Composite valley gasket

[djc1001]

Do I fit a composite valley gasket dry or with sealant round the water ways ?

r's
David

[jchase]

It says to use sealant in the SD1 Haynes Manual. The old tin one I took off last month had hard sealent on both sides of the water channels. I used Hermatite green on both sides of the water channels on my composite valley gasket. So far no leaks after 2000 miles. I take no responsibility if doesn't work for you though, I may have just been lucky.

-Jim

[wedg1e]

IIRC I fitted mine dry. 11000 miles, no leaks.

[number 7]

The SD1 book says use sealant. I've used blue Hylomar ( very thin smear) around the waterways and ports on the heads and intake manifold - with a composite gasket. I assume you know about the rubber end seals?

7.

[wedg1e]

The Haynes manual WOULD say use sealant: the composite gasket wasn't around then. I thought the point of the composite gasket was that it was effectively covered in sealant...?

[chassis 33]

That's the "coated" composite gasket. Some places, I think LRDirect.com is one, list the composite gasket either coated or uncoated.

What's the trick with the end seals, is this the dab of sealant to seal the ends or is there another bit?

Regards
Iain

[dickkark]

small amount of sealent(rtv is best)on either end of the engine where there is a cut out between head and block and none on composite gasket,tisfacing is designed to act as seal.you certainly should not put sealent on inlet ports as fuel will eventualy break down the stuff and cause air leaks.
fitted probably about sixty or seventy of these things now this way no problems reported.

[jchase]

For the end seals I used Red hylomer semi-hardening, and for the plenum, blue hylomar never setting. So far so good. No signs of any leaks, except of course for the gearbox, the front main, the sump gasket, the coolant tubes under the plenum, the diff seals, the doors...

[wedg1e]

jchase said:

For the end seals I used Red hylomer semi-hardening, and for the plenum, blue hylomar never setting. So far so good. No signs of any leaks, except of course for the gearbox, the front main, the sump gasket, the coolant tubes under the plenum, the diff seals, the doors...

...I'll see you all that lot... and raise you a PAS pump, PAS rack, boot lid, selector shaft O-ring, diff seal and exhaust manifold

[dickymint]

Being an "old school" fitter turner - a gasket is a mechanical seal and by definition should not need any additional sealant. but it's a damm sight cheaper than skimming heads

[wedg1e]

dickymint said:

Being an "old school" fitter turner - a gasket is a mechanical seal and by definition should not need any additional sealant. but it's a damm sight cheaper than skimming heads

Aye, I just fitted new cam cover gaskets to the Esprit. Despite using the Lotus-approved (read: expensive) gasket sealant the b@stard still leaked I clagged some Hylomar on and it stopped at once
And ironically, the one gasket I used no sealant on, having rubbed the mating faces on a flat plate, bloody well leaked as well.

For sale: Lotus Esprit. Absolutely so silicon sealant used in engine rebuild, unlike the last cowboy

[chassis 33]

Wedg1e, you want to play with a Rolls Royce K60 engine, a totally gasketless engine!

Regards
Iain