Copper gasket/washer question

I'm having trouble finding copper washer gaskets for a fuel pump
installation. All I find are copper gaskets for either electrical or
brake applications. Are they all the same ?

 

Copper washers for brake systems are used as gaskets
and will be the correct softness (only new, unused ones).
Thickness might be critical depending on how they fit in
the assembly you're working on.
I don't know about copper washers for electrical use
but if they are not meant to be used as gaskets they
might be to hard.

 

They could be annealed by heating them.

Leon

 

That really depends a lot on the copper alloy used, and getting it wrong
might very well result in high-pressure fuel being sprayed all over the
engine compartment.

I'm with Mr. Olson here: any reasonable automotive parts store will have
suitable washers. Both Mark Olson and Ole Holmblad have stated
(correctly, AFAIK) that brake-system crush-washers will be fine.

So, to the OP, where have you looked for crush-washers?

--
Later,
John



'indiana' is a 'nolnn' and 'hoosier' is a 'solkk'. Indiana doesn't solkk.

 

Curiously enough, some hi-tech brake lines I just installed came with
*aluminum* crush washers -- surprised me, but I guess the manufacturers
know.

 

The electrical washers are usually hard as the hubs of hell and won't
make good crush washers. If you anneal them you are looking for trouble
as a lot of electrical copper is beryllium alloy and TOXIC when heated.
Use the brake washers or aluminum washers. Try McMaster-Carr or Small
Parts Inc. if your parts house doesn't have 'em.

--
Gopher Greg
'77 CB750K Stock '78 CB750K AHRMA
'00 ZG1000 Stock '96 Ducati 900SS Former track bike
'01 GSXR750 Current race bike
**********pull 'mychain' to reply***********
("I've abandoned the idea of trying to appear a normal, pleasant person.
I had to accept myself as I was, even if no one else could accept me.
For the rest of my life I would continue to say precisely the wrong
thing, touch people in the raw and be generally unpopular. I had a
natural gift for it" W. F. Temple)

 

I appreciate all the input, especially the one about the toxic fumes
when home annealing. The copper gaskets are for a Volvo fuel pump but
I know the gearheads here have the mechanical acumen to answers the
generic question. Here is a long winded speil on todays frustration.
After declining the local shops offer to replace the pump for $515 I
ordered one from Murray's, I've had good luck with them on replacement
parts in the past. Over the phone I ordered $172 Bosch that turned out
to be an undersized Carter that came with a variety if fuel and
electrical fitting that I could use to adapt it to my application. It
had some real nice, fat, soft copper crush washers.I told the parts guy
I'd take it with me but it was likely coming back. After a long web
search I settled on a real Bosch OEM part for $220. It came without
adapters or copper gaskets. I took the Carter adapto pump back to
Murray's, all the time thinking about those nice, hard to find crush
washers. Would the parts guy know if I replaced them with a lesser
part? In a brief moment of morality/fear of bad Karma I left them in
the box. Next I went to what used to be one of the better performance
parts stores in town. As I looked around the newly expanded showroom I
noticed lots of semi-cheezy tools displayed, none had any prices on
them. Every time I turned a corner a sales geek would come ask if I
needed help. When I got done browsing I asked about copper washers, I
had an old one for comparison. The guy disapeared 'out back' for a
while then returned with a small box marked 'brake' something In the
box where a total of about a dozen copper washers of different sizes,
all thin. I told him my application was a fuel pump, he said he didn't
know if they'd work but for $1.70 each (discounted from $5.99) I could
try them. Foolishly I bought the 2 I needed. Later, thinking about
where else to look for the right part I remembered a new NAPA store has
just opened. Turns out they had a much bigger box to consult when I
showed them my sample washer. The kid pulled out a nice, fat, copper
crush washer just like the ones I let slip away, 70 cent each. I took 2
and bookmarked the new store on my preffered list. I put the 2 new
crush washers on the Bosch pump banjo fittings and turn to the included
instructions in hope of a torque spec to properly crush my gaskets.
The instruction sheet folds up like an accordian. Eight sections
printed front & back each in a different language, sixteen languages
covered. I could read the one marked GB (Great Britan ??). It told that
I should take the pump to a qualified person to have it installed and
that gasoline was flamable and that I shouldn't have any gas leaks and
that fire was dangerous. Yes, yes and so how should I tighten the
banjo fitting cap so that I don't have any leaks ? Nothing to say
about that. Anyway that's where this project is at thanks again for
all the info on copper crush gaskets.

 

I appreciate all the input, especially the one about the toxic fumes
when home annealing. The copper gaskets are for a Volvo fuel pump but
I know the gearheads here have the mechanical acumen to answers the
generic question. Here is a long winded speil on todays frustration.
After declining the local shops offer to replace the pump for $515 I
ordered one from Murray's, I've had good luck with them on replacement
parts in the past. Over the phone I ordered $172 Bosch that turned
out to be an undersized Carter that came with a variety if fuel and
electrical fitting that I could use to adapt it to my application. It
had some real nice, fat, soft copper crush washers. I told the parts
guy I'd take it with me but it was likely coming back. After a long web
search I settled on a real Bosch OEM part for $220. It came without
adapters or copper gaskets. I took the Carter adapto pump back to
Murray's, all the time thinking about those nice, hard to find crush
washers. Would the parts guy know if I replaced them with a lesser
part? In a brief moment of morality/fear of bad Karma I left them in
the box. Next I went to what used to be one of the better performance
parts stores in town. As I looked around the newly expanded showroom I
noticed lots of semi-cheezy tools displayed, none had any prices on
them. Every time I turned a corner a sales geek would come ask if I
needed help. When I got done browsing I asked about copper washers, I
had an old one for comparison. The guy disapeared 'out back' for a
while then returned with a small box marked 'brake' something. In the
box where a total of about a dozen copper washers of different sizes,
all thin. I told him my application was a fuel pump, he said he didn't
know if they'd work but for $1.70 each (discounted to preffered
customers from $5.99) I could try them. Foolishly I bought the 2 I
needed. Later, thinking about where else to look for the right part I
remembered a new NAPA store has just opened. Turns out they had a much
bigger box to consult when I showed them my sample washer. The kid
pulled out a nice, fat, copper crush washer just like the ones I let
slip away, 70 cent each. I took 2 and bookmarked the new store on my
preffered list. I put the 2 new crush washers on the Bosch pump banjo
fittings and turn to the included instructions in hope of a torque spec
to properly crush my gaskets. The instruction sheet folds up like an
accordian. Eight sections printed front & back each in a different
language, sixteen languages covered. I could read the one marked GB
(Great Britan ??). It told that I should take the pump to a qualified
person to have it installed and that gasoline was flamable and that I
souldn't have any gas leaks and that fire was dangerous. Yes, yes and
so how should I tighten the banjo fitting cap so that I don't have any
leaks? Nothing to say about that. Anyway, thats where the project
stands. Thanks again for the info on copper crush gaskets.

 

I appreciate all the input, especially the one about the toxic fumes
when home annealing. The copper gaskets are for a Volvo fuel pump but
I know the gearheads here have the mechanical acumen to answers the
generic question. Here is a long winded speil on todays frustration.
After declining the local shops offer to replace the pump for $515 I
ordered one from Murray's, I've had good luck with them on replacement
parts in the past. Over the phone I ordered $172 Bosch that turned
out to be an undersized Carter that came with a variety if fuel and
electrical fitting that I could use to adapt it to my application. It
had some real nice, fat, soft copper crush washers. I told the parts
guy I'd take it with me but it was likely coming back. After a long web
search I settled on a real Bosch OEM part for $220. It came without
adapters or copper gaskets. I took the Carter adapto pump back to
Murray's, all the time thinking about those nice, hard to find crush
washers. Would the parts guy know if I replaced them with a lesser
part? In a brief moment of morality/fear of bad Karma I left them in
the box. Next I went to what used to be one of the better performance
parts stores in town. As I looked around the newly expanded showroom
I noticed lots of semi-cheezy tools displayed, none had any prices on
them. Every time I turned a corner a sales geek would come ask if I
needed help. When I got done browsing I asked about copper washers, I
had an old one for comparison. The guy disapeared 'out back' for a
while then returned with a small box marked 'brake' something. In the
box where a total of about a dozen copper washers of different sizes,
all thin. I told him my application was a fuel pump, he said he didn't
know if they'd work but for $1.70 each (discounted to preffered
customers from $5.99) I could try them. Foolishly I bought the 2 I
needed. Later, thinking about where else to look for the right part I
remembered a new NAPA store has just opened. Turns out they had a much
bigger box to consult when I showed them my sample washer. The kid
pulled out a nice, fat, copper crush washer just like the ones I let
slip away, 70 cent each. I took 2 and bookmarked the new store on my
preffered list. I put the 2 new crush washers on the Bosch pump banjo
fittings and turn to the included instructions in hope of a torque spec
to properly crush my gaskets. The instruction sheet folds up like an
accordian. Eight sections printed front & back each in a different
language, sixteen languages covered. I could read the one marked GB
(Great Britan ??). It told that I should take the pump to a qualified
person to have it installed and that gasoline was flamable and that I
souldn't have any gas leaks and that fire was dangerous. Yes, yes and
so how should I tighten the banjo fitting cap so that I don't have any
leaks? Nothing to say about that. Anyway, thats where the project
stands. Thanks again for the info on copper crush gaskets.