Replacement dial gasket for WE 7D

[Neil]

I've found almost nothing on this item (WE "Ring Assembly", p/n P-347300 or, as  ITT sensibly calls it, a "Dial Gasket"). I gather it must have eventually been considered a non-essential part for replacement, as I only have one or two 500 sets that still have one in place.

Anyway, any ideas on where to find replacements or substitutes? It looks like a standard o-ring design, so if anyone knows the diameter and cross-section dimensions, that might be a starting point.

Thanks.

[JorgeAmely]

A few years ago, I visited www.applerubber.com and was able to get a few free samples that fit perfectly. Just measure the diameter and the thickness of a sample and see what fits from the samples.

The original WE gaskets are hollow and stapled together at the ends, unlike the real O ring samples, which are solid rubber or whatever material you choose, but they do the job well.

Good luck!

[RotarDad]

No staple on WE phones Jorge, but overlapping and glued in some way, based the dozens of 500s I've worked on.  I believe every #7 dial had a gasket from the factory (black 7D dials had black gaskets and all colors 7C had light gray gaskets) until '65 when the #9 replaced it.  #9 dial don't seem to have them and lots of #7 lost theirs in refurb or in the field. 

[HarrySmith]

I have some stapled gaskets also. I beleive the early ones were stapled and the later ones were not.

[RotarDad]

OK, I took the shells off the oldest and newest 500 I have that are 100% factory original.  The oldest is a 4/51 and the newest is 1/62.  Both have the glued (fused?) gasket, no staples.  I wonder if WE used a different supplier somewhere along the way, or a refurb shop added gaskets from a different source.  I don't remember ever seeing a staple on a WE 500 gasket.  Harry or Jorge, can you confirm a staple on a 500 you believe is factory original?

I know this isn't a big deal, but I'm a detail guy, and focus almost completely on WE 500s.... 

[JorgeAmely]

Hi there. In my case, there were in the phone originally, however, phones change hands many times, so there is always a doubt as to how "original" they can be.

[HarrySmith]

I agree with Jorge, I do not recall which phones had them and I have no way to certify if they were indeed original.

[Jim Stettler]

I have seen them stapled. I have stapled a broken one in the past.
The staples may of been a field or refurb fix.
Just a guess,
Jim

[Neil]

Thanks to all for your replies. Interesting variety of experiences, and it's easy to see how, over many years of repairs/refurbs, that such a part could be lost or replaced (or not). As well, it would seem that the gasket wasn't a high-priority maintenance item, and its absence could easily be overlooked.

Like RotarDad, I'm a "detail guy", so I'll be looking for suitable substitutes on the o-ring market, given the paucity of originals from the usual sources.

[paul-f]

I checked several early 1950s black 500s and all have black ring assemblies (not stapled). Several early colored 500s from the mid-50s have clear or ivory ring assemblies.

BSPs show that they were important parts of the phones and intended to be checked when sets were maintained. They were orderable parts, and appear at least until 1980 (501-162-100, issue 15, Feb80).

However, looking at 501-162-101, which covers the 9-type dials, the ring assembly appears in issue 3, Apr66, but does not appear in issue 5, Dec67. Figures were changed to eliminate them, and they are missing from the text.

Since they were apparently dropped from new production sets, it's natural that refurbishers would treat them as optional. I visited several independent refurbishers in the 1990s and recall seeing boxes of used ring assemblies -- apparently removed from sets. They were glad to give me a bunch. Wish I'd taken more. We can speculate where the rest went.   

[andre_janew]

I've been told that the dial gaskets were there to reduce noise coming from the dial.  Also, the #9 dials were supposed to be quieter than the #7 dials.  The dial gaskets didn't affect the functioning of the dial in any case, so the gaskets were often left out and eventually thrown away.

[RotarDad]

Paul - Thanks for digging up the BSP info!   I don't see the specific intent on the gasket.  Andre has heard it was to quiet the dial noise, and he is correct that the plastic-geared #9 dial is much quieter than the metal-geared #7.  I was thinking the gasket was intended to keep spilled liquids and debris from getting inside the phone.  Any thoughts on this?