Spent 6 hours chasing a leak on a 3-inch steam line flange

I was replacing a gasket on a 3-inch steam line flange at the old paper mill downtown. The new gasket kept weeping after I torqued it down, even after I cleaned the faces three times. Turns out the flange face had a tiny, almost invisible gouge from a previous repair. I had to pull it all apart again and use a thicker, softer gasket material to seal it. Anyone have a good trick for spotting damaged flange faces before you start the job?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery3891mo ago

Been there, a little machinist's blue on the flange face shows those defects right away.

betty_barnes10d ago

I used to just wipe the flange clean with a rag and hope for the best, honestly thought the blue stuff was unnecessary. But after watching a buddy of mine catch a hairline crack that way, I switched my tune real quick. It's amazing how something so small and simple can save you from a headache down the road. Now I keep a tube in my toolbox all the time, it's just not worth guessing.

the_evan1mo ago

What if the blue just smears it?