Discontinued gaskets - Creating the impossible

Owning an older vehicle may present some challenges. A prominent one is parts availability. Our very own Kei Truck (@inkjet_kei on instagram) is no stranger to such concept, getting simple things like some gaskets has turned into an impossible affair. Daihatsu doesn't really make stuff for the Daihatsu Hijet CB42 engine anymore, nor does Piaggio for its Piaggio Porter. After contacting several suppliers with no luck, we figured it would be quicker to make them ourselves.

Getting precise measurements is KEY! Gaskets usually allow for some tolerance and deviation but getting as close as possible to the original makes for a better fitting end product. In our case, the gasket to "copy" was easy enough. Not big, no fancy shapes, just two center ports and two side holes for screws.

Once measured, we had to digitalize it! Good old vectors.. Getting all paper measurements to digital takes a bit of time, but it is very rewarding. Once we had a valid SVG file, we sent a test cut piece to verify real world accuracy. With the test cut compared to the original we could see no flaws, and final laser cut on gasket paper was given the go-ahead. Having the laser cutter and engraver is very handy, you can own your very own piece by getting a cute dog tag!

Laser cutting these gaskets provides amazing results, as it can very precisely work on thicker material without risks. It does take a bit of time overall, but it is well worth it. The result? Amazing looking discontinued gaskets, ready to use and fix potential leaks! 

Got a cool project like this you'd like us to help you with? Contact us at info@purrint.es and we'll try to figure something out together!