Swing-top gasket issues

[magundy]

I just got a bunch of NOS 1L Flip top bottles.

The gaskets looked a bit iffy so I bought new ones,
but the old ones are impossible to remove.

I have a couple of hundred bottles and never had this type of problem before. Gaskets that were old and cracked or brittle, but they were never that difficult to get off
, but these seem to have fused to the Plastic tops.

Any suggestions on how to get them off?
Using pliers just breaks off a bit of a time.
I tried boiling for an hour, but that didn't make any difference.

 

[Cider Wraith]

"...but these seem to have fused to the Plastic tops."

Was thinking something like this but no - cut apart with a razor knife?

 

[mac_1103]

I tried boiling for an hour, but that didn't make any difference.

In plain water? Have you tried soaking in something like oxiclean?

 

[Velnerj]

They probably can't be removed without damaging the integrity of the cap itself. If you do manage it they probably won't hold up to the pressure for bottle conditioning.

I had a somewhat similar issue... Though I had removable rubber gaskets, the tops themselves were plastic. There was a thin bead of raised plastic where the plastic there was manufactured together to make the piece complete. This little line allowed air to leak out at certain pressures and often times my beer wouldn't carbonate. To fix this I replaced all the plastic tops with porcelain ones and that did the trick.

I think you'll need to do the same thing. Replace those tops with tops that have removable gaskets. I'd recommend porcelain tops.

 

[Cider Wraith]

To fix this I replaced all the plastic tops with porcelain ones and that did the trick.

I think you'll need to do the same thing. Replace those tops with tops that have removable gaskets. I'd recommend porcelain tops.

 

[magundy]

I tried side cutting pliers,
will try Oxiclean.

I had a somewhat similar issue... Though I had removable rubber gaskets, the tops themselves were plastic. There was a thin bead of raised plastic where the plastic there was manufactured together to make the piece complete. ...

I think you'll need to do the same thing. Replace those tops with tops that have removable gaskets. I'd recommend porcelain tops.

It hadn't occurred to me that they were manufactured like that, but that might be why they won't come off.

I don't really want to buy new tops as they will cost more than I paid for the bottles.