Making a impeller paper gasket?

[Jim Cate]

for thin gaskets like the water pump cover gasket, I've used glossy magazine cover stock successfully. It helps if you use a boating mag rather than a fashion mag...

And using manila file cardboard, etc, is definitely too thick.

Jim

[michaelratinter]

On my Norton 750 Commando motorcycle I cut a gasket from the back cover of the Norton manual.

[billgewater]

If you have dissembled the pump, inspect the condition of the removed plate.
If it has bright copper colouration as opposed to the normal brassy colour (indicating corrosion), or if it has groove wearing, you should consider having the face machined/polished. (I actually used my belt sander then an orbital, sander then a polishing process. But a machine shop would do a better job I suppose.)

In some impeller pumps, the deep inside face can also be re machined, but be careful as machining this deep face reduces the depth measurement from the backing plate to the deep face, potentially causing bypass. To compensate, the outside lip face that the screws go into can be machined down to retain the correct depth.
In over thirty years of living aboard I have generally used what ever paper etc. best matches the original and I have used petroleum jelly as the sealant. Setting sealants can destroy the impeller. Smear the impeller with some petroleum jelly as well so that the impeller blades settle in well.

[sailah]

parchment paper works great, has a slightly waxy coating vs normal paper and is pretty thin