ET: Engine (Twin) Base Gasket Removal Tips

[Rob H]

Any tips for removing well stuck base gaskets from the barrels, I was surprised how thin these are

 

[Cyborg]

I usually use aircraft paint stripper, if a aerosol can of gasket remover isn't available. I have no idea what is available over there. A lot of them don't work as well as they used to, but then they are less likely to cause your boys to drop off. Not all paint strippers work well on gasket cement.
When doing it for a living, the aerosol worked the best, but I don't recall which brand. It saved a lot of time and saved a lot of alloy. Sold by Loctite, Permatex, and CRC, etc.

 

[chankly bore]

Incidentally, and you probably know this, they should be thin so they don't compress; and they should be smeared with grease so they are easy to remove. Cheap gel-type paint remover and the butt end of an old feeler gauge works for me.

 

[Cyborg]

Maybe it's a case of old habits die hard, but I like to use High temp 3 Bond on the underside of the gasket so it will seal a bit better at the case joint. Then grease on the topside of the gasket, so the barrel can be removed without any additional fuss.

 

[Rob H]

Thanks for the reply, paint stripper did the trick