making a gasket for the thermostat

[glbft1]

hello,
can i use right stuff gasket maker for the gasket on the thermostat, going to pull the winter thermostat and install the summer one, or do i need the paper one???

[SafeAirOne]

Don't know if you can or can't, but I prefer to just get some gasket paper, then trace out the gasket using the thermostat housing, then cut it out with scissors and x-acto knife. Works every time without leaking.

[4flattires]

Paper and hammer - no tracing needed

1. Place the gasket material on the flat surface.

2. Lightly tap with the ball end of a ball pein hammer on the edge (inner or outer) of the item being gasketed.

3. Proceed around the circumference.

4. Bolt/stud holes are the same process. Clean up with a hole punch. The Harbor Freight gasket hole punch set is da bomb.

Done!

[Les Parker]

Cornflake packets work really well for this.

[stomper]

Um, you lost me there Les, could you extrapolate? do you mean making a gasket out of the cereal box cardboard?

[scott]

Um, you lost me there Les, could you extrapolate? do you mean making a gasket out of the cereal box cardboard?

look at a "real" thermostat gasket while having a bowl of cereal. other than the color i don't see much difference. i'd use cereal box cardboard to make a themostat, fuel or water pump and even a timing cover gasket. i believe the flash point of paper is 450`F. if your motor is hot enough to flame out a paper gasket you got other proplems

[yorker]

Cornflake packets = cereal boxes

Tapping out gaskets used to be something all apprentice mechanics had to learn to do. There even used to be special gasket hammers for the job.

http://www.sulco.co.nz/Category?Action=View&Category_id=532&Layout=Brochure

[Les Parker]

Thanks for the translation, Yorker !!!!
Perfect description, many an old Triumph, Austin and Mini (proper ones none of the Bundersstuff) cars are still chugging around with Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Redybrek etc. donated gaskets fitted. Even then we thought green and recycled what we could....

[yorker]

How does the George Bernard Shaw quote go? "England and America are two countries separated by a common language"

[ScottT]

Nice video on gasket making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rx5hGKt1PY

[ignotus]

Just use black permatex. No leaks cleans up easy.

[smactek]

good info for new age mechanics, no wonder the kids think we are all whacky!