re-using wet gasket

DMartin9N-2N · Jul 21, 2016

I have been working on water pumps for an antique Plymouth flat head six. When I replace one water pump with another on the test engine, the main gasket (made of heavy paper gasket material) is wet with coolant, and silicone Permatex does not seem to stick to the gasket. If I make a new gasket, it will be dry when being assembled, but then I assume when it gets wet the silicone will be of little or no value. Does anyone have a favorite method for water pump gaskets?

D.Martin in W. Tenn.

Steve@Advance · Jul 21, 2016

If you have the coolant below the hole in the block, and everything is dry, and the surfaces are clean and flat, coolant shouldn't get on the surfaces once it's tight.

If there is some rust, irregularities, warpage, the silicone will fill those voids, just keep it real thin, as that's all that is necessary. If time allows let it dry for a few hours, and good to go. I have omitted the dry time and still had no problems.

I assume you are using high temp automotive silicone?

mj · Jul 21, 2016

(quoted from post at 09:20:57 07/21/16) I have been working on water pumps for an antique Plymouth flat head six. When I replace one water pump with another on the test engine, the main gasket (made of heavy paper gasket material) is wet with coolant, and silicone Permatex does not seem to stick to the gasket. If I make a new gasket, it will be dry when being assembled, but then I assume when it gets wet the silicone will be of little or no value. Does anyone have a favorite method for water pump gaskets?

D.Martin in W. Tenn.

#2 Permatex!

caterpillar guy · Jul 21, 2016

If you have the thick gasket you don't need any sealer as the gasket is made to squash that much for that purpose to fill the divots. If you have ever seen the crap that comes out from using silicone on water and oil gaskets you'd not do it again.

Texasmark1 · Jul 21, 2016

I always used Permatex #2 which is the one that stays soft. Smear it on both sides a dry gasket with your thumb and index finger. Never had a
failure. I like it better than silicon for that.

1206SWMO · Jul 22, 2016

The same here...I despise silicone..

sotxbill · Jul 22, 2016

I have the pint bottle of permatex with a brush applicator.. Some gaskets only get one side done, if I am planning on removing it again,, others get both sides done.. but it also holds your gasket in place for assembly.

AND it makes great fingernail polish for a week or so..

Texasmark1 · Jul 22, 2016

For years I had problems getting pans on vehicles with automatic transmissions to seal when doing a fluid change. I am a "put em on wet" guy
and like I do a lot of gaskets, I'd always wet both sides with #2, blue silicon gasket maker, or aircraft adhesive depending on what it was. Always
had problems with tranny pans not sealing properly. On pan gaskets especially, I want them stuck so they don't move when I start putting things
back together.

The last one I did, I only coated one side and let the other side slide with the temp. Nar a problem after that. I say that (my last one) because my
only vehicle now is the 2011 Silverado, 28,000 something miles on it, bought new in April of that year, and the tranny fluid change isn't listed in the
manual. The plug change is however......at 100,000. Must be Iridium. Wink. I'll take it. That's one thing that turned me against my Ram Hemi; 2
plugs per cylinder, can't get to teh back ones, and they spec. 30,000 mile Champion conventional plugs with no subs. Pfffffft on that.

re-using wet gasket

DMartin9N-2N

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Steve@Advance

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mj

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caterpillar guy

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Texasmark1

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1206SWMO

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sotxbill

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Texasmark1

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