# Primus 71 fill cap gasket?



## blujeenz (24/6/22)

My 1954 Primus 71 started acting up and I discovered the gasket was brittle and cracked.
It runs off petrol and worked well when it was working, figure I get about 30 noodles to the liter.



I don't want to pay nose bleed money to import from Sweden and was wondering if the camping crew had any ideas.
Viton sheet would be great, but haven't found any in Cape Town last I checked.

The culprit.

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## Resistance (25/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> My 1954 Primus 71 started acting up and I discovered the gasket was brittle and cracked.
> It runs off petrol and worked well when it was working, figure I get about 30 noodles to the liter.
> View attachment 258187
> 
> ...


I want one. . I was. Looking for one of those primus stoves and gave up on my search. 
Best bet I can think of now is a tap washer or otherwise cork.

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## Resistance (25/6/22)

A champagne bottle cork (cut to size) should hold up against the petrol

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## blujeenz (25/6/22)

Resistance said:


> A champagne bottle cork (cut to size) should hold up against the petrol


Thanks for the input.
I would have thought cork would be be porous in this application, although it does hold back considerable pressure in a bottle.

I'll keep it in mind, but I dont live in a fancy area where the neighbors celebrate load shedding endings with a glass of bubbly.

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## Intuthu Kagesi (25/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> My 1954 Primus 71 started acting up and I discovered the gasket was brittle and cracked.
> It runs off petrol and worked well when it was working, figure I get about 30 noodles to the liter.
> View attachment 258187
> 
> ...


A Viton or Nitrile X-Ring or "square" O-ring seal would do the job nicely, else a custom made one from these guys in your neck of the woods

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## Resistance (25/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> Thanks for the input.
> I would have thought cork would be be porous in this application, although it does hold back considerable pressure in a bottle.
> 
> I'll keep it in mind, but I dont live in a fancy area where the neighbors celebrate load shedding endings with a glass of bubbly.


Cork was used in multiple applications before the fancy seals came along.

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## Intuthu Kagesi (25/6/22)

Resistance said:


> Cork was used in multiple applications before the fancy seals came along.


The Brits used rubberised cork for years on their vehicles, however they were known for their oil leaks

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## blujeenz (26/6/22)

Intuthu Kagesi said:


> The Brits used rubberised cork for years on their vehicles, however they were known for their oil leaks


The big end cork quill seal was the first thing I checked on my Enfield bullet, the corks were known to be problematic which could result in engine failure.
Replaced mine with a neoprene version to be safe.

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## Intuthu Kagesi (26/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> The big end cork quill seal was the first thing I checked on my Enfield bullet, the corks were known to be problematic which could result in engine failure.
> Replaced mine with a neoprene version to be safe.


Wise move there! ... The Godsend in the 80's was Silicone Rubber in a tube .... getting through Scrutineering in ye olde days prior that, required a lot of prayer

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## Resistance (26/6/22)

Yes that's the thing about cork. 
Its an option as a while you trying find a oil safe seal. 
These new compound rubber O-rings should hold up against fuel for a while

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## blujeenz (26/6/22)

Resistance said:


> Yes that's the thing about cork.
> Its an option as a while you trying find a oil safe seal.
> These new compound rubber O-rings should hold up against fuel for a while


I tried an oring, probably not nitrile, from my Chinese oring box for the meantime.
Im happy with the way its burning blue flame from the very yellow before, but the oring seems to have glued the fill cap in place.
I smeared some vaseline beforehand but cant even budge the cap a quarter turn.
Anyhow, I'll hit up the gasket shops come Monday, failing that, I have a cork tree growing nearby... might have to saw off some bark.

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## Resistance (26/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> I tried an oring, probably not nitrile, from my Chinese oring box for the meantime.
> Im happy with the way its burning blue flame from the very yellow before, but the oring seems to have glued the fill cap in place.
> I smeared some vaseline beforehand but cant even budge the cap a quarter turn.
> Anyhow, I'll hit up the gasket shops come Monday, failing that, I have a cork tree growing nearby... might have to saw off some bark.
> View attachment 258267


If you have gasket maker seal the cork with gasket maker before you use it. As for the oring ceasing the cap in place I'm sure you'll persuade it loose somehow.

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## Intuthu Kagesi (26/6/22)

Resistance said:


> If you have gasket maker seal the cork with gasket maker before you use it. As for the oring ceasing the cap in place I'm sure you'll persuade it loose somehow.


Make sure it's a sealant / gasket maker that is stable in the presence of solvents and aromatics, (_petrol in this instance_)  
As to the "stuck" one ... most aromatics and or solvents will break it down, (_which is pretty much why it's stuck at the mo_')

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## blujeenz (26/6/22)

Intuthu Kagesi said:


> Make sure it's a sealant / gasket maker that is stable in the presence of solvents and aromatics, (_petrol in this instance_)
> As to the "stuck" one ... most aromatics and or solvents will break it down, (_which is pretty much why it's stuck at the mo_')


I've only got a gasket shellac which Im a bit leery of applying to the cap, I dont want to have to clean a hard mess.
That said, I tried an oil soaked cork but it still pops an air bubble every 20 seconds or so.(primus in the deep freeze for 30mins and then popped into hot water)
We'll see what monday brings.

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## Intuthu Kagesi (26/6/22)

blujeenz said:


> I've only got a gasket shellac which Im a bit leery of applying to the cap, I dont want to have to clean a hard mess.
> That said, I tried an oil soaked cork but it still pops an air bubble every 20 seconds or so.(primus in the deep freeze for 30mins and then popped into hot water)
> We'll see what monday brings.
> View attachment 258279


Shellac ... hmmmm .... nope ... for french polishing sure, and anything else ... erm ... nope ... I'd rather use a modern flexible sealant that's solvent and aromatic impervious.
Chances are you have a vacuum pump ... soooooo ... you could try the ol' "rubberised cork" number with the aforementioned  however this still puts you back to the 1940's - 60's with at best a semi leaky gasket ... so back to my earlier suggestion ... I rate a trip past Gasket & Shim Industries in Montague Gardens as still being your best bet, (_in all likelyhood, they'll probably give you a small piece of offcut that's aromatic impervious_).

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## blujeenz (27/6/22)

Intuthu Kagesi said:


> Shellac ... hmmmm .... nope ... for french polishing sure, and anything else ... erm ... nope ... I'd rather use a modern flexible sealant that's solvent and aromatic impervious.
> Chances are you have a vacuum pump ... soooooo ... you could try the ol' "rubberised cork" number with the aforementioned  however this still puts you back to the 1940's - 60's with at best a semi leaky gasket ... so back to my earlier suggestion ... I rate a trip past Gasket & Shim Industries in Montague Gardens as still being your best bet, (_in all likelyhood, they'll probably give you a small piece of offcut that's aromatic impervious_).


Thanks man, searched high and low about 10 years ago to no avail.
Picked up the last piece Gasket & Shim had, 1.6mm thick and 140x180mm, cost R287.50, but it had to be done.
Fortunately all is air tight and working now.
It smells of cinnamon, apparently thats the identifier to not confuse it with nitrile, looks and feels the same as nitrile.

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## Resistance (30/6/22)

@blujeenz it looks like you used a a single washer.

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## blujeenz (30/6/22)

Resistance said:


> @blujeenz it looks like you used a a single washer.


Yes I did.
I bought it with those 2 square cutouts and scalloped edges.

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