• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Here's are some basic questions for you....

tdskip

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
So I was about to install a new thermostat and new elbow water outlet. Somehow this is the first time I've actually had to do this on any of the cars, and it got me wondering about;

1) what sort of sealant I should use around the water pump and elbow.

pACE-984940dt.jpg


Yes/no?

2) what actually holds the thermostat in place? if it a mechanical fit where the elbow presses down on it? Any sealant on the edge of the thermostat itself?
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
not sure about the #1 but, no sealant on the thermostat itself - it just sits there.
 

mightymidget

Jedi Knight
Offline
The themostate just lays in place. "MAKE SURE it is in correct way. there are only two ways. the correct way and the backwards way. do not install any type of gasket sealant etc...

Clean the block and housing with a dull putty knife until all is clean, I normally will rub housing on a flat piece of 200 sandpaper to check for trueness. and really put a good flat edge on housing. with the studs in the block you will not be able to do that side but you can use a pot scrubber to clean well.

The sealant shown can be used with a gasket or with out a gasket, I perferr the gasket

Gasket installation: spread the RTV thickly on your clean finger and butter the block and one one side of gasket evenly, lay gasket in place on the block so the gasket side with rtv is facing up. Then butter the housing with rtv and lay on top of gasket. do not apply pressure or bolts. wait 3-5 minutes then snug the housing bolts down evenly. to not overtighten and warp the housing or shear off studs.

No gasket installation: apply a thick bead of RTV on to block where housing mounts. you want a "solid bead" 1/4" high completly around the opening, spread with finger if needed for uniformity. wait atleast 5 mins until rtv has skinned. then mount the housing and secure as above.

Waterpump installation will be the same. Normally water leaks in these areas are no prevalent
 

spritenut

Luke Skywalker
Offline
You have to love "marketing"
RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) Is all the same as per the GE Silicone sales rep who told me this back in the 80s.
#1, it will not stick to oil or oily surfaces including oily wood like teak, cedar, redwood.
#2 It is all the same except for the packaging, what is inside might be a different color but RTV is RTV and it all vulcanizes at ROOM temperature.
So if you want a lot of RTV, buy it in the caulk tube for your bathtub.
You can pay the same price for 1/2 an ounce as you would for 10 ounces but it would be marked High Performance Automotive gasket goop.
#3 We do add metal (aluminum powder) to roof RTV sealants just so it matches metal roof chimneys.
Why do we do this? he asked. "Marketing", who in their right mind would use window or tub caulk on their high performance car engine!
So I have been using window or tub caulk for 25 years, it works fine.
I normally only use it on the pan and valve cover because they do come off and can be replaced with the old gasket.
For most other gaskets, I just use a smear of grease to hold it in place during assembly.
Do my Sprites leak any oil? Well sure they do but not from any gaskets.
I do not know if GE has changed anything in RTV sealants over the past 3 decades but why would you pay $4 for .05 oz when you can get 10 ozs for the same $$?
Oh yeah, marketing :wink:
 

nomad

Yoda
Offline
Use RTV very spareingly. I owned a car that would not stay cool in hot weather so took the rad to a rad shop for a boil out. He removed the tanks and found 1/4 of the tubes plugged with little worms of RTV from previous owners. He was adamant about not using ANY RTV for ANY engine work.
KA.
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
I like RTV, even for engines. You just need to pay attention. Never more than a *thin* film on gaskets. Gooping it on mating surfaces is baad juju.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
G Really nice to see some people are posting here again! TVR 8
JPSmit OK not British but a lot of fun here Other Cars 1
AngliaGT What Goes Here? - Holes Behind Rear License Plate Mount Spridgets 3
Got_All_4 TR2/3/3A Water Pump "Here I Go Again" Triumph 61
A Spitfire Here's Our latest Newsletter.. Scroll Down -Many Tech Sessions Images Triumph 0
A TR2/3/3A New member here, Happy New Year Everyne :-] Triumph 7
AngliaGT The Midget's Here! Spridgets 2
Michael Oritt Having a problem here.... Austin Healey 9
A General Tech Here's Our BMCNE Newsletter - links to Collings Tour & Beatles Night Pics Triumph 1
T General TR Here we go again.... Triumph 12
Jim_Gruber So what did I do wrong here with Bugsy. Spridgets 2
T TR2/3/3A Here we go again... Triumph 27
GTP1960 Here's one worth a second look. Other Cars 1
TomMull Off Topic BAT: I know this is in the wrong category but It's following the BAT discussion here. Triumph 6
Jim_Gruber 13" Wheels - Here's why you need to order 14" Wheels Spridgets 30
M TR4/4A Anyone on here live in the Phoenix- Scottsdale area of Arizona that can look at a car Triumph 2
Gerard ... for the Morris Minor enthusiasts here... Spridgets 18
M TR4/4A Anyone here fitted a Honeybourne Surrey Top to their TR4 Triumph 1
TimK Old brake hoses need replacing, if you need proof look here... Austin Healey 1
PeterK TR4/4A Here's what my NOS 511695 cylinder head looks like, unboxed Triumph 10
KVH TR4/4A Here'a Another Rear Axle Hub Question/Problem Triumph 7
Basil Spitfire Anyone here with a hardtop on your Spitfire? Triumph 9
Rut Any reason not to mount this here? Spridgets 21
Keoke Here is how to remember how to reassemble your engine Austin Healey 4
M Off Topic Any guys on here live near Pittsburgh Airport. Triumph 1
NutmegCT Any Carter carb experts here? Other Cars 22
M How Many McLaren owners are here? Other Cars 6
NutmegCT Any Borg-Warner automatic trans experts here? Other Cars 5
trrdster2000 Spitfire Here is help for the Spitfire project. Triumph 0
Bob_Spidell Here we go again!: What is [and isn't] an Austin-Healey 100M? Austin Healey 3
TomMull Post-War Other Here's one not seen every day Triumph 2
AUSMHLY Any 1964 1/2 mustang fans here? Austin Healey 4
max71 MGB Here's what the inside of a MGB mechanical gauge looks like MG 0
trrdster2000 General TR Andy Mace, here;s the numbers on the Hillman. Triumph 4
catfood What goes here Austin Healey 6
JPSmit New wheels here also Spridgets 13
CJD TR2/3/3A Here We Go! Triumph 63
C New Guy here, Just got killer news Austin Healey 18
Mickey Richaud General TR Now HERE'S a Rare One! Triumph 5
Mickey Richaud Any 914 Fans Here? Other Cars 1
blurooster new here TVR 3
bighealeysource Okay, here's one with a strange noise from the engine Austin Healey 7
jlaird Here we go again Spridgets 1
C Austin FX3D wiring diagram needed, New member here Other British Cars 3
R Here are pics of the 100-4 motor Austin Healey 4
Rut Here's your chance! Spridgets 16
bugedd Is this someone here? Spridgets 40
G Has anyone here had any dealings with ANGLO PARTS.COM ? Austin Healey 4
K MGC MGC owers here? MG 11
jaegzie Long time since I've been here but progress has started. Bigeye rebuild Spridgets 9

Similar threads

Top