The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Rear Fender to Running Board Gasket

I am getting ready to mount my rear fenders on my '52 GMC 1/2 ton soon and am curious to know whether the rubber gasket offered by Jim Carter or the thin roofing felt one offered by Classic is correct for an authentic restoration.

I purchased the z shaped gasket / felt from Classic and have to say it is so thin, it won't make a difference. I am thinking about making my own out of a piece of rubber. Not that the two parts should move much but the rubber will be a better isolator than the felt. I presume the felt would be in keeping with an authentic restoration, but that would be a reasonable thing to change in my opinion.

The original anti-squeak was felt paper, but it was thicker than
the 10# roofing paper the vendors are selling. Use some 30#
roofing paper if you want it to be like the original one. Same
stuff used for the front fenders. No need to buy any of the
anti-squeak a yard of paper will make all you need for an AD
restoration.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thanks Denny. I already did as you suggested for the anti-squeak between the inner and outer fenders and cab so I already have a roll.

I agree, the vendor anti-squeak is way too thin. Same for the transmission floor panel. But, the vendor gaskets make a good template to cut your own from heavier material. I am not at that point yet, but am either going with 30# roofing paper, or will use a heavy "gasket" material available at most FLAPS. Just not sure the gasket material rolls are large enough for every piece of anti-squeak needed.

No sense in throwing away your coin on gasket material David,
it's way more expensive then that roll of 30# roofing paper and
won't function any better. But, if you insist, try McMaster
Carr, you can buy any length you need there.
I would actually like to find some treated felt paper that was
heavier then the 30# but I've been looking for 6 or 7 years
without any luck, apparently no one makes it.
The original gasket for the trans cover was a full sheet formed
to fit the contour under the trans cover, not 1" wide strips
just at the edges. It was heavier than the 30# paper though. I
had some pictures posted way back when of how I vacuum formed
a new one. They were posted on Webshots when it was the only
choice but we all know what happened to that. The original
pictures are on my old confuser that crapped out on me last
spring, no back up either DUH.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I wanted a thicker than 30# felt gasket in one of my applications so I doubled it up and 'glued' it together with a thin coat of plastic (not tar) roofing adhesive then made the gasket out of that... (yes, I made sure it won't drip/ooze out)

I agree with you Denny. I was just thinking of gasket material when I needed something thicker than the 30# felt. For the trans floor cover, I used 1/4" thick by 1" wide or so foam door weather strip. I may switch it to 1/4" neoprene (a bit more durable). I want that sucker to seal.

Okey dokey fellers, took some work but here are those pictures
of my reproduction of the original 4-speed transmission cover
gasket vacuum formed from 30# felt paper.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/transmission_cover
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have to say that is brilliant. Vacuum bag molded the felt paper better than I could imagine. Your attention to detail and precision is enviable.

Come on Bob, you're embarrassing me. I'm just an old
farm boy from the country. Point is that the cover
did originally have a sheet gasket on this truck, not
just strips. The original one was made from a heavy
paper, my guess would be about 50# felt paper that
was die cut to the shape. And it was formed to the
contours of the cover. That's why I'm 98% positive
it came from the factory that way. I can't envision
the local mechanic from a small town in south western
Iowa making up a gasket like that.

I'd be interested to know if Brad has run across
remnants ofthis type of gasket on any of the
dozens that he's parted out.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

What was on my 52panel rear fenders is just what Denny is talking about. I think I saved a piece of the original but no telling where I put it for "safe" keeping.
I used something else on the rebuild but I've also use the #30 roofing felt a many of times. It also works good on gas tank straps.

Denny, what adhesive did you use for the trans cover gasket? Wish I had read this post a few days ago because I just got all those gaskets n he mail. I also bought a roll of heat shielding for the trans cover because I knew there was evidence of more than just the inch wide gaskets but not enough to know what was there so I figured that was better than nothing. Guess they will be good templates though. Just painted the old truck and getting ready to put it all back together.

There was evidence of a tar like something that had the original
one stuck to the bottom of the cover. I haven't glued mine down
yet because some day I'm planning to spend a complete body off
the frame winter. That is, if I ever get finished getting ready
in the new barn/auto shop/spray booth/machine shop/wood working shop.
What ever you use, it needs to seal the opening so it doesn't
form a pocket between the gasket and the cover. I think this
was GM's way to add a little sound deadener to the floor boards
at the same time sealing up the trans cover.

Denny Graham