DeTomaso Mailing List: October 97, Message #18
     



From: 	pantera@pobox.com (David Doddek)

Subject: Re: Adhesives and Sealers

Date: 	Wed, 1 Oct 1997 01:35:17 +0000





>Forrest writes:

>>Time to start gluing things back together on the Pantera and I need some 

>>advice on adhesives and sealers. When I go to my local auto parts store 

>>their advice is to read the labels! The closest store that resembles a 

>>speed shop is an hour from where  I live (Hadlyme Connecticut). I am using 

>>the term "resemble" in its most basic form. Rest assured that we have 

>>nothing resembling the shops that you guys have in California. Therefore, I 

>>need some contemporary expertise on some rather fundamental stuff.

>>1. I want to glue a strip of rubber (old inner tube) between the frame and 

>>the gas tank. What is the best adhesive for this purpose?



Contact cement works well.  Use a high grade and not one of those cheap

glass bottles.  I like some stuff made by 3m for upholstry.



>>2. What gasket sealer, if any, should I use for the valve cover gaskets?



I use Felpro brush tack or Permetex high tack on the head side and a very

thin coat of Ultra Copper silicone on the valve cover side.  With this

combination I have had all the valve cover bolts fall out and it still did

not leak.



>>3. What gasket sealer should I use for the intake manifold gasket and the 

>>turkey tray.



A thin layer of Ultra copper silicone or High tack sealent around the ports

and Ultra copper silicone on the ends.  The turkey tray is intended to be

used alone without any other gasket on the heads.  If you want to use a

gasket because you are going to use an alum intake, then trim the turkey

tray so that only the area around the ports is cut out and only the area

around the bolt holes remains.  This will make better sealing on the

aluminum intake.



>>4. Should a silicone sealer be used on the rubber end gaskets and around 

>>the water passages? I seem to recall some question about the use of 

>>silicone if it is going to be exposed to gasoline.



Well, there are no watter passages in the intake of the Cleveland, so there

is no problem there, however around watter I like to use the High tack

sealant on both sides of the gasket.  The silicone can be used on the end

rubbers with no problem although withrubber it may not be necessary.  It is

not good to use silicone around gas as the gas will not damage the silicone,

but will prevent it from bonding to the metal.  I use the High tack or

Permetex non hardening sealant around gas with no problems, even with high

pressure fuel injection lines.



>>5. How about the carburetor - and for that matter, what is the best gasket 

>>to use?



I like the plain black colored mr gasket brand for the carb.  No sealant is

needed.



>>6. Oh yeah, the gas tanks gaskets? It was these rascals that led me to tear 

>>the car apart. I thought that the tank was leaking. After I  tore the car 

>>apart (just after having put it back together again) I discovered that my 

>>leak originated from the seal (or lack thereof) on the gas gauge device! I 

>>suspect that the painter used body filler for a sealer after he reassembled 

>>the gas tank. :( This time I just spray painted the tank myself - with 

>>engine paint. I am leaning towards not using any sealer - just the rubber 

>>gaskets.



If the rubber is in good shape, they you are fine.  Otherwise you can use

the High tack or the Permetex non hardening formula.  



Hope this helps.





David Doddek     pantera@pobox.com    www.pobox.com/~pantera    217-422-3722

69 EFI Fairlane, 89 T-bird SC, 74 Twin turbo NOS EFI Pantera #6825

If you are going to go fast, go real fast.