Do I need exhaust assembly paste for this seal?

[Nuvo]

142253650.pngAs above, item #35. The seal is three thin sheets of aluminium held together by a pressed ring in the centre.
My thinking is it shouldn't need any paste as it would just be squeezed out of the flange faces.

I guess I'm just looking for some confirmation before I attempt this.

[steve briance]

I never have and isn't it the same gasket type as on manifold to head? They never need paste either

Clamp it up and job done. Probably best not to re use though as the 'squish' is how a gasket like that will deform to fill any irregularities. No squish no seal.

[Nuvo]

Thanks Steve, the gasket on the manifold is similar but it has a sort of foil on each side too. It's hard to explain when you can't remember exactly what it looked like. But what you say is what I had reasoned in my mind.

Good point regarding squish. Squish wouldn't be an issue if I'd fitted it and then dismantled the next day to adjust it slighly would it?
I hope not, as I've just given myself a headache if does.

[Tractor Dave]

As above. A new gasket shouldn't need anything.
I do use a little copper grease on 29. It helps seat the ring.

[Nuvo]

Thanks Dave, that's a good tip. I've already installed this dry, if it leaks I'll put a thin coat of copper anti-seize paste on the sealing ring to hopefully solve this.

[steve briance]

Regarding re use, I guess the engineer would say no but... if you refitted it in a different rotation it would work again... I know i don't replace sump plug washers as religiously as some do and never suffer from leaks

[Tractor Dave]

You can buy exhaust gasket material quite cheap and make one up

[Nuvo]

Well, I come bearing good news, I was able get the sealing ring to seal dry, the same goes for the aluminium gasket seal, it was now only leaking a tiny whisper of gas on one side which sealed with a small amount of assembly paste between the exposed seal edge and the flanges.

I was able to reuse the seal because I discovered that I hadn't tightened the three bolts any were near enough so there must have been enough "squish" left. Pleased with that.

Thanks for the help.

[steve briance]

A nice happy ending.