Phenolic Spacer for carb/intake

[kevsett]

I had to do a little work on my M74B and replace damaged O-rings. I currently have an older, slightly indented phenolic insulator spacer and a very new black high density plastic insulator spacer for the intake/carb flange interface.

I don't recall when the plastic spacer was purchased but it would seem that the phenolic spacer is the correct and most popular insulator material to use with inner/outer gaskets. Is this correct?

If so, James Gaskets sells the kit but I was hoping to get just a phenolic spacer. Any ideas on aftermarket internet sources without having to buy everything?

[Guest]

V-Twin got them and I think Colony has them. Bob

[Cotten]

Kev!

Beware of plastics that do not withstand modern fuels.

If you cannot sand your original phenolic spacer nice and flat on both sides,...

You really would be prudent to replace it with the James kit: Intake leaks are not something to gamble with....
(I am cheap myself, but a couple of extra paper gaskets that you will use someday anyway are nothing to scratch your chin over.)


...Cotten

[kevsett]

I found one at V-Twin but couldn't tell which material type. MAS has the same thing. Nothing at Colony. JP Cycles may be a supplier of the plastic insulator w/ outer gaskets? NOS has one too. James is the only one I can tell is OEM.

I think I'm going to dunk the high density black plastic spacer into a small jar of gasoline and see if it holds up but not sure I want to flatten the OEM style phenolic spacer as there are 2 chunks out of it and I was hoping to stay at the stock width.

Thanks again for the responses.

[VT]

I think I'm going to dunk the high density black plastic spacer into a small jar of gasoline

Yea, soak it all, in some hair of the dog that might bite it.
If you have any extra room in the bowl, throw in an O-ring manifold gasket, and two nuts locked on a screw with a coating of Seal All® sandwiched between the nuts, and see if your home town gas dissolves them. (thanks spell check!) Also throw anything else in the bowl (a Kreem coated piece of anything will do) that touches gas in a Big Twin. Let it sit with a lid on it for a couple weeks. That'll teach it a lesson. Go ahead on. We'll wait around for a report. Test it

[Cotten]

....And then hope the fuel formulation doesn't change.

Summer blends seem to be the worst.

.....Cotten

[kevsett]

Weird findings (or not findings at all) in my local area hunt for gaskets. I've bought the standard OEM type intake/carb gaskets for years locally. These are the ones with a thin internal metal foil sheet. Local suppliers now only carry gaskets that are actually just black plastic cutouts. I questioned 3 different places and asked for the type received in the past and they looked at me like I was from outer space.

These replacement black plastic gaskets might (and I repeat, might) work just as good but they are thicker and just downright give me concern when compared to what I'm used to and what I want to stay with.

I can't say if these gaskets and insulators are cheapened in quality but it's strange that in a little over 3 years things have changed that much at previously dependable local parts shops.

I've got 2 OEM style gasket left so I guess they'll get used for now and we'll see what the world wide web has to offer along with the insulator search that I'm still on.

[Cotten]

Fiber composite (originally asbestos) upon an impressed metal core is often called "Felpro"-style. This was the OEM design for generations.

Now gaskets are "fish paper" or the modern equivalent. Most all have an adhesive upon them, and this can look like plastic.

The problem with thick gaskets, and the block as well, is that they allow the carb and manifold flanges to distort.
Thin ones work best, if the flanges and block are ground flat to begin with.

As thickness of the stack will vary, the carb support should be tweaked to where it puts absolutely no bind or pressure upon the assembly.

...Cotten

[VT]

Call Kick-Start and get a stock check and order what you need (616) 245-8991 (m-f, 10-5 EST), but have the OEM number in front of you or get yelled at.
Let us know what you got in the mail from them. Take a pic too

[Fixman]

Here you go -- eBay item #230179824026

"Intake mounting kit for the Linkert carb, 1955-up. Includes 2 brown Viton o-rings, the air cleaner backplate gasket, and a 1/4" phenolic ( NOT plastic) spacer with 4 bolt linkert gaskets mounted either side. Top quality & USA made of course," Buy it now for 20 bucks. Kit comes from James.

Kent

[VT]

Here's the store if you missed the one on ebay.
http://www.jamesgaskets.com/index.html