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gasket drying time?

39K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  willowbilly3 
#1 ·
i installed a new thermostat on the 350sbc. how long before i can drive the car? there are no instructions that say wait before driving. the sealent says 24 hrs for full cure. i put a new gasket and waited about 4 hours other day and it leaked. so im doing it again. is there a fast sealer? do auto shops wait 12-24 hrs before starting the car?
 
#4 ·
I normally vary the time depening on the amount of RTV I use. If I am plugging something or for something like and intake gasket I normally wait overnight. Like lluciano said, a thin amount shouldn't take too long.

I'd wait as long as you can stand to lol. Thermostats are fairly easy to get to. If its something hard or large I like to play it safe.
 
#6 ·
You must have another problem causing the leakage besides the RTV not curing enough. I never allow any time to cure, but rather fire'em right up and on to the next one. I do this six days a week all day long. HTH
 
#8 ·
Clear rtv? Isn't that for bathtubs? If your housing isn't warped (lap it on a sheet of fine grit body shop sand paper) and you use a good quality gasket, it should seal without a bunch of goop. I do like to use a thin coat of ultra blue because it makes getting the gsket off easier for the next guy.
 
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