Date: Sat, 7 May 2016 18:05:03 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Which head gasket goop do you swear by???
In-Reply-To: <CAJRLdXbBr8EY1=o6DexvWo1=Tjttc0ZXaoMRK8oNJKvutGpExw@mail.gmail.com>
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I have to agree with GoWesty on the crank seal. The sealant in the gasket set now is good stuff for the outer gasket. This is not the critical seal are though. A nuisance if it leaks and if the gasket should split the sealant doesn’t matter anyway.
The critical seals are the base and top of the cylinders. The bottom rarely gives noticeable trouble. Usually that only shows up if doing oil analysis or an unexplained bearing failure. The top causes the most grief as that is how you get the combustion gasses into the cooling system. With used parts it is extremely difficult to get a true seal here. I have had great success using Loctite 518 to seal that top cylinder gasket and o-ring. You need to be careful not get a bunch into the cylinder. This stuff will seal any imperfections on both sides of that shim and help seal that upper o-ring. I also use it on the flange nuts. Using the activator increases its effectiveness.
The most important part of this job is getting the head studs properly tensioned. Make sure the threads on the studs and in the nus are clean. Tap and Die! Nothing left inside the nuts. Carefully lubricate the threads on the studs with anti-seize. Threads only! You don’t want to contaminate the sealant. Final torque 41 ft. lbs. Beam, dial, or electronic torque wrench. If you get a stud/nut that doesn’t hold torque the stud is probably stretching due to past over torqueing or overheating. At some point stop. It probably should be replaced. They are known to snap. If an outer one snaps too close to the base to be removed the entire engine is probably garbage. At a minimum it means full disassembly and finding a machine shop that will even try to deal with it.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of TJ Hemrick
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2016 3:56 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Which head gasket goop do you swear by???
Time for a survey! No, not what tires to run. Which sealant (goop) do
you swear by when you replace heads on motors YOU build or have built? I saw one write up and they advise to NOT use what comes in the gasket set.
Some people say "Right Stuff" is best. A tube of "Reinzosil" from Victor
Reinz came in my set but, in a similar light, GoWesty states the proper crank seal does not come in the gasket set but should be tossed and a
different one bought separately. No wrong answers here and if you have
facts and figures to back up your choice of product, all the better.
Let's avoid the whole, "My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl
who saw some guy use _________." With that in mind, not sure what the
"experts" use but as the man says, "Let's get it on!"
TJ
87 Wolfsburg with JB weld drying on the sealing flange.
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