Thread: Sealant jointing compound for cooling system

Originally Posted by rangieman

Funny years ago i was told to use Vaseline when assembling hose`s by a old Naval bloke

The only thing I would be worried about was being petroleum based it could soften the rubber, that's why I used silicon grease/fluid.

I have only used grease or vaseline on hoses and have done mostly fleet maintenance in my mechanic days so i see the vehicle repeatedly over it's time with company and never saw any perish because of it.
I haven't work as a mechanic for 20 years and realize the rubber isn't what it use to be so it's probably detrimental today.

I did the run-around today and picked up a few products

Got an aerosol can of the hylomar spray on stuff. I'm sure I'll find a use for it somewhere on the Landy or the Z.

I also ended up getting a small tube of the Permatex® Water Pump & Thermostat RTV Silicone Gasket Maker

Today, I commenced a full timing belt / water pump / power steering overhaul on the 300zx. So I'll need to not only to seal up the above pictured parts, but also install a new water pump and gasket. So I guess I'll see how it goes. The 300zx is somewhat notorious for melting down as a result of an overly complex cooling system and inevitable leaks (They have water-heated throttle bodies FFS)... so I'm somewhat paranoid that It'll melt down if I get the sealant choice wrong. And AULRO has a good brains trust in this regard. Surprisingly, the job so far is going very smoothly, I'm not the first one to do a timing belt on it, and thankfully the last mechanic loved to use anti-seize! Brilliant!
Hopefully they used it on the timing belt sprocket... if they get stuck on, it's a grinder and cold chisel job to get it off...

Originally Posted by lyonsy

Spring clamps are a very good clamp as they provide full clamping force around the whole hose,worm drive clamps dont provide even pressure on the hose.
But the spring clamps are a real pain in the ass sometimes to put on and off

i use these for spring clamps. saves lots of swearing and skin. at $40 each, not a significant investment for the convenience that they offer.

I've got a pair of the top cable actuated spring clamp tools.
The bottom one is also a great design, but I've got the knipex. German efficiency FTW


...bloody good tool too. I've got the version with the integral lock mechanism. Takes a bit more wang jangling to get it set, but locks tight after that.