Gasket sealer

[Davemate]

The time will soon be opon me
I'll be putting my engine back together do I :-
Just use all the gaskets dry
Or
Use a sealer and if so which one
I'm not a lover of using sealers as I believe that's what the gasket is for,but as it's the first engine I've built from a naked short block I'll go with the accepted procedure as I don't want to have to pull it back out to cure a leak

[TedTaylor]

For card or paper gaskets I normally use a thin smear of ordinary LM grease unless the manual specifically suggests using a gasket 'cement'.  In that case I use Hylomar which I apply with a paint brush cleaning the metal surfaces carefully first with a solvent such as meths, slow paint thinner, or brake cleaner.

MUT

[ferny]

On paper gaskets I use Fluid D. How's your German?
http://www.loctite.de/produktsuche-29727.htm?nodeid=8802621882369

On all exhaust gaskets and where the inlet manifold bolts to the head I use Holts Fire Gum.
http://www.holtsauto.com/holts/products/firegum/

If it's a thread part (diff drain plug, etc) I use LaCo Slic-tite for peace of mind and ease of disassembly later. I bought it for work and then when I read the bottle found it was safe in paraffin and the like, so it gets used for everything now.
http://www.laco.com/pipe-thread-sealants/slic-tite-paste-with-ptfe/


The reason I use sealant is that I like to know the gasket is moving as it compresses. That way you don't get any thinker spots where the gasket has grabbed as it's getting clamped down.

Head gasket goes on dry.

[JohnD]

Hylomar Blue is available as a spray, but you need to shop around, as it's sometimes expensive,  then they charge VAT and ten as much again for postage!
Someone on eBay thinks it's worth £100 a can!

John

[Gt6s]

Grease

Laurence

[GT6 M]

On me new ingin, apart frae the cyl heed an mani gaskets
there no gaskets used, just the high temp black silicon gasket stuff.

nee leaks at all,  bar the darn rocker side of cyl heed to block,
noo that really does tek some sealing, ive given up on just aboot every thing along there.

M

[nang]

I'm a great fan of Loctite Master Gasket, but only on one side. A bitch to get off though.
Tony.

[TedTaylor]

Quoted from ferny

The reason I use sealant is that I like to know the gasket is moving as it compresses. That way you don't get any thinker spots where the gasket has grabbed as it's getting clamped down.

Head gasket goes on dry.

That is the reason for putting grease on paper/card gaskets, to help it move as it settles when being tightened down.  Gasket goo can restrict this movement and it is possible to get thick spots which can affect settling if you don't do a second tightening.

Use grease with copper asbestos gaskets  but as you say composite must be dry.

MUT

[Stuart Wilson]

I've always used Blue Hylomar or Wurth RTV depending on what the application is

[Pete Lewis]

was in truck manufacturing for life and with all the trials we carried out loctite 574 solved just a bout every leaky face or gasket
better than any other product.  seals threads and  faces ,goes off with exclusion of air .

still using it at home ,, yes it can be difficult to remove , but easy cleaned off, not for frequent removal , but is very good  fit and forget sealer  for faces .

Pete

[S.Leah]

Quoted from GT6 M

On me new ingin, apart frae the cyl heed an mani gaskets
there no gaskets used, just the high temp black silicon gasket stuff.

nee leaks at all,  bar the darn rocker side of cyl heed to block,
noo that really does tek some sealing, ive given up on just aboot every thing along there.

M

So are you saying you don't put gaskets in the likes of the thermostat housing or water pump / water pump-to-cylinder head?
Does the silicon stuff come off cleanly if you need to remove something?

Cheers
Simon

[bxbodger]

Paper gaskets are quick and easy and thus cost efficient at factory assembly stage, but having put together many gear-in-sump A series motors  over the years I can tell you that sometimes your better off using hylomar or similar rather than the paper gasket.....especially when it comes to 'stat housings....a liquid sealant does the same job as a paper one, it just takes longer and wouldhence  cost more on the line. It is easier to get off than a well stuck paper gasket every time!

[RobPearce]

Some modern engines are assembled with liquid sealant instead of gaskets. Production line automation means that paper gaskets are no longer necessarily quicker than a sealant bead robot.

[GT6 M]

So are you saying you don't put gaskets in the likes of the thermostat housing or water pump / water pump-to-cylinder head?
Does the silicon stuff come off cleanly if you need to remove something?

Yes, aint used em for ages.
was a little vague when said black gasket sealant,  

that stuff went on the timing cover, the back plate /front plate and sumps.

the rest, water pump, termos housing, dizzy, g box, diff, od, all ev the 574
loctite on em, great stuff.

BUTT, I decided to use this on the front edge of the cyl heed as a last resort to try and stop oil leaks along there.

It dont wuk , it leaks, no much, but a leak.
so gotta go at it wid some black silicon after I cleaned all other stuff off.

Its strange this,n, cos of the loadsa diffs an boxes built up, nin have evr leaked wid the 574.
nothing leaks wid high temp silicon either.

Butt the darn cyl heed along the front does,

even JB weld along the outer seam , an it still leaks.

M

M