Reusing gaskets?

[Soundguy]

If you are having to repeatedly seperate your oil pan.. the gasket is the least of your problems IMHO!

gaskets just aren't that much money compaired to an engine rebuild due to a lube loss because I tried to save 13$ and some time with a razor blade!

soundguy

 

[canoetrpr]

I plan for this to be the very last time my oil pan comes off! I don't expect to overtighten ANY bolt for as long as I can live, if I can help it.

 

[Soundguy]

I don't expect to overtighten ANY bolt for as long as I can live, if I can help it.

Plan on it.. but don't expect to achieve that goal!

the ole addage of 'tighten it till just before it breaks.. then back off a little comes to mind.

soundguy

 

[Sackett2]

The world of gaskets and sealers have made some great changes in the last 20 years; and I'm going to tell you of the best stuff for almost any gaskets.
Permatexｮ the Right Stuffｮ Gasket Maker
http://www.permatex.com/products/Au...uto_Permatex_the_Right_Stuff_Gasket_Maker.htm
It feels thick and sticky and smears easily. If dealing with coolant you have to get the mating surfaces dry.
Its available in a cheese whiz can or a short caulking gun style- get the caulking gun type. Ive had cans of the cheese whiz ones go bad after lack of use. I have put on a water pump with no gasket and this stuff held. it is 10x better than RtV (i don't touch that stuff anymore)
Many car dealerships have there own brand of sealant that is similar, Subaru and Suzuki are two that I have had experience with, both smell the same and feel the same but are different colors. Many cars do not use gaskets on oil pans and trans pans- this stuff will seal the pan.
This is a must have item for any one who does any type of engine work- Its all I use now; and I do this for a living.

 

[SPYDERLK]

If you are having to repeatedly seperate your oil pan.. the gasket is the least of your problems IMHO!

gaskets just aren't that much money compaired to an engine rebuild due to a lube loss because I tried to save 13$ and some time with a razor blade!

soundguy

If you didnt catch a pan gasket seeping oil on your tractor before the oil level became critically low I would suspect head loss was the major factor.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

I see / hear about lube loss and engine failures all the time. Sold a tractor a while back from work, to a golf course that needed a replacement for a brand new kubota that had a ball vacume on it... tractor had a cage on it.. but there were a couple holes in the cage.. ball must have come in at just the right angle and knocked the oil sender off.. letting oil discharge pretty fast. Apparrently the op was a good one and scanned his gauges ever minute or so.. unfortunately.. takes less than a minute to empty an oil pan and ruin 4000$ worth of moving metal parts in a kubota engine!

loss of lube kills engines...

too bad they didn't have that magic synthetic stuff like you see in the commercials where the car has been drained and keeps running.. etc.. etc..

soundguy

 

[SPYDERLK]

Interesting, but not related to a seeping gasket.

 

[Matt_Jr]

too bad they didn't have that magic synthetic stuff like you see in the commercials where the car has been drained and keeps running.. etc.. etc..

soundguy

The one with the fire hose spraying on the internal parts?

 

[PILOON]

Gee, back before all the new silicone based sealants I many a time assembled componants using axle greese on 'saved' gaskets as well as new ones.
Used that mostly on paper type gaskets from carb intakes to lower bases on outboards etc.
Also saved many valve cover gaskets with that method.

As an old mechanic pointed out, this way you you can make adjustements at will but without always new gaskets.

Never had problems, however that only works for non pressurized areas and not on exhaust components.

Handy tip:
If you need to 'cut' a homemade gasket large ball bearing balls make a good 'punch'.
Simply position over the fastener hole and rap the BB smartly and it will make a perfect slightly oversized hole in the gasket!
(It is easier to rap the holes before trimming the outlines)

 

[Soundguy]

Interesting, but not related to a seeping gasket.

Sure it is. Any leak ( and a seeping gasket is a leak ).. can eventually lead to a lube failure if you aren't on your tows. The slower the leak.. the more chances the OP has of finding it and correcting it before engine damage occurs.

Don't matter if it is a missing oil sender or an oil pan where the old gasket pushed out the side allowing oil to slosh out wildley.

a leak is a leak is a leak.

soundguy