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Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 4:28 pm
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
Anyone have a source for gaskets? Friend stopped in today hoping I had a set but no...
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 4:50 pm
by kmatt2
If you only need a stock Ford T and a stock Chevy 4 cy head gasket for each side of the adapter, then try , The Filling Station, in Lebanon OR. they sell vintage Chevrolet parts. Of course Lang’s has stock Model T Ford head gaskets. I don’t know enough about how the Jern adapter mounts on the T block to know for sure, but would think that is how the adapter was designed.
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:10 pm
by Henry K. Lee
Do you need both or just the top? There was an issue Neal and I addressed just before his death and it keeps them from blowing in the front. I do need a picture of the style you have as there were some changes.
Let me know.
Hank
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:48 pm
by Scott_Conger
Hank
you are darn close to getting into the Model T hobby...

Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:05 pm
by Mark Gregush
Olson's Gaskets should be able supply the one that goes between the adapter and head. The other one is just the standard overhead gasket sold by the parts suppliers.
While you could use the Chevrolet gasket, because of the design of the adapter, that would leave a gap between the plate and head in some locations.
https://www.olsonsgaskets.com/
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:50 pm
by Henry K. Lee
Neal's gasket was a work of art and in a clover design. An original Chevy gasket will work for a time but with his water neck adapter a no go. Did a lot over the years, just sayin'
Hank
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 11:18 am
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
I'd cut one myself on the cnc but I am unsure of how to form the fire ring. Answering the question above = "not stock T or chevy".
Here's an archived page from my (now stolen) website from 2007 that shows the plate. I had gasket photos - haven't found them yet. If I remember right the bottom one has round holes and isolated the push rods. The top one is longer than a stock chevy due to the water outlet adapter.
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 11:39 am
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
You can see what one gasket looks like in this one.
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 11:44 am
by Mark Gregush
I used one of Gene's water outlets, which had a larger footprint and bolted both to the adapter and head so was able to make my own gaskets to mount it. Forgot the Jern was mounted on the head then machined to same level, using the head bolts to hold in place. Using a stock Cheverolet gasket might still work if you can get that outlet to seal.
When I made my adapter, I went with round holes instead of the heart shaped ones like Jern's. Had to work with the plans I had and tools that were at hand.
Anyway, as I said, try contacting Olsons.
https://www.olsonsgaskets.com/gaskets/f ... onversion/
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 12:38 pm
by Henry K. Lee
My very last set! Only sold as a set.., $300.00 with shipping.
Hank
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:15 pm
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
Hank, can you get more made? Can you send me a high-res photo and some dimensions (I can put the data in a cnc file) - can you see how the fire rings were made? Rolled? thickness? I can't afford to buy them from you at the moment... I did send the info to the person that showed up here looking for a set - maybe he'll contact you. Not sure if he gets texts on his phone (tech-phobic guy). I'll follow up in a couple days.
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 1:30 pm
by Henry K. Lee
Unfortunately Tim I do not have any spare time with everything going on. Life gets in the way.
Hank
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 3:07 pm
by Kevin Pharis
FYI, Hanks offer seems generous to me. I rarely make solid copper gaskets these days as the prices of materials and labor has gone up considerably in the last several years. My latest cost for a solid .040” copper gasket was $200! I suggest snatching these up if you need em…
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 4:09 pm
by Mark Gregush
TheSpeedsterProject wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:15 pm
Hank, can you get more made? Can you send me a high-res photo and some dimensions (I can put the data in a cnc file) - can you see how the fire rings were made? Rolled? thickness? I can't afford to buy them from you at the moment... I did send the info to the person that showed up here looking for a set - maybe he'll contact you. Not sure if he gets texts on his phone (tech-phobic guy). I'll follow up in a couple days.
Did you also send the information regarding Olsons Gasket?
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 3:02 pm
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
Mark Gregush wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 4:09 pm
TheSpeedsterProject wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 12:15 pm
Hank, can you get more made? Can you send me a high-res photo and some dimensions (I can put the data in a cnc file) - can you see how the fire rings were made? Rolled? thickness? I can't afford to buy them from you at the moment... I did send the info to the person that showed up here looking for a set - maybe he'll contact you. Not sure if he gets texts on his phone (tech-phobic guy). I'll follow up in a couple days.
Did you also send the information regarding Olsons Gasket?
He already called them.
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 7:51 pm
by Scott_Conger
one day out of the blue, someone asks: "Is there a rare thingy made of unobtanium available anywhere on the planet?"
a scant 30 minutes later, an answer miraculously appears from the ether: "yes, I have one and I'll sell it"
one day later after much futzing around: "never mind"
the fact that this gasket is still sitting in a garage atop a mountain in TN is tragically comical. I'll bet that the next time it sees the light of day, the finder will be shocked and eternally grateful. Time will tell...
Re: Jern thunderbolt
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 3:34 pm
by Gen3AntiqueAuto
I passed the info on to the person looking - not much more I can do!