Tips for removing baked-on gasket sought.

[Touring5]

I have a small leak on the torque converter pan on my '99 528i. A few years ago I did a ATF service by removing & cleaning the main pan & magnet and replacing the filter (and gasket) but didn't do the torque converter pan. At that time the main pan gasket was a PITA to remove - the gasket had "plasticized"and was melded to the (aluminum) mounting surface, so I'm anticipating the TC pan will be the same.

I've read that the Permatex Low-VOC remover isn't effective (go figure). Are there any available products that WILL help soften it? I'm thinking I'll get a scraper with plastic blades but wonder if there's a "magic bullet" for this job?

I've also seen recommendations for the white 3M rotoloc brushes on a drill. Anyone had experience with them?

I'm trying to be prepared this time and any tips would be appreciated.

 

[SHOZ]

Try spray on oven cleaner. AKA caustic soda or lye. It's great for carbonized deposits.

 

[97K15004WD]

I would recommend following the factory recommended procedure on gasket removal. No on the Rolox though.

Plastic razor worked best for me in the past with similar situations.

 

[cptbarkey]

Roloc white or yellow would be fine. Green if you want, its the most abrasive yet still does little to no damage. Get the 3M and not the cheap knockoffs, it makes a difference.

 

[Nukeman7]

I've also seen recommendations for the white 3M rotoloc brushes on a drill. Anyone had experience with them?

I'm trying to be prepared this time and any tips would be appreciated.

Read all of this thread before using a 3M Roloc brush or any abrasive wheels if any of the mating surfaces cannot be removed and washed out thoroughly before re-installation:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/volvo-dealer-used-abrasive-wheel-to-clean-engine-sump.374594/

 

[zzyzzx]

Obligatory:

 

[ls1mike]

They make a few different spray and gasket "dissolvers". Been a long time since I have had to use one, but when I did I would spray early in the day, spray before bed and it would usually scraped right off in the morning. SHOZ suggested oven cleaner that works well too.

 

[KrisZ]

I find a small scotch-brite pad, wetted with wd40 or some other lubricant and done by hand, very effective. The lubricant keeps all the pieces from flying around and cleans up very easily with a rag.
I usually use a utility knife blade to remove the big pieces before I go in with a scotch brite pad.

 

[Touring5]

Read all of this thread before using a 3M Roloc brush or any abrasive wheels if any of the mating surfaces cannot be removed and washed out thoroughly before re-installation:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/volvo-dealer-used-abrasive-wheel-to-clean-engine-sump.374594/

Yea, definitely don't want gritty contamination and being on the AT it ain't removable. I guess I won't go that route.

They make a few different spray and gasket "dissolvers". Been a long time since I have had to use one, but when I did I would spray early in the day, spray before bed and it would usually scraped right off in the morning. SHOZ suggested oven cleaner that works well too.

And that's why I mentioned the permatex stuff. As a rule, I find any "new" formulations that are supposed to be safer or "greener" are almost always much less effective. The oven cleaner idea sounds good - after all it is baked on crud.

I saw a product on Amazon called John Dow gasket remover . Anybody know if it works well?

(The first time, with the AT pan, I didn't anticipate how tough that old gasket was to remove. I had to scramble and find some polycarbonate to use as a scraper and even cut razor blades down to a narrower size, then put them in a small vicegrip as a scraper. Anything to make it easier and quicker is the goal).

 

[Oro_O]

I would recommend following the factory recommended procedure on gasket removal. No on the Rolox though.

Plastic razor worked best for me in the past with similar situations.

These things are cracker for jobs like this. I’ve used regular blade before but they knick too easily. Discovered these this year and wish I had them long ago.

Acetone as a solvent is also great. Acetone, just like artillery, can solve a lot more problem than people give them credit for.

Plastic blade:
https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Scra...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863995881420&psc=1

 

[joegreen]

Carbide scraper. It’s designed for gasket removal and surface cleanup.

 

[dumkid]

I use plastic blades, unless whatever I'm scraping is harder than the plastic. Then I use a steel razor blade. With the steel blades you can gouge aluminum, so be careful

 

[nate379]

Rotolok or carbide scraper is what I normally use.

 

[NYEngineer]

Snap On PK23. My favorite gasket scraper ever.

 

[97K15004WD]

... Acetone, just like artillery, can solve a lot more problem than people give them credit for.

Truer words have never been spoken

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Loctite SF 790. The stuff is awesome.

 

[Traction]

I use my oscillating tool with a scraper blade on it.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

I wish I had all of these ideas when I worked on Harleys. I had to replace a lot of gaskets on the cylinders on older bikes because the gaskets would get hardened from years of heat. The gasket on the bottom of the cylinder was the worst. It would take hours to clean them off. I had to hand scrape the hardened rubber impregnated gasket off. I would replace them all with James or Cometic gaskets which were silicone rubber coated stainless steel. I coated them with anaerobic sealer so they wouldn’t stick on all but the head gasket.

 

[wtd]

I just replaced a water pump that had baked on gasket. I tried a carbide scraper which did exactly nothing. I tried a plastic scraper with the same results. I ended up using a regular razor blade to get it off.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

That’s usually what I ended up using on the Harley gaskets. I also have a scraper made out of a perforator blade from a tissue continuous winder. The steel is rock hard and takes a grinder to sharpen, but it will really hold an edge. The problem is it will gouge aluminum.