Thread: Gasket question

Hi all, just wondering what peoples opinions are or what they have done in regards to using proper gaskets (paper, cork etc) vs gasket sealant like permaflex RTV and Loctite blue RTV. Reason being, I am about to replace my front diff, and I have a new gasket for it, but when I removed the original diff there was no gasket in place, and when I pulled the replacement diff from the axle housing there was no gasket in there either - both had been sealed with some type of gasket maker - possible sikaflex judging by the colour and difficulty in separating the two flanges.
The fact that both of these were missing the gasket (which is a paper/card type gasket) suggests to me that the original gasket has leaked/failed, and hence a gasket maker was used to stop any leaks. So should I just forget about using a gasket and go for one of the sealants, or should I use the gasket, or a combination of both?
Any thoughts/comments advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers

I've used gasket maker for years on lots of things, and rarely had any problems.

I was chatting with somebody the other day about using it, they said that they used it, but never tightened up on it completely - leaving a half-turn or so on bolts/nuts, until the stuff had cured, and then tightened fully.

The theory was that instead of the stuff being squeezed out when wet, then curing - it would cure, and when squeezed would seal better against both surfaces.

Sound fair enough?