Help sourcing a part please

[voicey]

I've put this in here as most people posting in this part of PH seem to know their stuff. I'm trying to source a rubber seal to fit an expansion tank cap. It is not available from the dealers as a spare part, they only want to sell me a whole cap for over £50. I've been down to my local motor factors that seems to have eveything in little drawers behind the counter but even he didn't have one. I've searched the internet but to no avail.

It's a flat seal with ID 30mm, OD 44m & thickness 2mm. Does anyone know where I can source such a part?

Cheers!

[rhysenna]

Might be worth trying to get hold of some 2mm thick rubber gasket and punching the seal out. I could make one at work. Worth a try and certainly cheaper than £50.

[stevieturbo]

Get one from a cap in a breakers ?

What is it actually sealing ?

The rubber sheet is another option and shouldnt cost much. Likely places that sell rubber sheeting and pipes might even cut you a bit off for free.

[voicey]

Thanks guys. It's a seal from inside a coolant expansion tank. I never thought it'd be this difficult to source!

[Pumaracing]

A couple of things. Just because it's 2mm thick now doesn't mean it started off that way which is also why it might no longer be sealing. If you find someone to make a new one I'd go for 2.5 or 3mm.

It still looks ok so maybe if you make a shim to go behind it from an old inner tube to pack it out a bit it'll work again.

I'd try a gasket specialist like this.

http://www.rhnuttall.co.uk/Our_Products/Gaskets/Ru...

If you send them the old one and tell them you want a new one a bit thicker they can probably just cut one out from stock sheet on a water jet machine. If you're lucky they might even make the OE ones or know who does.

[voicey]

Thanks - I hadn't considered it might have gotten thinner.