KDP... Gear Housing Cover Gasket. Install Dry?

[HEMI®Dart]

Or should I use gasket sealer (Permatex)? Its a high quality Cummins gasket with raised sealing ribs. I Usally don't use sealers with Cummins Engine gaskets. No need to. High quality.



Anyone have a leak with a dry install?

 

[Bob Ellithorpe]

When I got my gasket and seals I wondered the same thing about the gasket. Nice quality gasket.

I'm assuming you're going to do the washer tab fix - do you know the size and length of the bolt to replace the original one ?? I've read where some say the original bolt was a little on the short side, Adding a washer to that should require a little more length.

If you know the new length and size pass it along as I would like to have all the parts ahead of time when I start.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Bob



Reb. el said the longer bolt to use is M8x1. 25x25mm.



I may buy 3. Cut the heads off 2 and use them as temporary locating/alignment pins for the cover. Is this nessesary, or a waste of time?

 

[CumminsPower98]

KDP

HEMI,



On my '98 12 valve, the engine came with silicone between the gasket and the cover. It was still stuck on there really good so I did not replace the gasket. I put a very thin layer of black RTV between the gasket and the gear case. It is working great and it's as dry as a bone. I of course put in a new crank/cover seal. I have not seen a new cover gasket so don't really know what to tell you. I would personaly probably spray it with some copper head gasket spray just for added assurance.



Bob,



I used my original bolt with a piece of sheet metal as the tab to hold the KDP in place. It does not need to be a "washer" which might be thicker than the sheet metal I used; all it is doing is retaining the KDP. These methods are what worked great for me, what works for you may be different. I don't know the bolt dimensions. I think it's a 5/16" diameter but that 's all I know.



Hope this helps.

 

[Howard Durand]

I used some non hardening permatex on the cover and on the cover side of the gasket just to help hold the thing in place while I was maneuvering the cover into position. I also used some clothes pins, clipping the gasket to the cover just to keep it from sliding around until I got 3 or 4 of the bolts in.

I don't think the permatex is needed for sealing but I fugured it couldn't hurt anything.

At least nothing leaks.



Putting the new crank shaft seal in is fun. I did it the way it says in the book. Used the guide to position and tighten the gear case cover then put the seal in using the plastic seal starter.

I wound up just getting it started with a plastic hammer then I removed the plastic seal starter and pressed it in the rest of the way with the vibration dampner using the bolts in the end of the crank shaft.

 

[R.ebel]

Cover Gasket

The factory used some sort of sealant on the gearcase cover, I use Permatex Ultra Copper silicone seal and have had no leaks



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[Bob Ellithorpe]

Hemi,

The idea of using longer bolts and cutting them off for alingment pins would work great. I probably wouldn't have thought of it . When I was still working I had made complete sets of them and used them all the time. I used allen bolts and cut them off.

That gasket is a large gasket to say the least and we'll need all the help we can get to keep it from moving.

 

['956Wheel]

When I put the cover back, no gasket and I used a new "instant gasket" product put out by Loctite... good stuff and its in a "cheeze wiz" type can.



Hemi, I would let the seal locate the cover, then LIGHTLY tighten the bolts in proper sequence. IMO. Mine does not leak from the seal or case cover.



Mike

 

[RBrush]

I checked with Cummins NW in Portland, (talked with a tech) and he said to put RTV on the cover side only, and leave the back dry. So I did, and so far, so good.



Rich

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

My friend at the dealership uses Mopar 4318035 spray sealer on the housing side of the gasket and has had success reusing the stock gasket several times that way. It generally comes off stuck to the stamped steel cover and intact.