what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

[renny1]

as the thread says have you used it and how do you rate it... i know some are gonna argue and say use brand gaskets only,but i was talking to someone and he says thats all he ever uses on outboards and has never failed him yet

opinions please

 

[Laddies]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

It has some uses it was designed for but, as a fix all you might as well use peanut butter

 

[Don S]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

but i was talking to someone and he says thats all he ever uses on outboards and has never failed him yet

That someone is feeding you a line of BS and probably started out "Once upon a time ..................."
If gaskets werent necessary don't you think the manufacturers would have stopped using them in order to save money?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

To name one and I haven't looked to see how many others there are, since 1998 that I know of, thru '05 and '07 at least, Dodge P/U trucks have their differential covers sealed with nothing but silicon rubber adhesive. I'm not particularly fond of silicon in some applications but here is one where millions of vehicles were produced and no paper gasket.

Depends upon what you are doing, what it's exposed to, and what the parts look like.....my opinion.

I have had good luck and bad luck with seals. Most bad luck was using recommended dry seals. On adhesives, only bad luck was with early silicon sealers. Todays products for that purpose seem to work as designed especially the blue, black, and red. Course when I worked, we had specific silicon primers, made specifically for silicons which made them sure nuf stick. Also silicon likes the surface clean. Some other products can tolerate a little oil or grease remnants.

My 2c

Mark

 

[renny1]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

wow i actually thouht this thread would really stir things up and bring some big debates

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

Is that why you posted it?

 

[renny1]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

no i just wanted to know what people thought as i have loads of silicone gasket and am just about to rebuild my engine but as was said i may as well use peanut butter,one guy i know uses silicone sealer for every gasket and has never had trouble so i was in 2 minds what to do

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

I think Don S pretty well summed it up. While it has its applications, I don't trust form-a-gasket or whatever they call it these days.

 

[Sig_Mech]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

In a non-critical, non-pressurized situation I would say a silicone gasket would be ok. I personally wouldn't use it and here's why: all paper, cork, metal, etc gaskets are made to an exact thickness and for a specific application. I know that just by installing a different head gasket on my Harley I can change the compression ratio of the cylinders, I know it is a small change but it can and does affect the overall performance of the motor. If you use silicone you can't be assured of a smooth and even application. This could lead to high spots and eventually a slight warpage of the pieces that are mated together further complicating the problem of maintaining tight clearances and proper seals.
I don't see any problem with applying a very thin application of silicone to a gasket to help in maintaining a good seal but using silicone instead of a gasket could be asking for trouble.

 

[j_martin]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

There are some applications for the silicone gasket stuff, for instance it is the only way to seal the halfs of a modern Japanese stick transmission. And it can bail you out temporarily on almost anything.

HOWEVER

Silicone deteriorates over time, and with certain fuels and oils.

Silicone does not have a controlled clearance or squish pressure. The effects can be significant, though not always obvious, such as compression or displacement changes.

Silicone, if it escapes into some places, such as a fuel system, can cause serious troubles. Partially plugged fuel parts in a 2 cycle almost always spell BURN DOWN.

Disassembly of parts assembled with silicone can get pretty messy.

We mechanics use the proper gasket for the job, which sometimes is silicone.

If someone claims that they use only silicone for gaskets and never have a failure, it's because their warranty reads something like, "until your check clears."

My 02
John

 

[SuperNova]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

Sitting here at work reading this post, so I went over to my cart and checked my selection. Just for background- I am a professional, factory certified Master Dodge Chrysler, Jeep, Volvo and Cummins diesel mechanic and I currently work in a new car dealership. I am also ASE certified Master Auto, Medium and Heavy Duty truck and Master Machinist Certified. Anyway back to my cart and selection of "silicones". I have a tube of "ATF-RTV" for installing transmission pans and other parts that come in constant contact with ATF. There is a tube of "engine RTV" for certain engine components(but NOT oil pans-we use composite gaskets for those). There is a tube of "gear sealant" for transfer case work. And there is a tube of "Axle-RTV" for diff covers and anything else that comes into contact with Gear Oil. I also have a tube of Anaerobic Sealer for the Volvo white engines and their precision machined aluminum components. These are all FACTORY sealants and all have their Factory designed purpose.

This all being said--the point is there are specific formulations of "silicone" sealers that are designed for specific applications and will work well when used for their intended purposes. There are also VERY good reasons why the engineers who design mechanical things decide to use a gasket of a particular design or decide to use a liquid sealer---sometimes the reasons are obvious and sometimes they are not obvious to the layman until it is too late. If you don't possess a very strong understanding of the different types of gasket material and their properties then the best bet is to use the proper replacement part(s). Like kind and quantity.

2 interesting side notes: I just rebuilt the front diff in a 2005 Ram 2500 Diesel and the cover did use a gasket. It was a metal and rubber reusable unit. And the second note is: I have seen the "gear sealant" mix together with the "axle-rtv" and they react with quite a lot of smoke.
--
Stan

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

There are some applications for the silicone gasket stuff, for instance it is the only way to seal the halfs of a modern Japanese stick transmission. And it can bail you out temporarily on almost anything.

HOWEVER

Silicone deteriorates over time, and with certain fuels and oils.

Silicone does not have a controlled clearance or squish pressure. The effects can be significant, though not always obvious, such as compression or displacement changes.

Silicone, if it escapes into some places, such as a fuel system, can cause serious troubles. Partially plugged fuel parts in a 2 cycle almost always spell BURN DOWN.

Disassembly of parts assembled with silicone can get pretty messy.

We mechanics use the proper gasket for the job, which sometimes is silicone.

If someone claims that they use only silicone for gaskets and never have a failure, it's because their warranty reads something like, "until your check clears."

My 02
John

Come on John, be nice.

Mark

 

[j_martin]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

Come on John, be nice.

Mark

Sumtimez uz old phartz wid too much experience can get a little bitter.


John

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

Sumtimez uz old phartz wid too much experience can get a little bitter.


John

Yeah and your favorite brew doesn't help matters if that applies. That's why I force myself to yak in the mornings with a cup of coffee. BTDT

Mark

 

[j_martin]

Re: what is everyones opinion of instant gasket rather than paper gaskets

Yeah and your favorite brew doesn't help matters if that applies. That's why I force myself to yak in the mornings with a cup of coffee. BTDT

Mark

I've had about 5 drinks in 20 years. It comes naturally.

John