Exhaust gasket burning woes. Need advice on metal gaskets.

[karbon]

The gasket material that I have that's made for exhausts and is allegedly "hi-temp" burned the first time my wastegate opened. My exhaust gas temps are always very reasonable, and it looks like I just need to pick a better material. I am considering getting copper sheet to make my own. Brass is very malleable as well but the low side of its melting point is 1680, with approaching temperatures leaving it in a semi-liquid state...and thats' way too close for comfort.
So has anyone had luck with DIY for things close enough to the turbo to melt normal steel/graphite composite gaskets? Any thickness I should get in particular? I know I can just order metal gaskets, but there's no comparison between those and the price of a sheet of metal.

 

[karbon]

Well, a decent amount of views and no responses, which means it's time for me to experiment and post my findings.

 

[steve]

Which gasket are you burning?

I used the Mitsu MLS gasket betwwen the head and manifold and the stainless gaskets RRE sells between the manifold and turbo and O2 housing. Pulling any of them to change a bad one would swamp any gasket cost issues.

Steve

 

[DSMJim]

I have on gasket between the head and manifold, all the rest is gasket maker. THe Permatex Copper Seal is perfect stuff.

Remember that the metal around the exhaust has never reaches anywhere near the temp of the exhaust its self, so that gasket will never see 1680, maybe half of that or less in the surrounding material.

My manifold to turbo, manifold to wastegate, turbo to downpipe etc etc is all gasket maker, no gaskets at all.

 

[karbon]

Which gasket are you burning?Steve

Gaskets, heh.
manifold -> turbo
turbo -> o2 housing
manifold -> wastegate
wastegate -> dump tube.
Thanks for the advice, guys. This is what I wanted. I was about to head to an art supply store for copper sheet, but I'll have to scout for this copper gasket maker. Sounds like it'll do the job for me.