By Jim Scott
Senior Engineer at Seco Seals
If you’re tired of dealing with leaky brake lines, carburetor connections, and flared connections that just won’t seal up, it’s time to turn to space technology for a solution. One option to consider is the proper gasket selection to seal your connections, such as using a copper gasket for steel connections for your hot rod or standard car fitting.
The one product that can help you achieve a 100% leak-free car is the SECO 45 seal from Seco Seals. This copper gasket is designed to work with Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J512, which is an industry standard for automotive 45 flare tube connections. The SECO 45 is a one-time use gasket that is dead soft annealed, meaning it is flexible and easy to work with. When you torque the connection and wait 15-20 seconds, it will hold the connection and make it leak-free, even through vibrations, temperature changes, and pressure fluctuations.
How am I so sure this seal will give you a 100% leak free car in 2023 and beyond? My family has been involved with space sealing technology for nearly 65 years.
My father started in 1958 working on the Atlas V rocket vehicle. The original rockets had crashed two times. My father, Jim Scott Sr., helped design a copper seal that went on the liquid oxygen tanks, which was pressurized with helium, (the helium was leaking out on the pressurized liquid oxygen to launch the rocket). This copper seal became the standard from then on out to all the space program through today’s reusable rockets to pressurize the technology of a soft metal gasket.
Seco Seals started in 1969 out of the family home and garage, constricted child labor on my part, packing parts for putting on jets, rockets, oil platforms and any high-pressure application using 37-degree flare two fittings.
As I took over the family business, I realized the potential of aerospace technology and its ability to solve a wide range of problems beyond just aerospace applications. I began to apply this technology to various industries, utilizing standard and commercially available products to create a 100% reliable solution for preventing the leakage of harmful gases and liquids into the atmosphere. This not only helped to create a cleaner environment, but also ensured the safety of the systems in which it was used. Whether it be in rockets, airplanes, cars, or HVAC systems for deep sea diving and oil platforms, this technology provided a level of certainty in sealing that was previously unattainable. The versatility and reliability of aerospace technology proved to be a game-changer in multiple industries, and I am proud to have been a part of its proliferation.
If you’re dealing with aluminum systems, you’ll want to use an aluminum seal, and if you’re working with non-corrosive applications, a copper seal like the SECO 45 should work well. The key to achieving a 100% leak-free car is to use standard automotive parts and to replace the seal each time you open and close the connection. With the SECO 45 seal, you can have peace of mind knowing that your connections will be secure and leak-free.
