Gaskets vs liquid gasket

For differential covers what do you guys use. Mine looks like somebody hand cut out paper gaskets. Didn't work very well.

 

I just buy the gaskets and use the Permatex aviation sealer on them. None of mine have ever leaked. I don't use blue glue on anything.

 

According to JP you should only ever use liquid gasket when it was used from the factory, like sealing up a NP231. Follow what McRuff said and buy the gasket.

 

I prefer silicone sealant only on diff covers. Stamped steel covers should always get the flange at the bolt holes peened flat from the back before installation. clean both surfaces with a good oilless solvent. After installation let silicon cure overnite before filling with oil.

 

I don't really know if I'm right or wrong on this, but I've had many paper gaskets leak, so now I try to only use them at times where clearances matter, such as when the extra thickness of the gasket maker would cause a problem.

As far as gasket maker goes, the silicon stuff tends to harden up and get brittle in my experience. I use "the right stuff" for just about everything, it's 20 bucks a can but I've never had it leak. You don't have to wait for it to dry before puting the parts into use. The only downside is that it doesn't really harden completely like the silicon stuff, so it's a pain to remove it if you ever have to.

 

I've always used gaskets plus sealant
I used to use 3m yellow w/strip cement (elephant snot)
glue the gasket to the cover only
that way, you could re-use the gasket, it stuck to the cover, not the diff

 

in the city, we call it elephant snot
backwoods mechanics

 

Gorilla snot is what I've always called it also.

 

rats
out voted again

 

i still use indian head on the gaskets.

 

I vote for Gorilla Snot here.

 

Large land mammal snot either way.

I think I heard elephant snot from my dad before. Never used it myself so I haven't named it.

 

That's the yellow weatherstrip cement? I thought that it's slightly soluble in oil, so that it doesn't work well as a gasket cement.

Chuchua used to use it for loctite on chassis bolts - worked pretty well.

If you want to be able to remove the covers in the field and reuse the gaskets, I'd suggest you glue the gasket to the cover with spray-on cement or Indian Head. Then put a thin layer of silicone on the gasket, lightly oil the differential surface, and put it together. The cover will come off without tearing the gasket, and you can add a little more silicone to reseal it.

<edit> ha - surprisingly similar to what Jim suggests.

 

Hylomar, baby! BMW and Rolls Royce approved. Use a gasket and follow the instructions on the can.

 

Your color of choice, silicone is the way to go, if you are not in a big hurry. Let it cure before gently cinching the bolts down. Under more pressing situations then the "right stuff" is very good.

Using a paper gasket, you can glue (weather strip cement) it to the cover, but I prefer using the spray sealer on both sides. Like, how often are ya gonna be in there anyway??

Removing either silicone or right stuff is a snap with a wire brush in the high speed grinder. Little razor blade work and it is done.

-Hill