In his tome on gearbox rebuilding KC says that he assembles the drop gear case gasket dry as he is concerned that adding cement would muck up the idler gear tolerences - I can see his line of thinking - got no problem with it except.............my gearbox surface is a bit ordinary and I would like some insurance so I was wondering if I used the aviation cement on that surface only - clamped it up and did my measurements and left it in place do you think I would get away with it? The rest of the surfaces being dry that is.

What do you think?

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I think I gasket goo'd everything...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I certainly use gasket goo - it has a negible thickness and you can take it apart without damaging the gasket if you have to. And you usually end up taking it apart again before it goes back into the car - or after as is the case when you drop the dizzy gear into the box or the idler gear is binding against the casing. Despite measuring it first.

Loctite 515 Master Gasket for me, not had a gearbox leak since I started using it. It's so good I have built several boxes with NO sidecover gaskets (those are too thick now anyway). They didn't leak either.
I doubt it could affect idler clearance, the film thickness when assembled with gaskets would be microns, not thous...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I`m with the good doc on this, 515 is great stuff

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

I use Three Bond "rusty red".......Good stuff, never had a problem with leaks

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

I like to use the Permatex/Loctite No. 4. It's super gooey, stinks like iodine and is impossible to keep in it's container. It's like trying to contain a monster from a Stephen King novel, or keeping Paris in her strides...aways manages to escape...challenging to clean up too, but it seals rather nicely....

I've been meaning to give another loctite number a go, but can't remember the numbers when I get to the tool shop....so I walk out with another bottle of the no.4....sometimes it leaks in the motorbike compartment on the way home.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Loctite 515 is not like your Permatex (now Loctite BRAND) #3 or 4, it is an anaerobic, like slow superglue. It's made to replace gaskets on metal/metal joints, flanges, etc.
It's good stuff- I put a timing cover on once with it, forgot the oil slinger (as ya do), by the time I had all the screws out it had stuck to the gasket, which ripped clean down the middle...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I think they've mixed the numbers up in the name change too. it used to be Permatex #3, and now it seems it's Loctite #4...

Yeah I've tried the blue Loctite gasket replacer once, on the LS engine...I couldn't get past the idea that you could go without a gasket...really caused a brain malfunction trying to force myself not to use a gasket.

Those timing covers are diabolical when one has to clean the old gasket off of them.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I know here your comming from here I thought I was buy thing the same stuff but on closser inspection Loctite #3 is an Aviation Gasket sealent "Non Hardening" Seallant where the #4 is a Hard setting (unopenened)

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Mick (FYI),

the Three Bond Red and Grey is what stops your subaru leaking engine oil, trans fluid and diff oil everywhere.....they dont have gaskets there just Three Bond (available from bursons) and you dont have to use much of it at all for a good seal.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

How many people have tried to do create a gasket from household silicone sealant over the last fifty years. it must have been a eureka moment amongst poor uni students when this became available...

Just when I got all tricky at creating my own gaskets too..

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!! I get probably one car in a week that has something sealed with "roof and gutter" silicone! Last one was a 9" diff centre (which was painted with red paint, inside and out...) but usually its water pumps...

Please people, don't do it! It don't work!

(And drives me even more looney....)

Andrew

Once upon a time, 30+ years ago, I used (too much maybe) silicone to seal the fuel gauge gasket on my outboard tank.
A week later it started surging and stopping under way, when I peeked in I found there was a `cloud' of silicone moving around in the fuel. Now and then it wrapped around the pickup gauze and blocked the fuel flow.
Ordinary silicone is evil stuff near motors, good for water sealing only.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yeah I agree with the doc. I "aquier" Loctite "518" from work, it's the same as "515" but thicker, and possibly stronger?? I Rebuild large industrial diesel engines, and it's used on just about all gasket surfaces... Top Stuff!!!..

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(KILL #53) Help MotherEarth, squash a Bug.