I'm replacing the carburetor on my 89 Toyota and the book I'm using said not to remove the cold mixture heater block. Well, it came out anyway and I cleaned it up. So, I'm wondering what kind of sealant I should use on the upper and lower surfaces and on the gaskets. Any recommendations? Thanks.
First off, don't use sealer. If the gaskets are perfectly intact with no cracks, I would reuse them. If they are unuseable, then carefully scrape the gaskets off (a single edge razor blade will help lift them from the heater/spacer). Buy new gaskets at the dealer if you can't get them in an overhaul kit. You will probably need to go there in person to point out the ones you need on the parts terminal to be on the safe side.
Toyota MDT in MO
Is it OK to use Hylomar on those gaskets? Because that's what I did, and I hope I don't have to remove it. :(
Properly installed gaskets don't need sealer.
Careful about those blanket statements; I defy you to get a Studebaker V-8 to not leak oil without using some Permatex No. 2 on the "filler block" between the front of the block and the oil pan or likewise on the big vent tube gasket that goes on the side of the oil pan.
nate
It's SUPPOSED to leak. It leaked when it left the factory, it'll leak today. Next thing you know, you'll be saying you need that glop on the MGB just because every gasket is squirting a little stream of oil out. It ALWAYS does that. If you don't leave a little trail behind, how will you figure out how to get back home?
--scott
Nate, You're correct for old, pitted castings or poorly designed sealing surfaces... or for that matter things that hold engine oil. But were talking about a fairly well engineered, fairly modern carb casting to thermoset resin adaptor to aluminum manifold joint here. The gasket(s) job is to hold a gaseous air/fuel mixture at under atmospheric pressure. There's no need for sealer, additionally you would risk blocking the vacuum port built into the throttle body casting (just to name one problem area; I'm sure there are more). Not to mention that seeing blue Permatex oozing out of a carb base is motive enough for me to call 'butcher' on the previous "repair".
I've always been of the belief that that resin adaptor would be able to seal on it's own merit, but wouldn't want to risk it for the cost of two gaskets. Plus the gaskets serve to keep the adaptor from getting "compression set" impressions that may lead to sealing difficulties during subsequent R&R attempts.
Toyota MDT in MO
Hey thanks for the advise guys. I've got the new gaskets and will put it back together without sealer after I change the hose from the power steering reservoir I discovered was leaking. Without the carb in the way that will be a bit easier too.
The Toyota factory manual says to use some silicone sealer in the valve cover gasket, where the camshaft protrudes through the front and where the gasket meets the half-moon plug at the opposite end. This is a molded rubber gasket, not a cork one, and the valve cover is cast aluminum with a machined surface.
LOL... actually you know what's funny? A while back I bought a Studebaker long block from a friend to put in my '55 coupe. I used every single "trick" that I'd heard to keep the engine from leaking, including the abovementioned strategic application of Permatex products and converting the front seal from felt to a lip type. Upon assembly it ran strong but almost immediately began pouring copious quantities of oil onto the ground. It was so much oil that I couldn't locate the "leak" - it could have been the oil pan gasket, drain plug, rear main, I didn't know as the whole underside of the engine was wet. Got it up on a lift and finally just wiped everything clean by hand and laid underneath the car just staring at the oil pan until I saw it starting to leak again. Here it turns out the oil pan I'd used had been previously bolted to an engine that had apparently experienced a) a violent crankshaft/con rod separation and b) some amount of water entering the crankcase, as the pan was both rusted and dented and had obviously been straightened and brazed in an attempt to fix it. (sadly, unlike for a Ch*vy, you can't just call up Summit Racing and get a nice new Studebaker oil pan delivered to your garage.) Well apparently a pinhole had been missed and the oil was coming straight out the bottom of the oil pan! Sometimes you just can't win...
nate
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