Old timer told me I was ruining my carb rebuild by using modern gaskets

He said the paper ones swell up right with ethanol gas and the rubber ones don't. Swapped to the old style cork gaskets on my '66 Mustang last weekend and the float bowl leaking stopped cold. Anyone else run into this?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbararamirez10d ago

That old timer might be onto something, but I gotta ask - what brand of paper gaskets were you using before? Some of the cheap ones from the auto parts store are just junk and they don't hold up at all with modern fuel. In my experience, the better quality paper gaskets actually do swell a bit with ethanol, but that swelling helps them seal tighter if you let them sit overnight before running the engine. The cork ones work fine too, your mileage may vary, but I've seen cork get brittle after a few years in hotter climates. What kind of driving do you do with the Mustang, just weekend cruising or something more regular?

max80810d agoMost Upvoted

Totally feel you on the cheap gaskets thing, I learned that lesson the hard way on my old F100. Those no-name paper gaskets from the bargain bin just turn into mush after a few fill-ups with modern fuel. I've had way better luck with Fel-Pro paper gaskets, they actually swell up nice and snug if you give them that overnight soak like you said.