Silver King main gasket?

[ecaroh]

I've been nursing along my dried, cracked and brittle Silver King AD main gasket for some time but wonder if anyone has ideas about replacement. This creates the seal between the two main halves of the unit, around the edge of a basketwork disc that also serves to seat the main filter. Photos should clarify the problem. Hard to find gasket material anything like this. A T-shape with a slit to allow it to grab the circumference of the disc. I can't be the only one with this woeful situation!

Thanks in advance.

 

[thevacomaticiec]

humm looks pretty much done id say make one out of window rubber for cars ???
Take soem gasket they put on door frame of car weather stripping cut shape glue???

 

[madman]

Looks like a pretty specialized extrusion. I'd say just improvise something. Really, though, you're probably looking at making a custom mold for it and cast it in silicone.

 

[huskyvacs]

It will definitely have to be bodged with non-vacuum parts and some creativity.

The closest match to what you need is called a "U channel gasket", however this situation is a problem because the gasket on your Silver King is flared to a flat T-shape.

I found something on a website for solar panels but it's likely expensive or difficult to order a small quantity. I'm sure there's another place to find it, but just as an example to show it's out there.

https://elastostar.com/products/extruded-rubber-u-channel-manway-seal-gaskets/

I circled the two I saw that might work. Just showing an example. But it seems like U seals and other type stuff are common with windows and door seals, I'd check hardware stores, and maybe a window repair company and see if they could find or fabricate some kind of gasket.

Also "rubber shower door seal" or "rv window seal" in google images seems to find some close matches too.

 

[huskyvacs]

Also, Thevacomaticiec had a great idea too with the car window seal strips.

I'm not sure how big it is, but this car windshield sealer strip might work too if you take a hobby knife and cut off the ridges (or leave them, it might help insulate the motor vibration) and cut a slit in the bottom of the channel and open the channel up. There's more sizes than this but this was what popped up first.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/33000143192.html

 

[dysonman1]

I had a Silver King with a bad motor that was given to me. I never put in a new motor and I did get rid of the machine - but I kept the screen and filters and attachments that came with it. I knew not to throw them away because a friend might need one for his collection.

 

[ecaroh]

Dysonman1, is there any chance that part might be for sale, to a fellow vacuum-restorer? (I did put the new motor in mine.) If so, just to be sure -- my diameter is about 11.5". --Many thanks to all for replies. I'm searching and the most promising rubber found so far is the stuff Huskyvacs located via Aliexpress. Camperid.com has various RV stuff that's vaguely promising, but often priced at $100 and up...

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

Tom probably posted the pic for a reason.
I will reiterate that you shouldn't expect greatness from AliExpress.
If you go to Amazon, eBay or for car parts rockauto.com is where to look.
If you had weatherstripping and you used a heat gun it would work for the outside. The webbing would prove to be an issue.
If someone reads this in the future a silicone mold is probably cheapest and easiest route.
Les

 

[dysonman1]

I'm more than willing to help out a fellow collector. They call it a 'screen', and the one I posted the pic of will work on your Silver King. You can send me an email to dysonman 1 at hotmail dot com.