Does anyone have a new vac pump gasket who can measure and tell me the thickness? thanks!

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

the new VP comes with a steel shim gasket with an oil bath dam. it's thin with a raised edge crush ridge on it.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

In the early 90s they got rid of the oil lip, but kept the metal composition, ridge and coating. I've gotten both types and usually go for the latter. I assume the oil level it was meant to control never goes as high as the gasket. I doubt it really matters either way as long as it seals.

-bh

the gasket I got when I did mine was a paper one.

(Mumble,Grumble...'gotta FIND the Damn digital caliper and then find the battery)

MB part # 601 238 07 80

Gasket Thickness .42 to .45 MM

Howeveah,

There's a raised ridge (Convexity/Concavity) [Embossed/Stamped] into the
"Center' of the gasket that makes the total thickness about .90 MM.
[When Torqued to the proper Nm (Bolts) the Embossment/Enstampment is
reduced by an Unknown Un-measureable thickness]

(You may "Crush" YOUR gasket for Measurement Purposes if you so desire.)

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

My understanding from a retired MB technician was that the improved part was to deal with oil leaks, which all of my diesel MBs suffered from at the joint between the Vac pump and the crankcase. The crush seal perhaps provides some tension on the elastomer coating to keep things tight longer than the old paper gaskets that tend to leak after a few years. If you apply some gasket sealer to the old paper type they should seal well and true with no further fuss. Whenever I have replaced vac pumps, I always spring for the newer type seal, what you get with the vac pump (as a kit), if supplied could be any seal ever used, from the old paper to the new sheetmetal/ridged variety without the high oil barrier that still confounds me given the drain arrangement.

-bh

Here are the new and old designs for the gasket.

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1993 W124 300D 2.5L Turbo, OM602.962
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2.4L DOHC
2002 Ford Explorer, 4.0L SOHC
2005 Toyota Prius, 1.5L

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-us/40601.png

Thanks for the info on the gasket! I pulled the vac pump from my 240D with much lower mileage (180K) to swap out the one in my 300DT (300k). The 240D vac pump didn't have a gasket, metal to metal with some gasket sealant so it had been messed with before? Anyway the 240Dvac pump has no play that I can detect, there is no plastic cover on the bearing (I can see the balls). Is that good or bad?

I am going to make my own gasket since the metal gasket is not in stock and $18 at the dealer..

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Both pump images are upside down, which may throw some folks off (particularly the top one with the oil reservoir 20 mm or so up from the top, which is actually the bottom).

The bottom seal appears to be the "new" seal as of around 1990/1991, which retains the material of the top one, but without the oil reservoir thingy. This is the one I use on all my diesel cars, no leaks in close to 10 years on the 190DT or in two years since replacement on the 300SDL.

-bh

My guess is someone replaced the vac pump, or inspected it for loose races on the ball bearing cage to prevent disaster and may have destroyed the gasket in the process, or just lost it. There should be a gasket in there, older cars like yours would have a paper gasket, many of the '86/'87 had paper gaskets as well. They work OK if left unmolested, but should always be changed as a matter of principle if you pull the vacuum pump off for any reason.

-bh

I rotated the picture to eliminate any ambiguity.

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1993 W124 300D 2.5L Turbo, OM602.962
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2.4L DOHC
2002 Ford Explorer, 4.0L SOHC
2005 Toyota Prius, 1.5L

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-us/40601.png

What do you think of not using a gasket? I have some Locktite gasket sealant that is non hardening, perfect for sealing a metal to metal joint and should keep it nice and dry.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Like using spermicide without a condom, sure maybe it works.

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Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D

Oil leaks is not going to be an issue with the sealant that I will be using. I was wondering if there will be a mechanical issue longterm without the thickness of the gasket.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Highly unlikely the thickness (no thicker than a playing card) is going to matter given the method of actuation. The gaskets cost perhaps $6.00. If it were me, I'd just buy a new metal/elastomer one and be done with it.

-bh