Old gaskets

[mjoekingz28]

How bare does the surfaces need to be on the water pump to iron block adjoinment?

I peeled as much, feels fibrous like treated paper.....like some woofer cone materials, orange gasket from the block. I also used a fairly sharp chisel. It seems to be a wood chisel, if there is a distinction. I tried carefully as not to gouge. I even wasted a red plastic chisel I got about the time I moved in my house.. Four years ago, it was for scraping outdoor house paint. It didnt make a dent, just go chewed up, so I got the metallic chisel.


It is pretty flat, but obviously not clean and I dont know if it is factory since one of the push pins holding the fan shroud together appeared chewed-indicating cooling system service. I do not know what kind of gasket the Chevrolet dealer will supply with a new part, but do you think it will take into account imperfect mating surfaces, or is this what RTV is for???

 

[HerrStig]

A dremel with a wire brush ought to clean that up.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Nothing less than absolutely clean should be accepted.

 

[Ga129]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Nothing less than absolutely clean should be accepted.


+1

 

[casamagana]

When I think it is clean enough, I'll give the surface a spray of brake clean. Any gasket material missed will absorb the cleaner, will turn black, and be easily be seen. A wire brush attachment on a drill motor works for me.

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

If you can live without the car for a day or two, like on a Saturday morning, Permatex makes a spray gasket remover that really softens up this old stuff and makes it LOTS easier to scrape off. The gasket remover is XXXX on paint, so use old rags if necessary and be careful where you spray, but I spray the gaskets down with remover, then go have a 20 minute cup of coffee. I use a steel flat razor scraper, a small hand wire brush and rubber gloves from there. Be careful with the razor; lots of timing covers are aluminum these days.
Less than perfectly clean for a gasket surface is unacceptable to me personally; I don't like doing the job twice.