - or space - between the clutch slave cylinder and the bell housing is important. Note also the original part has a little channel built into it to allow for any leaking fluids (clutch or engine related) to drain away.

Making your own gaskets can indeed be done - but you have to make sure you know when the thickness is important. Other situations where thickness is important are for vacuum pumps, gear boxes, transmissions. I'm sure there are others but I hope you get the idea.

I have used leather to make gaskets,they last a long time.

I wouldn't go to ebay to buy a CHEAP part for my Mercedes. I want the best one I can get. Autohasaz and Peach Parts are the best source of reasonably priced GOOD replacement parts.
Anziani

Not really, as the clutch wears the fork travels towards the slave cylinder by a much greater amount than the gasket difference, This makes gasket thickness a non issue.

I beg to differ.

The other reason for the slot in the spacer / gasket is to use a go no-go tool to measure clutch wear. The position of the slave cylinder is important. I'll try and find a link to confirm this.

Make your own gaskets
 

Interested. The original gasket was slightly thinner, but that was before I cranked it down. I didn't notice a channel, but it also just fell apart. Did you mean a channel in the gasket or the part itself?

When I dropped this motor back in I threw in the leaky slave with no gasket. Didn't want to spend more until I saw some good readings. When I pulled it, the leaky fluid came with it. I opened the inspection plate and a little dropped out.

My clutch is not new, and need to be careful about this gasket when I replace it maybe.

I'll mic my gasket material when I get home. It's pretty thick. But let me know.

Here are some links that show the gauge

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/67115-clutch-wear-gauge.html

http://vintage.mitchell1.com/PClubData/chassis/enis78/V2I786038.pdf

That's awesome thank you. So the shim is just for the purpose of checking clutch disc wear? No gasket needed? What came out was so old it just fell apart. Being plastic, that makes more sense.

They do have good prices. I was surprised. And quality products. I'll have to check out Autohasaz. My problem with pelican is they like fedex. The FedEx guy can't find my house. I try to make big orders from them and save, or even bite the bullet.

But when it's your DD, and you have to get it going, eBay tends to get it quicker.

However, I see what brand pelican sells and only order that.

It isn't a gasket as in something to stop fluid leaking - it is a spacer. The second link I posted calls it a shim (and that's a copy of a Mercedes publication)

When mine broke I just taped it together with a bit of masking tape and refitted it (not really a great fix but hey ho - once it is fitted the shim doesn't move).

But why the need for a shim? Why not just make the piston the correct length?

I should be good with not having a new clutch yeah? How thick is the shim?

I was thinking more keeping water out. Not that it rains in California.

And why can't I find clutch jobs in my FSM?

And why is the sky blue?

Because then you can't check for the clutch wear

No I don't think so, you could push the springs on the release mechanism too far towards the flywheel. I think it is best to leave that calculation to Mercedes.

I don't know - you'll have to measure it

Well it would help but it is quite a way up the casing.

I was in California in August 1993 and it rained!

Because MB USA probably made a deal with ATSG and got chapter 27 and the rest of the transmission related chapters removed from the CD versions of the FSM - paper versions often have chap 27 and the rest - as does WIS
The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by the air.

Lol. That helps.

I'll have to look through the files. Telling me it's 27 really helps. A lot of stuff is in there but not in the index.

What came out was so thin, I'm wondering if the 220D's had that. I'll have to check the EPC and call the dealer as well.

I'm having a problem with the supply line from the reservoir. I'm learning about working on such an old car. I'm going to have to break the seal and replace all the hoses while I'm at it, so I'll see if I can get one of those inspection shims.

I'm gonna drive until the clutch goes anyways, so I'm not too worried.

The didn't know about the clutch wear tool but the thinner gasket won't make the slave push too hard against the release fork.

Self adjusting slave cyl like these have a deep bore with a light spring pushing against the piston to keep it extended. The spring is light enough to keep the slack out of the system ( release bearing in constant contact with the pressure plate fingers ) and allow for the fingers / release fork to move towards the cyl as the disc wears. The difference in new to worn clutch disc release fork height is much more than the difference between the home made gasket and factory shim.

If the flywheel was machined / slightly different clutch used, the measuring tool will be invalid.

Think of this as a disc brake caliper against new pads / worn rotors and new pads against new rotors. There is enough travel in the calipers to take up the difference in rotor thickness.