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Hylomar recommended, but hard to find.

2wrench

Luke Skywalker
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Cannot find hylomar to seal/place the oil pump.
Do you have any sugestions for what to use instead -- or
a resource for hylomar?

Thanks,
 
Permatex has got a web site.

Might want to go there and do some research.

I recommend "The Right Stuff"
 
Moss has genuine Hylomar (not the 'HPF' stuff that Permatex sold under license). Permatex actually stopped making Hylomar for awhile, but I see they now have it listed on the website as "back by popular demand", so perhaps it will start finding it's way into stores soon.

But for an oil pump, I'm not convinced it's worth the extra effort. Almost anything (except silicone RTV) will work fine : Permatex #3, Gasgacinch, Indian Head, etc. In fact I'd feel quite confident using nothing at all, since small drips will just fall back into the pan instead of on the ground.
 
Hylomar is a real pain to use, I suppose thats why it's so good. I got mine from Moss, local folks didn't have it.

Tinkerman
 
What's the big deal with Hylomar? I just noticed how expensive it was. If I bought some, it would go bad long before I could finish it.
 
It isn't so expensive in England - last year I bought three large tubes on ebay.co.uk, total was about $15 including shipping as I recall. I still have a bit left in the tube I bought in 1995, and it is still quite useable. I decided to go with a new tube for my engine rebuild, but I think it has a pretty long shelf life.
 
billspit said:
What's the big deal with Hylomar? I just noticed how expensive it was. If I bought some, it would go bad long before I could finish it.

Hylomar is good stuff. It was developed some time in the 60s by RollsRoyce to seal joints in jet turbine engines.
Probably overkill for an oil pump. Personally, I'd just use a light skim of grease and forget about it. The stuff stays tacky and fills minor surface flaws. It is some sort of urethane.
 
Hylomar works well on close-tolerance parts, like transmissions. Not so well on sloppy (by comparison) fits.

I never was a fan of the stuff myself. Messy.
 
Should be able to source it at any aviation supply place. Good on joints that need a pressure/gas tight seal. Other than that, any sort of gasket goo will work just as well.............
 
I doubt it'd "go bad" from sitting around... the stuff likely has a half-life just this side of plutonium. Impervious to fuel, brake fluid, oil and grease. Only thing I've found to "cut" it is lacquer thinner. It stays "gooey" so not good for seating seals but an excellent gasket sealant if applied as a thin film.

I like it so much I'd brush me teeth with th' stuff if it weren't BLUE. :smirk:
 
billspit said:
If I bought some, it would go bad long before I could finish it.
One of the cool things about it : doesn't go hard in the tube like the silicone RTV stuff does. There's a partial tube on my bench that I've been using occasionally since at least 2005. Also doesn't go hard on your engine, so deals with flexing due to temperature gradients and such, plus is easy to remove next time. Frequently you can even reuse the gasket !

And since it never hardens, it also cannot form 'strings' like the RTV stuff does. Since RTV strings don't flow like oil does, they can cause all sorts of mischief once they get loose.
 
If there are "strings" from RTV in the crankcase you've used too much of the stuff! :devilgrin:

That's why I emphasized a ~thin film~ coating on the gaskets. Same applies to RTV. One should NEVER see gasket sealant of any type squitterin' out from the edges of the pieces fitted together.
 
DrEntropy said:
If there are "strings" from RTV in the crankcase you've used too much of the stuff! :devilgrin:
No argument from me! BUT, virtually every joint I've seen done with the stuff (including the ones I used to do) has at least a little bit hanging out somewhere. It's really difficult to get that thin film exactly the right thickness everywhere without at least one glob. And, unless you pull the engine apart again to check, how will you know if there is a string hanging out inside ?

Call it cheap insurance. Or my personal oddity, whichever
grin.gif


BTW, I paid a professional shop to do a major tune-up on my parts hauler (which includes R&R the water pump). They used RTV ... guess what was plugging up the heater core ?
 
billspit said:
What's the big deal with Hylomar? I just noticed how expensive it was. If I bought some, it would go bad long before I could finish it.

It doesn't dry or harden. So on surfaces that are going to be taken apart regularly it doesn't cause you to tear up gaskets or have to scrape the surface clean.

Very usefull under a timing chain cover say if you change or adjust camshafts regularly. Or say a valve cover gasket. The use of Hylomar in these applications makes the job a lot faster and easier.

On things like an oil pan or transmission cover, where you don't take it off often, regular RTV type sealants are perfectly fine. On an oil pump or such, gasket shellac can make more sense. Though it's not fun getting something apart that's been sealed up with shellac.
 
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