Sealant Used at Coolant Housing On Head?

[RRoller123]

Do you folks use any sealant at this gasket? Or run it dry? This is where the large aluminum coolant manifold bolts down to the front of the Head.

Thanks.

Pete

[124JOE]

i use black rtv silicone with a paper gasket
however if you have the rubber gasket just use it

[ekstrandt]

I make my own coolant gasket's from a roll you can get at most auto parts stores.

[RRoller123]

I have the rubber gasket from the full engine set, but am curious if people use RTV, or Permatex, or whatever here. One thing that is absolutely missing from every Fiat manual I read is whether a particular gasket or other connection is recommended as assembled dry or if sealant is to be used as "good common practice" for the particular location. It would be a good project to create a spreadsheet of the hundred or so connections and whether they are assembled dry or sealed.

Pete

[klweimer]

I typically use the spray-on Permatex gasket sealant (red stuff) on about everything. If worried, I go with the Permatex Ultra RTV (black). Don't use plain old RTV like you use at home, it cures using an acetic acid chemistry that can corrode metals.
Kirk

[RRoller123]

Thanks, I think I will use a thin coat of Permatex. The rubber gasket is thick enough that there is plenty of give for a good seal, but a leak at this location would make quite a mess, and would short out the plugs if the engine was running. If it was a thinner paper gasket I absolutely would use a sealant. Just have to keep this and other sealant materials from getting into the cooling stream and lodging in the radiator fins.... That would not be good .

I like to, and appreciate getting, your opinions before deciding which way to go. There is no right or wrong answer on so much of this stuff.

[VAspider]

I would use a anaerobic sealer vs RTV. I've seen lots of clogged oil screens from RTV.

http://www.devcon.com/prodfiles/pdfs/fam_tds_380.pdf


Frank