If your using the traditional paper gaskets with the thermostats I'll use Permatex right stuff or Kleen Flo elastomeric grey stuff that is equiv to "right stuff".
Apply it and drive away.
Apply it and drive away.
RTV Sealant Cure Time
- Thread starter c3po
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I used permatex blue RTV on a shift tower gasket on a saturn transmission, left it overnight at 5'F (yup!) with a 100 watt bulb a few inches away. Metal still cold to the touch. Cured fine.
Did same with a thermostat gasket smeared with RTV on my cadillac cimarron a decade ago, gave it a few hours at 32'F, it did fine too. I like to think if you can get it to cure enough to hold antifreeze, the heat when you run it will finish any lingering uncured stuff in the middle.
Obviously I would get a warm fuzzy following the directions but there are times in winter when you have to fix something now and make do!
Did same with a thermostat gasket smeared with RTV on my cadillac cimarron a decade ago, gave it a few hours at 32'F, it did fine too. I like to think if you can get it to cure enough to hold antifreeze, the heat when you run it will finish any lingering uncured stuff in the middle.
Obviously I would get a warm fuzzy following the directions but there are times in winter when you have to fix something now and make do!
YOu don't need sealant with an 'O' ring - unless you do.
This world is not perfect, and neither are surfaces, especially used.
This world is not perfect, and neither are surfaces, especially used.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I used permatex blue RTV on a shift tower gasket on a saturn transmission, left it overnight at 5'F (yup!) with a 100 watt bulb a few inches away. Metal still cold to the touch. Cured fine.
Did same with a thermostat gasket smeared with RTV on my cadillac cimarron a decade ago, gave it a few hours at 32'F, it did fine too. I like to think if you can get it to cure enough to hold antifreeze, the heat when you run it will finish any lingering uncured stuff in the middle.
Dont waste your time with blue.
If you use an elastomeric grey silicon you can have a phenominal oil resistant silicon that you can apply and drive away in minutes. I use that stuff all of the time with NO issues. No cure time just torque the pan/thermostat housing etc etc.
Obviously I would get a warm fuzzy following the directions but there are times in winter when you have to fix something now and make do!
I used permatex blue RTV on a shift tower gasket on a saturn transmission, left it overnight at 5'F (yup!) with a 100 watt bulb a few inches away. Metal still cold to the touch. Cured fine.
Did same with a thermostat gasket smeared with RTV on my cadillac cimarron a decade ago, gave it a few hours at 32'F, it did fine too. I like to think if you can get it to cure enough to hold antifreeze, the heat when you run it will finish any lingering uncured stuff in the middle.
Dont waste your time with blue.
If you use an elastomeric grey silicon you can have a phenominal oil resistant silicon that you can apply and drive away in minutes. I use that stuff all of the time with NO issues. No cure time just torque the pan/thermostat housing etc etc.
Obviously I would get a warm fuzzy following the directions but there are times in winter when you have to fix something now and make do!
Super Tacky or Permatex aviation sealer is SUPER messy to work with but it works hella good on paper gaskets.
I have heard that a product called Permatex Right Stuff is good, but a mechanic told me that once it is put on you may have a hard time removing whatever is attached to it, kind of like it bonds permanently.
Is this true, or is this an old wives tale.
Is this true, or is this an old wives tale.
Originally Posted By: c3po
I have heard that a product called Permatex Right Stuff is good, but a mechanic told me that once it is put on you may have a hard time removing whatever is attached to it, kind of like it bonds permanently.
Is this true, or is this an old wives tale.
We have used it. It is harder to remove, but not impossible...
I have heard that a product called Permatex Right Stuff is good, but a mechanic told me that once it is put on you may have a hard time removing whatever is attached to it, kind of like it bonds permanently.
Is this true, or is this an old wives tale.
We have used it. It is harder to remove, but not impossible...
After smelling and looking closely at some of the white high temp locker / sealants (tastes like sealant too .... sure glad I didn't step in it) I realized that it's probably Teflon plumber's sealant, so instead I started using the plumber's sealant (maybe $5 for a small jar) instead of the automotive stuff (maybe $6 for a tiny tube). In addition to some threaded assemblies I've also been using it as a gasket sealer as it has good temp properties and is pretty inert to a wide range of chemicals. Seems to work well on things like thermostats, water pump gaskets, etc. As with any product like this use carefully to make sure no excess gets squeezed out inside the assembly.
Only thing I'd be wary of substituting sealants from another profession is if they outgas anything that could be bad for oil or coating o2 sensors etc. Obviously not a big deal on antifreeze systems but if you, say, RTV a valve cover gasket...
Used some black RTV (IIRC Permatex) when I drained and refilled the front and rear diffs on my Cherokee. After cleaning up the surfaces, applying the RTV, and bolting the covers down to spec, I waited 15 minutes and refilled the diffs. No leaks, been fine for months.
Ultra Copper or "The Right Stuff". I let them all cure for 24hrs regardless to ensure everythings good to go 
I quit using silicone / RTV based products for some applications as they need clean, non-oily surfaces surfaces to bond well, which is impossible in some applications. In ye olden days I might use a dark, gooey gasket compound after trying to degrease surfaces, but so far have found that teflon paste work fine as a replacement for smaller jobs at least. It has a wider temp range than most of the other auto products, that's why Permatex calls their product a 'high temp sealant, it appears to more inert than other auto producte, and seems to be used in a wide range of industrial applications.
Typical silicone adhesive outgas acetic acid, who knows what the other products outgas, so I'm not worried about something that seems to be rated for a wider range of applications.
Something else that I try to do is to make sure that both surfaces of an assembly are flat, free of nicks, high spots, etc., and I'll either lightly refinish the surface using a fine wet/dry on a fla tsurface, or use a flat sharpening stone, or worst case will use a mill file. The thin layer of teflon paste on the gasket is just to help seal. The paste seems to be recommended for lots of tapered threads for obvious reasons.
Here's the stuff I currently have, a plumber's teflon paste. Use an auto or aviation product if worried.
http://www.wmharvey.com/prod/cat2/ptc/tfe.php
TFE Paste is a pure white thread lubricant and sealant made with PTFE. Brushable paste dries slowly, is non-hardening and withstands up to 3,000 PSI on gases at temps from -50°F. to +500°F. Use on water, steam, natural & LP gas, oils, fuels, dilute acids. Apply to metals, PVC, CPVC, ABS, polypropylene and nylon. TFE Paste is our BEST all-purpose sealant for HEAVY DUTY applications. UPC and NSFlisted.
Typical silicone adhesive outgas acetic acid, who knows what the other products outgas, so I'm not worried about something that seems to be rated for a wider range of applications.
Something else that I try to do is to make sure that both surfaces of an assembly are flat, free of nicks, high spots, etc., and I'll either lightly refinish the surface using a fine wet/dry on a fla tsurface, or use a flat sharpening stone, or worst case will use a mill file. The thin layer of teflon paste on the gasket is just to help seal. The paste seems to be recommended for lots of tapered threads for obvious reasons.
Here's the stuff I currently have, a plumber's teflon paste. Use an auto or aviation product if worried.
http://www.wmharvey.com/prod/cat2/ptc/tfe.php
TFE Paste is a pure white thread lubricant and sealant made with PTFE. Brushable paste dries slowly, is non-hardening and withstands up to 3,000 PSI on gases at temps from -50°F. to +500°F. Use on water, steam, natural & LP gas, oils, fuels, dilute acids. Apply to metals, PVC, CPVC, ABS, polypropylene and nylon. TFE Paste is our BEST all-purpose sealant for HEAVY DUTY applications. UPC and NSFlisted.
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