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Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

posted by  SpazMan on  Wed Feb 27 13:13 CST 2008
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last visit: Tue Aug 14 21:06 CST 2012
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Hi folks,

I was so proud of my DIY coolant system job... then the thermostat housing started steaming. I opened it up and realized I had just set the gasket in there, not put it on the thermostat ring like I ought to have (it was my first time doing a thermostat - and the wind chill was 0F!).

I had ruined the gasket - so off I went to Autozone, to get a new gasket. The gentleman there told me a rubber gasket didn't need any sealer (when I asked him to pass me some more sealer from the rack behind him). Honestly, the 20-year-old gasket and thermostat housing didn't look like any sealer had ever been used.

So I put it in there without any sealer this evening (and with numb hands - wind chill below zero).

What's best here? Sealer or no sealer? If so, do I put it on the gasket or between the block and the housing?

Thanks!

Ari








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    Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

    uid 34776's pic
    posted by  Ryan_R on  Thu Feb 28 09:52 CST 2008
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    last visit: Tue Sep 24 13:46 CST 2013
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    The general rule of thumb is that you don't need sealant anywhere on a Volvo, except perhaps on those funky spots on a valve cover gasket. I've replaced a lot of gaskets and seals and don't even own a tube of sealant.

    Sealant is no fun to clean up the next time you do the job, it can get free and clog tight oil and coolant passages, finally, the silicone stuff can contaminate your O2 sensor.

    -Ryan


    --

    Athens, Ohio
    1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
    1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars
    1991 745 GL 295k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars
    Buckeye Volvo Club








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      Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

      posted by  SpazMan on  Thu Feb 28 12:30 CST 2008
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      last visit: Tue Aug 14 21:06 CST 2012
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      Yikes! Scary. I tell you what, that silicone sealer was no fun to scrape off the thermostat housing with the wind chill at -5! No garage.

      Ari








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    Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

    posted by  TONY H on  Thu Feb 28 05:37 CST 2008
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    You waited 24 hours to find you installed the GAsket incorrectly.. I hate it when that happens.

    It's not mandatory to use sealent but I put a slight film on the edge to take up any imperfections on the housing.

    You have to watch carefully as you disassemble things so you can put them back correctly. Hey, cheap lesson learned.

    Don't forget to burp the system as I mention the other day. I hope all goes well.

    --
    '75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm








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      Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

      posted by  SpazMan on  Thu Feb 28 12:35 CST 2008
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      last visit: Tue Aug 14 21:06 CST 2012
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      Thanks for the tip on burping. I live in rural NC, where I have a 1/2-mile driveway that goes down at a 45 degree angle for 500 feet and then up at 45 degrees for another 750 feet. The hills burped most of it for me! I simply topped off the reservoir once I got to the blacktop, and she's been a blast all day.

      Ari







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    Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

    posted by  Blue Horse on  Wed Feb 27 14:32 CST 2008
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    No sealant required. As Rule308 said, make sure the place where the gasket seats is clean, and tighten the nuts down evenly. When it is tightened fully, the gasket is firmly squeezed between the head and the water outlet, with the edge of the thermostat in the slot in the middle of the gasket.

    While things are apart, it's a good idea to thoroughly examine the water outlet for corrosion damage. For some reason (the alloy that was used? acting as an unintended sacrificial anode? ) they seem to be the most corrosion-prone part of the entire cooling system. I have seen several of them that actually had holes in them under the white flaky stuff.

    Probably not a good idea to reuse an old gasket, except in an emergency (to get you to the parts store to buy a new one) as it has been compressed, and may not seal properly the second time.








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      Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

      posted by  SpazMan on  Wed Feb 27 14:40 CST 2008
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      I had noticed that there was a bunch of corroded deposits on the head and the thermostat housing. No holes though; I scraped all the surfaces to make sure there wasn't.

      Ari








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    Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

    posted by  Rule 308 on  Wed Feb 27 13:19 CST 2008
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    last visit: Tue May 8 09:20 CST 2012
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    Just take a pocket screwdriver and scrape the crusty stuff out that tends to grow in there and run the gasket dry. Make sure that you torque it down evenly, don't run one side all the way down tight and then do the other, tighten them in stages until they are both tightened evenly.

    Mark








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      Thermostat re-do - do I need gasket sealer? 700 1987

      posted by  SpazMan on  Wed Feb 27 13:27 CST 2008
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      last visit: Tue Aug 14 21:06 CST 2012
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      So that gasket expands to fit the space?

      That old gasket looked good, actually - the thermostat had all sorts of gunk on it, though. What's the normal lifetime for a thermostat/gasket?

      Ari







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