Lesson 3.8: Waiting for the gasket maker to partially dry before reassembling.

Mistake #8: Waiting for the gasket maker to partially dry before reassembling.

Many mechanics like to wait for the gasket material to ‘skin over’ before reassembling. This was a common practice with the old Acetoxy gasket makers. In most cases, the modern Oxime gasket makers work best when assembled immediately, while the material is still wet (solvent-based gasket makers / sealants are an exception to this rule). Anaerobic gasket makers and sealants simply won’t begin to cure until you put the assembly together – anaerobic means that the sealant cures in the absence of air and the presence of active metal.