Gaskets (or lack thereof)

[egaito]

I'm putting new hoses on the 8v92's on Ang's 58, and FDD gave me the wrong gasket for the thermostat housing, which has to be removed to get to one of the hoses...in fact a lot of #@Q$ has to be removed to replace these little 3" hoses!

Was wondering if anyone has tried RTV or similar in lieu of a gasket, or I have to go back in the AM for the right "part".

Unfortunately, no one seems to stock gasket material these days.....

 

[spartonboat1]

Just went throught this drill...take a look at the "copper" rtv, supposedly good to 750%, but comes apart easily and can be removed without massive effort and can be put into service basically immediatly.

 

[Genesis]

The auto parts stores around here all carry sheet gasket material. I always kept some on Gigabite, and it saved my butt more than once.

 

[egaito]

Just went throught this drill...take a look at the "copper" rtv, supposedly good to 750%, but comes apart easily and can be removed without massive effort and can be put into service basically immediatly.

The stuff I got from FDD is good to +500 "intermittent" so I think I'll give it a shot. If the raw-water exhaust gets that hot, the hoses are going to go before the gasket. It should at least get us out of the slip if we have to move for a storm.

I've used this stuff on gas engines in the past with good results, but I'm still cutting me teeth on these 92's. So far, so good though, if you have a hammer and a pry-bar(and maybe a chain hoist), they're easier than most gas engines I've worked on.

-Ed

 

[MikeP]

Carefully and correctly applied, it is great stuff. Unfortunately, it almost never is.

Bad mechanics use it seemingly by the gallon and end up gluing the parts together making future mechanic work a total PITA. The squeeze-out also ends up in intercoolers, heat exchangers, and other passages where it can cause big problems. I prefer real gaskets but do use RTV occasionally in lieu of a gasket if the mating surfaces are bad and I can't correct them or in an emergency if I don't have any gasket material. When I do, I apply the smallest possible bead I can to one of the mating surfaces, then smear a thin film of oil on the other mating surface. This ensures that the parts won't stick together and can be easily disassembled. I prefer the Permatex Ultra Black.

Note that silicone should not be used for surfaces in contact with gasoline (Of course that's not an issue on your 92!)

 

[Bob Bradley]

If you use it, apply the goo, and set the bolts finger tight. Let the stuff start to set a bit before tighening the bolts. That way, you don't squeeze it all out, and you have a more substantial "gasket" when you're done.