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Firedog,
This is what I do.....
Give the old one a clean, with a kitchen scouring pad (not steel wool) to get any carbon deposits of it. Light use of 600 wet/dry paper is also appropriate for heavy deposits, but be careful not to use it too much in one area, or you'll thin out the copper.
Fill a large container of water -eg 2 gallon plastic bucket full to the top, large stewing pot ,etc. It must be big enough to fit the whole gasket in at once. Place it nearby your "heating plant".
You'll need a gas fired heater of some sort. An LPG torch, or large burner on the stove. I use my BBQ, with the grill out, and only 1 burner row alight. Grip the gasket with a long handled device. I use multigrips with a large rubber band around the handles (so I don't drop it). I grip the gasket around (over) one of the larger holes (not the hole(s) between the cyclinders, but the next ones out towards the sides), try not to grip over the area that the gaskets seals - ie around the cyclinder holes. Wearing welders gloves, hold the gasket in the flame, moving it about to make sure you heat the whole gasket to a cherry red. This may take a minute or two, depending on the heat source. The hottest part of the blue flame is the tip of the inner/lighter part of the flame - this is where you need to be.
Once you reckon you've heated the whole gasket to cherry red, take it off the flame and immediately dump the whole thing in the bucket of cold water. Best to let it fall in without the gripper/pliers/etc attached, as you may bend the gasket.
Take it out, dry it off, and it's ready to re-use.
That's the method I use, but maybe one of the pro mechanics on the forum has a better way of doing it.....?
Pete
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Per Ardua Ad Astra
(Through difficulties to the stars)
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