Transaxle Gasket

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

I am curious to get a vote on using a OEM Gasket or Silicone when sealing up the Case on the Transaxle

 

I never had much luck with the "goop"

 

Now this I have actually painted on both sides of a gasket, very thin smear. However, getting it apart again would take more than a Wood Chisel...

Edited October 16, 2022 by "Manic-Mechanic"

[ebinmaine 68,258]

The gaskets are likely available from Lowell if not from the dealer. 

On a manual transmission you could get away with silly-cone but why... Just get the gasket and do it right. 

On a hydro transmission NEVER use the muck. It isn't user friendly to the fluid pump or passages. 

[ri702bill 8,482]

On the 4 speed I redid for the 502, I used a few dabs of the Permatex #2 non-hardening gasket goo , only on one side of the gasket, to keep the gasket flat and in place during the assembly - no issues, no leaks...

Bill

Edited October 16, 2022 by ri702bill

[953 nut 55,743]

34 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

to keep the gasket flat and in place during the assembly

Ask your wife if you can have a couple of feet of thread.      She will ask why, just tell here it is a secret.         Tie the gasket in place at all bolt holes to hold it while the other half is being fitted in place.     As bolts are placed in each hole cut and remove the thread, just that  simple.

[ebinmaine 68,258]

31 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Ask your wife if you can have a couple of feet of thread.      She will ask why, just tell here it is a secret.         Tie the gasket in place at all bolt holes to hold it while the other half is being fitted in place.     As bolts are placed in each hole cut and remove the thread, just that  simple.

That's a neat idea! 

[squonk 41,310]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Ask your wife if you can have a couple of feet of thread.      She will ask why, just tell here it is a secret.         Tie the gasket in place at all bolt holes to hold it while the other half is being fitted in place.     As bolts are placed in each hole cut and remove the thread, just that  simple.

Or cut a couple bolt heads off some long bolts and make studs. Use them to hold the gasket and align the haves. When 2 original bolts are in, remove the studs. Save the studs for another project.

[ri702bill 8,482]

3 minutes ago, squonk said:

and make studs. Use them to hold the gasket and align the haves.

Similar to the two 1/2 -13 threaded rod guides I made back in the 60's to install 4 speed GM transmissions - better than doing the balancing act trying to get thru the clutch and into place. The aluminum case Muncies were not too bad, but the cast iron Saginaws were a lot heavier...

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

The gaskets are likely available from Lowell if not from the dealer. 

On a manual transmission you could get away with silly-cone but why... Just get the gasket and do it right. 

On a hydro transmission NEVER use the muck. It isn't user friendly to the fluid pump or passages. 

Yes, I picked up one from Lowell. Then I'll get the surface as clean and flat as possible. 

[pacer 3,174]

4 hours ago, ri702bill said:

, to keep the gasket flat and in place during the assembly

 

This is my choice on many of my projects.

 

 

2 hours ago, squonk said:

3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

 

Or cut a couple bolt heads off some long bolts and make studs.

 

This is also a very good 'helping hand' in some cases.

 

Basically I try and use as little 'stick-um' as possible.

[Heatingman 971]

Cut out yourself gasket material is available at every auto supply store. 
 

Thats what I did. Worked well, no leaks. 
 

But I do make gaskets all the time at work, so its a skill Ive honed over the years. 
 

Just take an empty half, trace it out, cut it out, then take that place it on the mating surface, and lightly take a ball peen hammer around the perimeter. That will get you the inside edge, and bolt holes. 
 

took about 15 minutes start to finish on this one. 
 

I find angled sheet metal snips to be ideal for cutting out gasket material.

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

3 hours ago, Heatingman said:

Cut out yourself gasket material is available at every auto supply store. 
 

Thats what I did. Worked well, no leaks. 
 

But I do make gaskets all the time at work, so its a skill Ive honed over the years. 
 

Just take an empty half, trace it out, cut it out, then take that place it on the mating surface, and lightly take a ball peen hammer around the perimeter. That will get you the inside edge, and bolt holes. 
 

took about 15 minutes start to finish on this one. 
 

I find angled sheet metal snips to be ideal for cutting out gasket material.

Nice, very nice. I especially like the little tab to place the gasket.

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

3 hours ago, pacer said:

 

This is my choice on many of my projects.

 

 

 

This is also a very good 'helping hand' in some cases.

 

Basically I try and use as little 'stick-um' as possible.

I usually have no issue placing the other half case, not on these little transaxles anyway.

[pacer 3,174]

4 hours ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

lightly take a ball peen hammer around the perimeter.

 

That pretty well describes my method exactly - I have a small ball peen (looks like a toy!) that allows met to tap-tap the bolt holes with that small ball end and the hammer end is just right to "cut" the other edges. I usually do the holes first and stick the bolts to be used in the holes to help in keeping it in place

 

One of my favorite gasket materials is a cereal box - Cheerios, cornflakes, etc.

 

I will .... lightly - dab oil around the perimeter surface and then lay the cardboard on that which gives me a "print" of the shape. I prolly make more of my gaskets than I buy!

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

2 hours ago, pacer said:

 

That pretty well describes my method exactly - I have a small ball peen (looks like a toy!) that allows met to tap-tap the bolt holes with that small ball end and the hammer end is just right to "cut" the other edges. I usually do the holes first and stick the bolts to be used in the holes to help in keeping it in place

 

One of my favorite gasket materials is a cereal box - Cheerios, cornflakes, etc.

 

I will .... lightly - dab oil around the perimeter surface and then lay the cardboard on that which gives me a "print" of the shape. I prolly make more of my gaskets than I buy!

Cheerios would be my box of choice...but then whatever is emptiest.

[rick 235]

On 10/16/2022 at 7:55 AM, ri702bill said:

Similar to the two 1/2 -13 threaded rod guides I made back in the 60's to install 4 speed GM transmissions - better than doing the balancing act trying to get thru the clutch and into place. The aluminum case Muncies were not too bad, but the cast iron Saginaws were a lot heavier...

I remember doing Mopar rock crusher 4 speeds lying on the creeper.  We heavy line mechanics weren't blessed with a lift in that dealership.  I wish I were as strong as I was back then....

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

1 hour ago, rick said:

I remember doing Mopar rock crusher 4 speeds lying on the creeper.  We heavy line mechanics weren't blessed with a lift in that dealership.  I wish I were as strong as I was back then....

A friend had a garage that used to service Volkswagens. The was a pit with steps leading down into a rectangle below the floor! The were steel rails along the top edges to just fly in and stop above this pit. Lol I work off a pair of jack stands and must balance the transaxle using a block of wood on top the jack, need a better jack as well, "old Craftsman" weak non serviceable.

Edited October 17, 2022 by "Manic-Mechanic"

[ri702bill 8,482]

35 minutes ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

A friend had a garage that used to service Volkswagens. The was a pit with steps leading down into a rectangle below the floor! The were steel rails along the top edges to just fly in and stop above this pit

I used to park my first car at night in a gas station garage that had 2 connected pits. Yup, I "flew in" one night and got the left front tire up on top of the rail - all the way over to the last tread. Had to ask for a bit of "guidance" to safely get the car back out...

Floor pits are now banned here for new construction - guess there were too many roasty - toasties while changing a fuel pump and dropping the work light into the puddle of gasoline on the floor ....

Edited October 17, 2022 by ri702bill

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

2 hours ago, ri702bill said:

I used to park my first car at night in a gas station garage that had 2 connected pits. Yup, I "flew in" one night and got the left front tire up on top of the rail - all the way over to the last tread. Had to ask for a bit of "guidance" to safely get the car back out...

Floor pits are now banned here for new construction - guess there were too many roasty - toasties while changing a fuel pump and dropping the work light into the puddle of gasoline on the floor ....

Ouch! That would be horrible trying to extinguish down in a pit! I do believe they are outlawed here as well. 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by "Manic-Mechanic"

[ebinmaine 68,258]

Remember the lifts that were recessed in the floor and run with compressed air?

One of the dealerships I worked at a couple decades ago still had at least two or three of those in use.

Shop regulation or OSHA I don't know but they had to put a Deadman, basically a tall jack stand, under the car whenever they were there because the lifts were known to settle a little.

 

One night late in the day back in the 80s they put a Chevy Chevette up on the lift with the obligatory tall jack stand under one side of the car but NOT under the lift arms.

 

When they came in the next morning the lift had settled nearly to the floor but not quite. The car had settled exactly to the floor but because of the dead man supporting one side it was laying in between the two posts with all four tires facing sideways instead of down.....

 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,195]

7 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Remember the lifts that were recessed in the floor and run with compressed air?

One of the dealerships I worked at a couple decades ago still had at least two or three of those in use.

Shop regulation or OSHA I don't know but they had to put a Deadman, basically a tall jack stand, under the car whenever they were there because the lifts were known to settle a little.

 

One night late in the day back in the 80s they put a Chevy Chevette up on the lift with the obligatory tall jack stand under one side of the car but NOT under the lift arms.

 

When they came in the next morning the lift had settled nearly to the floor but not quite. The car had settled exactly to the floor but because of the dead man supporting one side it was laying in between the two posts with all four tires facing sideways instead of down.....

 

The things we are given and must trust to do our jobs....messed up, glad no one was hurt

[953 nut 55,743]

18 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Chevy Chevette up on the lift with the obligatory tall jack stand under one side of the car but NOT under the lift arms.

 

When they came in the next morning the lift had settled nearly to the floor but not quite. The car had settled exactly to the floor but because of the dead man supporting one side it was laying in between the two posts with all four tires facing sideways

Seem fitting that a Chevette would be on its side like an armadillo, neither one is fast enough to get out of the way.                              

[squonk 41,310]

Hey now! Chevettes were slow but they were tough. Had a customer with a 76 with over 400,000 miles on it. Used it as a construction vehicle. Bought it new in 76 and drove it from site to site until around 88. I remember replacing all the springs, brakes and the clutch but that was about it.

 

I had a 3 cylinder Chevy Sprint up on one of those 2 post in the ground lifts. I had the engine out to replace the short block. I went to the parts dept and they hand me a box that I carried in my arms. Yup short block in the box! 

 

Any way without the engine and transmission in the Sprint I went to let the car down for the night and it was so light the lift didn't want to lower! 

[ebinmaine 68,258]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Chevette would be on its side like an armadillo, neither one is fast

 

3 minutes ago, squonk said:

they were tough

 

Absolutely agreed on both above accounts.

 

1987, 1988. When a bunch of us were getting our driver's licenses.

Myself and several of my friends had those amazing pieces of extremely slow engineering.

 

We beat those things mercilessly left right up down in out and side ways and all back again and not one of our cars ever died in the year or two that we kept them.