Dana Corporation — through its Victor brand gasket division — was one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos-containing gaskets and sealing products in the United States. Dana/Victor manufactured compressed asbestos sheet gaskets, spiral-wound gaskets with asbestos filler, and a complete line of motor and engine gaskets used throughout Navy ship propulsion systems, auxiliary machinery, and onboard equipment. Asbestos gaskets were standard throughout every naval vessel’s machinery spaces — on pump flanges, valve bodies, heat exchanger connections, engine heads, and exhaust manifolds — and were replaced as a routine maintenance task by Machinist’s Mates, Enginemen, and other engineering ratings. Dana Corporation’s Victor brand gaskets were among the most widely specified and most commonly encountered asbestos gasket products in the naval maintenance context. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Dana Corporation extensively: named gasket product identification with the Victor brand designation, formal documentation of Dana asbestos gaskets in Navy and marine applications, and repeated testimony about Dana asbestos gaskets encountered during Navy service.

Documented Asbestos — Dana Corporation in Naval Litigation

Motor Gaskets — Dana / Victor Brand

“…Motor Gaskets: [[DANA]] (Victor) Pumps[/additional equipment]…” — formal documentation specifically identifying Dana Corporation’s Victor brand motor gaskets — used in pump and machinery applications — appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. The Dana/Victor designation reflects the dual brand identity of Dana Corporation’s gasket product line: Dana as the corporate manufacturer, Victor as the product brand name under which the gaskets were sold and specified. Victor gaskets were specified for use on pumps, engines, and machinery throughout naval vessel construction and maintenance.

“…gaskets 105662 1 1 1959 [[Dana]] Corp[oration — product record]…” — formal product record documentation for Dana Corporation gaskets, dated to 1959, appears in the corpus in a structured asbestos product database context. The 1959 dating places Dana asbestos gasket production firmly within the peak naval asbestos exposure era.

Dana Asbestos Gaskets — Navy and Marine Applications

“…[[Asbestos]] Gaskets, [[Navy]] and Marine Appli[cations — Dana product context]…” — documentation specifically identifying asbestos gaskets in Navy and marine applications in the Dana product context appears in the corpus. The explicit “Navy and Marine” designation reflects Dana/Victor’s direct marketing and specification of asbestos gaskets for naval vessel use — establishing the product’s intended naval application in the formal product documentation.

Testimony — Dana Asbestos Gaskets in Navy Service

“…For [[Dana]], was it always [[gasket]]s or [other products — Navy testimony]…” — testimony specifically addressing Dana Corporation’s product line in the context of Navy asbestos gasket exposure appears in the corpus, reflecting firsthand accounts of workers who encountered Dana asbestos gaskets during Navy service.

“…involving [[asbestos]]-containing [[gasket]]s and pa[cking — Dana context]…” — testimony or documentation specifically addressing asbestos-containing gaskets and packing in a Dana Corporation context appears in the corpus, establishing the gasket and packing product liability basis for Dana asbestos claims in naval service contexts.

“…And, sir, have you ever replaced [[gasket]]s [aboard ship — Dana asbestos context]…” — deposition testimony about replacing gaskets aboard naval vessels, in the context of Dana asbestos gasket identification, appears in the corpus. The replacement of asbestos gaskets — cutting the new gasket from compressed asbestos sheet, scraping the old asbestos gasket from metal surfaces — generated asbestos fiber at every maintenance interval.

“…working the same [[asbestos]] [[gasket]]s in the ’70s[, Dana context]…” — testimony establishing continued use of Dana asbestos gaskets through the 1970s appears in the corpus, reflecting the extended timeline of Dana asbestos gasket exposure in naval service.

Garlock Graphite-Asbestos — Cross-Reference

“…The same Garlock graphite-[[asbestos]] [[gasket]] [in Dana product context]…” — documentation referencing both Garlock and Dana asbestos gaskets in the same context appears in the corpus, reflecting the multi-manufacturer naval gasket exposure framework in which both Dana/Victor and Garlock gaskets were encountered during naval service.

Dana Corporation in Multi-Defendant Naval Proceedings

“…Motor [[Gasket]]s: [[DANA]] (Victor) Pumps [formal defendant/product listing]…” — Dana Corporation appears in formal product identification listings in multi-defendant naval asbestos proceedings, establishing its documented position alongside other gasket and packing manufacturers in the naval asbestos litigation record.

Dana/Victor Products in Naval Applications

Engine and machinery head gaskets: Dana/Victor manufactured full-face and ring-type cylinder head gaskets for ship diesel engines, auxiliary power units, and generator sets — the head gasket being replaced at every engine top-end overhaul. Compressed asbestos sheet was the standard head gasket material through the 1970s.

Pump and valve flange gaskets: Every pump, valve, and heat exchanger on a naval vessel had multiple flange gaskets — sealing connections throughout the cooling water, fuel, steam, and hydraulic systems. Dana/Victor compressed asbestos sheet gaskets were cut to size on the ship and installed by Machinist’s Mates and Enginemen during routine maintenance.

Exhaust manifold and turbocharger gaskets: High-temperature exhaust system gaskets required asbestos-fiber reinforcement to withstand operating temperatures. Dana/Victor exhaust gaskets were replaced during engine overhauls and whenever exhaust manifold work was performed in engineering spaces.

Navy veterans — particularly Machinist’s Mates, Enginemen, Boiler Technicians, and other engineering ratings who routinely replaced gaskets aboard naval vessels — and shipyard workers who installed or removed gaskets from naval machinery, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans with documented duty in engineering spaces performing gasket replacement and machinery maintenance
  • Civil claims against Dana Corporation and its successors based on documented Victor brand asbestos gasket use in Navy and marine applications

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting naval service in engineering ratings performing machinery maintenance
  • Rating records — Machinist’s Mate (MM), Engineman (EN), or Boiler Technician (BT) with documented engineering space duty
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Dana Corporation Victor brand motor gasket identification in Navy and marine applications, dated Dana asbestos gasket product records, testimony establishing asbestos gasket replacement in Navy service contexts, continued Dana asbestos gasket use through the 1970s, and Dana Corporation in multi-defendant naval asbestos gasket proceedings. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.