HQ sealant--No more silicone

More than likely a:

PTFE thread sealant compound (In other words, Teflon pipe dope.). GM Recommends you use it on the cylinder head bolts that penetrate the water jacket, to prevent seepage of coolant into the oil.

I hope this helps?

Refinish King

Yes sir, that helps!! The average person just doesn't have the time, access, or the desire to try 'n' learn everything on their own... kinda like having to re-invent the wheel ever time something new comes along, or us shade-trees wants to look for a better way to accomplish a given task.......... that's why these different types of groups are great; people can share information that can have a real effect on people's "quality of life"................ thanks again, RK...

Where were you using silicone? Hopefully, not anywhere near the water pump. Like RK said, teflon pipe sealer works on the bolts, but anywhere else you should just be using a dry gasket. You can use a contact style cement to hold the gasket in place.....sometimes this is necessary.

Ian

Ian... I did what I've done since my younger days; I used a sealer on both sides of the gasket.......... The pump manufacturer's directions says: coat both sides of new gasket with tacky sealer and position on new water pump or engine. If using a self curing silicone type gasket sealer from a tube, do not apply excessive amount.

I did use one different from what most people use, this one is a black high temperature silicone... forgot the make. It seems a little better than the usual, especially that "blue stuff"......... thanks, GC

GC wrote

If it's a sealer that is intended to just hold the gasket in place, it's useful. It's never a good idea to use self curing RTV type of sealer on paper gaskets. It wasn't designed for that.

Ian

Thanks for the info, Ian... I guess alot, if not most people use the silicone--that's what the auto parts stores always tell people to use (duhh), and is all most of 'em sell. I've never liked the stuff, personally... don't even like using silicone for household purposes... just doesn't bond well, has no strength, and doesn't take paint well either....... just another example of "corporate BS"... The crap is likely cheap to produce, and from the price of it, you know the profit margin is astronomical. Damn stuff is useless as far as I'm concerned.

I've used Fel-Pro Blue sealent on water pumps and other gaskets....until they stopped making it a few years back and I ran out of it

They also had a super quick drying cement for valve cover gaskets using MEK as a solvent...AND they stopped selling that too

Larry... I didn't use it "wrong"-- I used it exactly as the manufacture and water pump maker said to. So thanks for the comment, but otherwise; bite me! GC

I takes real talent to not use too much silicone on a gasket (I don't have the talent myself). If you see some extra squoose out when you tighten the bolts you have used toooooooo much and there was some squoosing out on the inside too where it can cause troubles in the rad. or heater core. A friend of mine rebuilds pumps at my place of work and he showed me how much to use. I didn't think you could spread that stuff so thin as he does.

-- Best Regards Gordie

Gordie... yeah, it is a real job getting the right amount on a gasket. I apply a small amount to about 3 spots on the gasket, then spread it around with my finger. I've always seen people put it over the whole gasket, then try to deal with the globs of excess. I've done it myself. The 3 spot thing works really well. :-)