Cork Gasket Prep

[tahoe healey]

What is used to prep a cork gasket for the oil sump? I have heard (1) nothing (dry), (2) soak in water, (3) oil applied with finger.
Hylomar one side or both?
Thanks
TH

 

[Bob_Spidell]

A cork gasket has to pretty much be secured to one surface to assure it stays where it belongs during installation. An 'old school' mechanic, my dad, used thread to tie the gasket to the pan through the bolt holes (he was somewhat adverse to 'goops' in general). What works well for me, for both pan and valve cover gaskets, is to affix the gasket to the pan/valve cover with an adhesive. 3M upholstery trim adhesive--aka 'yellow snot' (it also comes in black)--works well, as does any of the 'goops' that have 'adhesive' in the name. Then, a thin film of non-adhesive sealant--RTV, Hylomar, etc.--is applied to the side placed against the block. Done right, the pan/cover can be easily removed and the gasket often reused several times. Or, you can use 'Right Stuff-type' gasket maker for a permanent bond (no cork), as did the mechanic who built my BJ8's engine. Unfortunately, I clanged the pan on a driveway lip and all but destroyed my elbow sawing it off with a serrated kitchen knife. When I told my mechanic about it, he said: "Well, it wasn't meant to be removed." I found a good used pan, and used the gasket-glued-to-the-sheetmetal-with-a-soft-sealant' technique.

 

[DrEntropy]

A variation which has worked here for decades is RTV on the pan side of the gasket first, allowed to set with the pan upside-own on a flat surface with weight to hold it down. Then on re-installation use Hylomar on the gasket-to-block interface.

 

[steveg]

I'm currently using a nitrile rubber gasket from Tom's Toys. IMO it's a little easier to get a good seal with this one. As the guys above say, if glued, the gasket should always be glued to the movable part.

Gaskets Archives - Tom's Import Toys

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Further, make sure the lip of the pan is as flat as possible; often, a DPO has torqued the snot out of it and deformed it trying to stop a leak.

Steve, those don't look like Healey pan gaskets; they for something else? And, I just remembered, IIRC Healey pan gaskets are two-part; put some of the sealant between each joint as well.

 

[tahoe healey]

Thanks for all the great info. How tight should the bolts be tightened? Obviously, I don't want to crush the cork.

Should the cork gasket be soaked in water or not?

 

[kozelding]

Huh, I never heard of soaking a gasket in water first. Googling indeed indicates that's a trick for (older) pure cork gaskets.

Per the factory spec, the oil pan bolts go on super loose: something like 6 ft-lbs only. Which can feel barely more than finger tight.

 

[steveg]

Bob,
I copied the photo off Tom's webpage for the gaskets. Must be for 100-4s.

I have an aluminum pan, but suppose the technique of gluing the gasket to the pan on a flat surface would help compensate for distortion of the pan flange.

Found the 6 lb ft figure in the Haynes manual, but not Bentley.

 

[LarryK]

I learned from the old guys when I was just starting out in the field. Glue gasket to pan, valve cover, etc. Grease the side that is solid. Then vasket can be properly torqued and still be removable and reused one time when still almost new.

 

[tahoe healey]

I was thinking of using WD40 on the two end gasket as the are hard to fit into the "grove". The WD40 will evaporate and not cause rust. Dry, they will not compress. Any thoughts?

 

[LarryK]

I always use black sealer in small dab and push.

 

[Dandare]

The soaking in water idea was for the older cork gaskets that would shrink (in the packaging) and I believe has no bearing on the actual sealing of it...apart from making it the right size of course.

Danny

 

[tahoe healey]

I tried some blue Hylomar I had on hand but it did not coat well so I removed it with paint thinner and will try the Right Stuff tomorrow.

 

[LarryK]

Hylomar is usually used between two aluminum surfaces without gaskets. Land Rover, Jaguar, MINI are examples.

 

[steveg]

Hylomar AF is for metal surfaces. Universal Blue is for gaskets. Per their data sheets.

 

[steveg]

TH - Right Stuff is bad news as it's too hard to dynamite off when you want to get it apart.

 

[LarryK]

I used to use hardening permatex on things when I knew I was not taking them apart again.

 

[John Turney]

Per Bentley, the front cover bolts should be no more than 12.5 ft-lb. I would expect the oil pan to be the same.