Camlock Fitting Gaskets

[Squeezer01]

I am having difficulty closing the camlock fittings I recently purchased online. I seem to recall a thread that mentioned a supplier has thinner silicone gaskets but can’t locate the thread.

A couple of my fittings close without a whole lot of effort but some just won’t close at all, so I’d think thinner gaskets may solve the problem.

thank you for any suggestions ...

 

[IslandLizard]

Have you measured/compared them to the old ones? That should tell you.

The gaskets sure could be out of spec. in many ways.
Are they stiffer/denser/less compressible perhaps?

Or perhaps the business end of the camlocks themselves are a tad over/under. Manufacturing tolerances not being so tight anymore.

 

[Squeezer01]

Sorry, I failed to mention these are new fittings, so I can’t compare....I totally agree that the manufacturing spec is likely the primary issue....the vendor said there will be a break in period , but if I force trying to close anymore with force, I’ll snap the locks off....
Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[IslandLizard]

Sorry, I failed to mention these are new fittings, so I can’t compare....I totally agree that the manufacturing spec is likely the primary issue....the vendor said there will be a break in period , but if I force trying to close anymore with force, I’ll snap the locks off....
Thanks for the quick reply!

Yeah, if you can't easily close them past or even near the "winged" 90° point, they won't close. Don't force it, don't use tools, the wings will break.

Are the gaskets silicone? Semi-translucent white? They should feel fairly dense, but compressible. Say, much denser/stiffer than a silicone trivet or silicone pot holders, but not nearly as hard/stiff as a red rubber gasket/washer in a garden hose coupler.

 

[Squeezer01]

Yes they are silicone, and pliable/ compressible but seem to be amtad thicker than a garden hose gasket ....

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes they are silicone, and pliable/ compressible but seem to be amtad thicker than a garden hose gasket ....

For reference mine are (1/8" + 3-4/128") thick when measured with calipers. The calipers are just on the silicone, without compressing it, and not quite dropping out.

I start getting compression resistance when both arms get to the horizontal, 180° position.
Maybe take the washer out and fill with several discs cut from cardstock and/or thin cardboard (e.g., cereal box) to find out what thickness you need to start getting resistance when closing?

I buy my cam locks (and most other hardware stuff) from Bobby (Brewhardware), a site sponsor here. Not sure where he sources his from, they have been consistently good, and work well with older ones I got from him 5 years ago.

 

[Squeezer01]

For reference mine are (1/8" + 3-4/128") thick when measured with calipers. The calipers are just on the silicone, without compressing it, and not quite dropping out.

I start getting compression resistance when both arms get to the horizontal, 180° position.
Maybe take the washer out and fill with several discs cut from cardstock and/or thin cardboard (e.g., cereal box) to find out what thickness you need to start getting resistance when closing?

I buy my cam locks (and most other hardware stuff) from Bobby (Brewhardware), a site sponsor here. Not sure where he sources his from, they have been consistently good, and work well with older ones I got from him 5 years ago.

Thanks much! I just received an order from Brew Hardware today ( triclover caps), I’ll reach out to Bobby on Monday and place an order for gaskets ,

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks much! I just received an order from Brew Hardware today ( triclover caps), I’ll reach out to Bobby on Monday and place an order for gaskets ,

Did you get those camlocks in question from Bobby too?

Before you contact him, measure the "gasket space" when the arms are at 180° and would start to compress. If that inside measure is much smaller than the nominal 1/8" a thinner gasket may help, but will also have a reduced compression distance that may still prevent you from closing the arms/locks.

 

[Squeezer01]

Okay thanks again for the info!
I bought the camlocks from another vendor recommended by a friend.

I’m not able to get anywhere near 180 with the wings on these fittings/ gaskets. The gaskets compress almost immediately after trying to close the wings.

I’ll order new gaskets from Bobby tomorrow - very reasonable ...

 

[IslandLizard]

I’ll order new gaskets from Bobby tomorrow

Does he have thinner ones? The (standard) ones I got from him are 1/8" plus that tad (3/128").

Oh, that's funny context given your handle.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's a shame that as camlocks gained popularity, so many new factories popped up and didn't adhere to the Milspec dimensions that made these things MOSTLY interchangeable.

 

[Bilsch]

A wee bit of keglube on the cams will help.

 

[NewJersey]

Gaskets?
I used camlocks for a while with no gaskets at all and never had problems/leaks
Switching to ball lock SS QDs no anyways, but am curious what you boys are talking about

 

[day_trippr]

Gaskets? I used camlocks for a while with no gaskets at all and never had problems/leaks[...]

Yeah, "I don't think so, Tim"

This is what camlock fittings look like:

No chance a coupled pair will not leak under pressure if the female side is missing its gasket/O-ring...

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

Agree. Cam without gaskets would dump liquid so bad that I wouldnt even use the word leak.

 

[NewJersey]

Can someone show me a pic of the gaskets

 

[gnef]

I have two types of gaskets in my camlocks, one is a flat, rectangular profile, and the other is the traditional circular o-ring profile:

ETA - by profile I mean the cross section geometry, and I should say that both seal up well for me, and I do not suffer from any sort of leak.

 

[NewJersey]

Hmm. Mine must have these as well and just have never fallen out or failed. Never noticed.
I just assumed it was a tight metal on metal connection

 

[gnef]

Yup, the way these are designed, you must have a gasket to not leak. I'd recommend checking yours over and just double check them to make sure they are in good condition, it is good practice every now and then.

It is actually difficult to have cost effective metal on metal seal up without leaks, this is why in most cases, there is something there between to help seal up - the small differences on the faces of the metal pieces would cause a leak otherwise. Sometimes that seal can also be metal, but a softer metal which will deform to create the seal (easiest example is if you change your own car oil, most of the drain plugs have a crush washer used for sealing that should replaced each time).

The common examples of metal on metal sealing that come to mind are on expensive pressure pots, like All American pressure canners which use the bolts to clamp down and help hold a seal between the metal pieces, or also some of the nice pressure pots for resin work (I also dabble in woodworking).

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, my classic (cheap!) Presto pressure cooker has a gasket

There are two metal-on-metal self-sealing couplers I'm familiar with: brass flare fittings for gas, and stainless steel flare fittings for hydraulics and other uber high pressure applications.

The first is soft and chemically unacceptable for brewing use imo, the second is fabulously expensive (and still not right for brewing )

Cheers!

 

[NewJersey]

Yup, the way these are designed, you must have a gasket to not leak. I'd recommend checking yours over and just double check them to make sure they are in good condition, it is good practice every now and then.

It is actually difficult to have cost effective metal on metal seal up without leaks, this is why in most cases, there is something there between to help seal up - the small differences on the faces of the metal pieces would cause a leak otherwise. Sometimes that seal can also be metal, but a softer metal which will deform to create the seal (easiest example is if you change your own car oil, most of the drain plugs have a crush washer used for sealing that should replaced each time).

The common examples of metal on metal sealing that come to mind are on expensive pressure pots, like All American pressure canners which use the bolts to clamp down and help hold a seal between the metal pieces, or also some of the nice pressure pots for resin work (I also dabble in woodworking).

I'm actually switching to as ball lock quick disconnects.
I initially thought camlocks were the superior option, but found them annoying to actually use.
I was only posting out of curiosity (and extreme laziness, lol I could've just gone downstairs and looked I guess)

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm actually switching to as ball lock quick disconnects.
I initially thought camlocks were the superior option, but found them annoying to actually use.

I briefly looked into ball lock QDs but camlocks gave me exactly what I was looking for.
I find camlocks to be a joy to use, although you do need 2 hands for most make-connection operations.

The biggest attraction, and main reason for my camlock choice, are the high flow options in the 1/2" lineup. Adding the (custom made) Big C and HighFlow Street Elbow changed brew world for many, removing the flow restrictions of the regular barbed C while adding a simple and elegant high flow and a 90° solution.

The (male) A's are screwed right onto my plate chiller, on all four 1/2" NPT lugs.

 

[day_trippr]

^As seen^ at brewhardware.com.
Love Bobby's Big-C fittings. I have them in my critical flow path and should swap the others as well...

Cheers!