Dana Inc. (Victor Gaskets): Asbestos History & Liability

About Dana Inc. and Victor Gaskets

Dana Incorporated traces its roots to 1904 when Clarence Spicer founded the Spicer Manufacturing Company in Plainfield, New Jersey to produce universal joints for early automobiles. Over the following century, Dana grew through acquisitions to become one of the largest suppliers of drivetrain components, sealing products, and thermal management systems to the global automotive industry.

The Victor brand of gaskets entered Dana's portfolio through the acquisition of Victor Manufacturing & Gasket Company, a Chicago-based manufacturer that had been producing engine gaskets since the early 1900s. By mid-century, Victor gaskets were the dominant brand in the American aftermarket — they could be found in virtually every auto parts store, Sears automotive department, and professional parts house in the country. An automotive mechanic doing engine work in the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s almost certainly used Victor gaskets.

The Spicer brand — also part of Dana's portfolio — was similarly dominant in driveline components, supplying universal joints and driveshafts that incorporated asbestos-containing materials in certain applications.

Today, Dana Incorporated is headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, and employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange and supplies sealing, driveline, and thermal products to major automakers globally. Despite its 2008 bankruptcy reorganization, Dana continues to face asbestos litigation in civil courts.

Dana and Victor Asbestos Products

Victor-brand gaskets were engineered for high-heat, high-pressure engine applications. The gasket sheet material — a compressed asbestos fiber matrix bonded with rubber or other binders — was ideal for sealing cylinder head joints, exhaust manifolds, and intake manifolds because it could withstand the thermal cycling that would destroy non-asbestos materials of that era.

How Mechanics and Industrial Workers Were Exposed

The hazard presented by asbestos gaskets was not the installation of new gaskets — it was the removal of old ones. After hundreds of hours of thermal cycling in a running engine, the chrysotile fibers in a Victor head gasket became brittle and fragmented. The gasket adhered tightly to both mating surfaces, and removing it required mechanical scraping. That scraping process was the primary asbestos exposure event.

The Gasket Removal Process

• Prying and tearing: The initial removal of the old gasket was often done by prying with a screwdriver or gasket scraper, frequently tearing the deteriorated material and releasing fiber-laden fragments and dust.
• Scraping mating surfaces: Both the engine block deck and the cylinder head must be cleaned completely before a new gasket can be installed. Mechanics used wire brushes, putty knives, and rotary wire wheel attachments on electric drills to scrape away all residual gasket material. This is the step that industrial hygienists identified as producing the highest airborne fiber counts.
• Compressed air cleaning: Many mechanics blew the scraped surfaces clean with compressed air before inspection — generating another burst of airborne asbestos fibers.
• New gasket handling and trimming: Before installation, new gaskets sometimes required trimming to accommodate non-standard applications or to clear drilling irregularities. Cutting chrysotile-containing sheet gasket material with a utility knife or scissors released fibers.

Industrial maintenance workers who fabricated custom gaskets from Victor gasket sheet stock — cutting shapes to fit pipe flanges, pump housings, and compressor manifolds in plant settings — had prolonged, intensive exposure to asbestos fibers released during cutting, punching, and fitting operations.

Occupations Most at Risk from Victor Gasket Exposure

Because Victor gaskets were nearly universal in automotive and industrial applications, a wide range of tradespeople and workers accumulated asbestos exposure from Dana products over the course of their careers:

• Automotive mechanics and engine builders who performed cylinder head, valve, and engine rebuild work on a regular basis
• Diesel mechanics who serviced large diesel engines in trucks, buses, and construction equipment — these engines had even larger gasket surfaces
• Farm equipment mechanics who rebuilt tractor and harvesting equipment engines, often without ventilation in barn and shop settings
• Industrial maintenance millwrights and pipe fitters who fabricated and installed custom gaskets from Victor sheet stock in petrochemical plants, paper mills, power plants, and manufacturing facilities
• Machine shop workers and engine rebuilders at automotive rebuilding facilities, where engines were disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt on a production basis
• Navy and military mechanics who maintained ship and vehicle engines using Victor and other asbestos gasket products
• Vocational training students who learned engine service skills on actual automotive engines using the same asbestos-containing parts as professional mechanics

Dana Corporation Bankruptcy and Current Litigation Status

Dana Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 3, 2008. The company cited a combination of factors including the cost of asbestos litigation, steel price increases, and restructuring needs as contributing to the filing. The bankruptcy was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Why There Is No Dana Asbestos Trust

When asbestos companies file for Chapter 11, they have the option under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code to establish a permanent trust funded with assets that assumes responsibility for all future asbestos claims in exchange for a permanent injunction protecting the reorganized company. Companies like Johns-Manville, Federal-Mogul, and Armstrong World Industries used this mechanism to create active asbestos trusts that still pay claims today.

Dana chose a different path. The company reorganized and emerged from Chapter 11 as Dana Holding Corporation in early 2008 without establishing a 524(g) trust. Instead, Dana resolved its asbestos liability exposure through conventional bankruptcy claims handling, with a finite claims process during the bankruptcy that was not designed to permanently resolve all future asbestos claims. As a result:

• There is no Dana or Victor Gaskets asbestos trust fund to which claims can be submitted
• Mesothelioma and asbestos disease plaintiffs file civil lawsuits against Dana Incorporated in state courts
• Dana actively defends these cases, contesting product identification, causation, and damages
• Cases that are not dismissed or settled through negotiation go to trial, where juries have returned substantial verdicts against Dana

Dana Today

Dana Incorporated continues to operate as a major global automotive supplier. It is publicly traded (NYSE: DAN) and remains financially solvent, meaning that unlike insolvent defendants, Dana is fully capable of paying judgments and settlements. This is meaningful for plaintiffs: the recovery potential in a civil case against Dana is not limited by trust fund depletion or inadequate assets.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What asbestos products did Dana Inc. make? ▼

  Dana Inc. manufactured asbestos-containing gaskets under the Victor brand name. Victor gaskets included head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, valve cover gaskets, and full engine gasket sets. These products were used in automotive engines and industrial equipment from the early 20th century through the 1980s. The Victor brand was among the most widely distributed gasket brands in the American aftermarket; Victor products could be found in virtually every auto parts store in the country during the peak era of asbestos use.

• How were mechanics exposed to asbestos from Victor gaskets? ▼

  Mechanics were exposed primarily during removal of old gaskets, which required dry scraping of deteriorated chrysotile-containing material from engine block and cylinder head mating surfaces. This scraping — done with wire brushes, putty knives, and rotary abrasive attachments — released asbestos fibers into the air of the work area. Compressed air blow-off after scraping generated additional fiber clouds. Industrial workers who fabricated custom gaskets by cutting Victor gasket sheet stock were also heavily exposed during the cutting and trimming process.

• Did Dana Inc. file for bankruptcy over asbestos? ▼

  Yes. Dana Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2008. However, unlike companies such as Johns-Manville or Federal-Mogul, Dana did not emerge from bankruptcy with a Section 524(g) asbestos trust. Dana emerged from Chapter 11 as a reorganized company (Dana Holding Corporation, now Dana Incorporated) and its asbestos claims are still resolved through civil litigation rather than an administrative trust process. Plaintiffs must file lawsuits rather than submit trust claims.

• Is Dana Inc. still in business and can I sue them? ▼

  Yes. Dana Incorporated is an active, publicly traded company (NYSE: DAN) headquartered in Maumee, Ohio. Dana emerged from its 2008 Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a going concern and remains a major automotive supplier. Asbestos claims for Victor gasket and other asbestos product exposures are pursued through civil litigation in state courts. Dana is an active defendant in asbestos lawsuits and the company is financially solvent and capable of paying judgments and settlements.

• What is the Spicer brand and is it also liable for asbestos? ▼

  Spicer was a Dana Corporation brand covering universal joints, driveshafts, and driveline components. Spicer and Dana are effectively the same legal entity for purposes of asbestos liability — Dana acquired the Spicer Manufacturing Company and operated both brands for decades. If you were exposed to Spicer driveline products or Victor gasket products, the responsible corporate defendant is Dana Incorporated. Your attorney will name Dana in the lawsuit based on the specific product identifications from your work history.

• I worked in a plant that cut gaskets to fit — does that count as Victor gasket exposure? ▼

  Potentially yes. Industrial workers who fabricated custom gaskets from compressed asbestos sheet stock — including Victor sheet gasket material — were exposed to chrysotile fibers during the cutting, punching, and grinding operations. If the sheet gasket material at your facility was Victor-brand (or another Dana-supplied product), Dana may be a defendant in your case. However, large industrial gasket sheet was also made by other manufacturers including Garlock and Armstrong, so your exposure history and the specific products used at your workplace are key facts your attorney will need to evaluate your claim.