Gasket Question

[atlgadawg]

Replacing the thermostat on my 2000 3.0L and I expected to get the rubber seal like the 4.0L's take. But it seems the 3.0 has the old style gasket. Does it take one or two and if one, which side of the stat does it go?

Thanks

 

[gotmudd]

should only take one, myself personally, i have never seen any with two gaskets. put your thermostat in first w/gasket after, you can apply gasket sealer to both sides of gasket then tighten y6our housing down

 

[atlgadawg]

you mean put stat in housing first then gasket then put housing on intake?

 

[Big Jim M]

Yep! That is what he meant. I never use any sealant on an engine gasket..cept maybe the pan..a small amount in the corners only.
Scrape the housing and the manifold good and get it clean and dry.. Then insert the thermostat with the ARROW pointing OUT of the manifold and put the gasket on there DRY and then the housing and tighten it slowly one bolt a little and then the other and back again.. Gaskets will seal all by themselves and don't need sealant. All the sealant does is to squirt out of the sealed area and the coolant flow will find a nice home for the leftover sealant in your radiator..
Big JIm

 

[289-tiger-]

Question to Big J. Never use sealant on any gaskets disregarding O-ring gaskets on the thermosat?

 

[Big Jim M]

Question to Big J. Never use sealant on any gaskets disregarding O-ring gaskets on the thermosat?

I don't understand the question.. But No I never use sealant in gaskets that were invented before sealant was! The flat-fit surfaces between the housing and the manifold are well taken care of with a simple gasket. Why put sealant in there only to have it squeezed out of the sealing surfaces when the bolts are tightned?

In a pinch I have made many gaskets such as the thermostat out of thin cardboard boxes like candy bar boxes and various other things.

Placing an almost liquid compound between two surfaces that have a gasket between them is close if not totally useless! AND what happens to the sealant after it is squeezed out? It must now find a nice home somewhere for the duration of the engines life..

Modern engines have sealant only gaskets from the factory in many places on the engine. I like to never got the cover off of my rear pig on my 99 Ranger. When I put it back together I put a gasket on there.. Now, next time, it will come off and go back on as it should.

If you are asking bout the O-ring seals that are now becoming popular in certain places on an engine.. They require a clean dry surface and seal well without any sealant getting in the way..

Big JIm