<VV> Special Aluminum Oil Pan Gaskets

[LastHamlet]

Hello All,
I just wanted to tell others in case you have an
aluminum oil-pan and/or a baffle plate on your Vair.
California Corvairs has special 'almost asbestos
looking', very rigid aluminum oil-pan gaskets.(13
dollars a piece)
They truly look awesome, and seem to be of good
quality. However, all the holes did not line up, and
at least the ones I got are cut crooked on one end. 
Nearly a month ago, upon trying to install them on my
Vair, I noticed the bolts were in the holes at an
angle, due to the offset cut holes in the gaskets.(I
have the Clark's oil-pan and baffle plate which
requires 2 gaskets.)
Anyhow, I decided to simulate installation by placing
the baffle plate over the gaskets, on the bolts that
come through the pan, with the gaskets in the middle.
Well, needless to say the gaskets are very rigid(Which
I like), but in the event of the holes not being in
the proper places, the gaskets cracked, all in the
same spot, with one instant snap. 
Oh, no problem I thought, I just sent all 3 of them
back with a full letter of explaination of the
circimstances. (Nearly 3 weeks ago, and not a word
yet.)
Well, to make a long story short, and this is just my
opinion, but I am now even more thankful for Clark's
and Corvair Underground, and a few other select
vendors. 
I have admittidly gotten several parts from CC, and
all have been grand. Though, I wonder what would be
the case if say that Offenhauser oil-pan I got for a
friend, from them, had been drilled wrong??? Thank
Goodness it was okay, cause that is nearly 200 bucks.
Needless to say, I would have been much more upset at
the loss of that much.
True, I have some of the worst luck with whatever I am
doing, but I had nothing to do with the cutting and
drilling of these gaskets, so this time it was not
nothing I did wrong.(In cases I have been wrong, I
swallow the loss, gladly.) Case in point, I actually
put white lube on my new brake shoes when installing
them,(I got caught up in the instructions that said to
lube the friction areas, and well, you guessed it, my
stupidity prevailed) So, needless to say they had to
be replaced, and I gladly paid for the next set of
brake shoes.(As I should have, it was my error.)

These gaskets, and several other purchases I made,
form other than Corvair vendors, have been a real
learning point for me. 
I just wanted to pass that along, so no one else will
spend more than you should, for something that is not
yet proven.(By that I mean that seemingly few have
seen these gaskets.)
We are all free to shop where we want, but I know I
just narrowed my field of Vendors that I will purchase
from, as a result of this and several other issues
with other vendors of parts.
 
All The Best Regards,
Danny Barber
67-On Ice for now, But Sill Lives!!!





 
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