Practically Classics Forum

Just been told by Machine Mart that new head gaskets for my Airmaster Tiger 15/55 compressor are no longer available. Any body know where I could get them from. Head bolts had worked loose but too late to retighten them and save the gasket.

You could make one from copper, a simple application like this doesn't need anything more complex. The original is probably gasket paper sealed with shellac but this isn't as durable. I've made HGs for many small engines and for my 1950s (Randell) compressor, which is still running on a brass HG that I made in 1985, in that case I had brass sheet in the box and no copper so made a "temporary" fix from what was available..

As above, that's what I did on mine when I had the same problem. Or buy a sheet of thin strong gasket material - I used a thin wipe of gasket sealer too just to give it some help, and never had any problems since.

Cheers!

I had a Velocette LE noddy bike. I ran it without head gaskets. It ran fine.

The compressor could also be run without head gasket using silicon sealer depends on clearance between head and piston. If not a simple cardboard gasket will be fine.

Bob