Banjo bolt headache

[Guest]

Guys - What's the solution to a tight fit? Thinner or thicker washers? Sealant? I don't want to strip threads cranking down too much, but I just can't get them to seal dry. There's a slow, tiny leak from both sides and it's making me crazy.

Western Washington, USA

[Mike]

If the washers have been used, they may be "work hardened". You can anneal them by heating and letting them cool slowly. If they are new, are they intended for sealing, (soft copper)?
Mike M.

[N8N]

new banjo washers can be purchased from racer's supply places; I like Pegasus Racing but there are other good ones.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

[GTtim]

I was able to get new washers at the local parts store.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk

[curt]

Anneal copper by heating red hot and placing rd hot into water for a fast cool down, if one places the red hot copper into alcohol it comes out shiney new. Now thw alcohol will start to burn. I cover the alochol container with a lid and snuff out the flames. I use metal containers for the alochol. I have no idea if the banjo washer is copper, iron or what. Just information.

[curt]

My above 'how to anneal copper' will leave the copper dead soft, not hard.

[Mike]

As far as annealing goes, I said it involves slow cooling based on my experience, (that's how I do it!), and how it was explained to me by a formally trained metal smith I stayed with one Summer.
Here's what Wicipedia says:
"In the cases of copper, steel, and brass this process is performed by substantially heating the material (generally until glowing) for an extended period of time and allowing it to cool slowly. In this fashion the metal is softened and prepared for further work such as shaping, stamping, or forming."
Mike M.

[Guest]

Thanks guys.
I'm going to a local brake & clutch supply shop tomorrow to see if they can't fix me up with a better pair of bolts and washers.


Western Washington, USA

[Mike]

What's this for, anyway?
Mike M.

[curt]

Mike , I was annealing copper DEAD soft, You were anneling copper for harder than dead soft. Both ways anneal, it's the end products are different.

[Mike]

Thanks Curt!
I looked for more information about annealing copper and found people who agree with you about cooling quickly. Some articles even said copper is the opposite of steel, in that you cool it quickly to soften it. Other articles say to let it cool slowly to soften the copper. Finally, I found this one:
http://www.steamengine.com.au/ic/faq...ng-copper.html .
Jack Watson, who lives in "OZ", (Australia), very diplomatically says:

In annealing of copper, the heating is the important part. The rate ofcooling is immaterial.Whether you allow it to cool naturally or drop it into water makes nodifference to the final softness..Traditionally, we drop it into water because that's what we were told, butit is not necessary. It's only a matter of convenienceTry it both ways and see for yourself.

Some of the articles I looked at suggest "dead soft" is achieved in manufacturing, by using higher temperatures over longer periods.
Mike M.