Had my 5K sump off at the weekend, so I could refit the timing chain cover, after fitting a dual timing chain.

The sump gasket seal had no leaks at all.  When I removed the sump & gasket,  I noticed that the previous mechanic, who had replaced the sump & gasket, had used three little parallel narrow beads, of what looked like a "bright orange silicone sealant" on both sided of the one piece gasket.  I was impressed how well the seal had worked !

I've never been a great fan of silicone sealants, as I've heard & read so many bad/sad stories of users, over doing the application of the silicone.  When the two (2) surfaces are brought together, the sealant "squishes" out on both sides of the gasket.  Any excess on the outside, can be easily wiped off, but the excess on the inside, can bead & drop off, over time,  into the sump, & block off oil pump pickups, or worst still, get caught in oil ways, & starve the bearings.

This is more common with "make a gasket" RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanising) sealants, where the sealant, is the gasket, so users become over generous with the sealant.

Now most of the automotive silicone sealants are marked as, Make A Gasket.  In my case I'm using a new sump gasket out a Permaseal gasket kit. It looks & feels like a rubber one, but I suspect it is made of a composite material, as it stretches a bit more than a pure rubber one.

So what is the best silicone sealant I can use, to replicate three narrow beads of sealant on both sides of the gasket ?  Can the "Make A Gasket" sealants also be used as a seal to the gasket, or do they have a different composition, because they are used as the gasket?

I've always been an aviation gasket adhesive user, for a long time, & have never suffered an engine oil or water leak, but I will admit, it's a real pain cleaning off the old aviation goo sealant, before putting something back together, so I'm prepared to give my sump gasket the silicon seal treatment, so would like to hear other forum users thoughts & experience.

Cheers Banjo 

 

 

  

Edited October 2, 20188 yr by Banjo

I'm a fan of using the minimum too, unlike permatex in the video on this page!

https://www.permatex.com/product-category/gasketing/

Nothing more annoying than finding some guy covered the whole motor in RTV.  Get surfaces clean and dry, and one thin bead of RTV does anything.

I just grab any RTV, bathroom, gutter, auto... I've used houshold ones on exhaust manifolds without problems. The only thing I look at is acetic acid cure or neutral cure.

The anerobics in the video above sound good.

Quote

I'm a fan of using the minimum too, unlike permatex in the video on this page!

I can't believe a reputable company like Permatex would allow a video like that to get through.  That is terrible !  Looks like they gave the instructions to a video marketing company, who didn't have a clue.  The oil pump reassemble is incredible.  I've never heard of putting a gasket on an oil pump.  I've never ever done so, on any K series oil pump, I've reassembled.

Here's a better video, although, I still believe he is a bit heavy handed, with the silicone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXN4FqQH-xM

Thanks for your thoughts.  I'll go get something generic this afternoon, & let you know how I go.

Cheers Banjo

 

Edited October 2, 20188 yr by Banjo