# silicone sealant on turbine housing???



## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

I was at the bookstore and read all the stupid magazines while the girl looked through what must have been 30 fashion magazines.
in i think it was TURBO mag, special tech issue, (or it may have been HCI mag), they showed step by step turbo kit instal in some Japanese ride. anyways, they put that orange color silicone that has copper in it on the turbine inlet, turbine outlet, wastegate inlet, and wastegate outlet flanges. they said it works real well to prevent any gas leaks.
i think its a stupid practise, but just wondering if im the only one that doesnt do that.
EDIT
i did some research of my own, and found this from permatex's website:

_Quote »_
For 4-cylinder, turbocharged or high-performance engines. The most advanced, high temperature RTV silicone gasket available. Sensor-safe, low odor, non-corrosive. Superior adhesion. Three times more oil resistant than conventional silicones; eight times more flexible than cut gaskets. Temperature range -75°F to 700°F intermittent; resists auto and shop fluids and vibration.

Suggested Applications:
*Exhaust manifolds/headers*, valve covers, oil pans, timing covers, water pumps, thermostat housings 

i still think 700 deg is not enough for an exhaust manifold or turbine housing, but its interesting to see it. probably just typical magazine product placment in a tech article....


_Modified by speed51133! at 11:43 PM 2-19-2004_


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## draculia (Feb 27, 2002)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (speed51133!)*

its been used many many times before for such applications. i actually am using some on my turbine discharge. chances are it would have sealed just fine with nothing, but the flange had a few imperfections and i said why not. its been a year or so, and the excess that formed a bead around the flange is still there unscorched. take it for what its worth


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## euro_racer16v (Jun 22, 2003)

that sealant is the only stuff i use. i didnt use it on my turbo, but i use it everywhere else.


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## Stephen Webb (Apr 12, 2001)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (speed51133!)*

I've had respect for the permatex copper...and I might consider it for a lot of high temp situations...but I don't think of it being useful for exhaust applications....especially on a turbo car...I think 700 degrees "intermittent" is not going to handle a turbine flange...
-Steve


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## Impact_Wrench (Nov 22, 2003)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (Stephen Webb)*

What about between the compressor snail and the center section? My turbo is actually stamped on the back wheel "WARNING GASKET REQUIRED"
I still have the gasket on it but its about .05mm thick and glassy... I think its dead.








would RTV work? run bead around the rim and put the snail on? as long as you clocked it before the RTV cured you should be fine right?


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## draculia (Feb 27, 2002)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (Impact_Wrench)*

make sure its put on very thin and you're fine. 
whether or not any of you THINK its not going to work, i KNOW it does. besides the fact that i know plenty of others that have used it with no problems, i myself have used it with no problems.


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (speed51133!)*

I don't understand why anyone would be worried about leaks? If it does leak, it will be such a small amount that it wouldn't change anything. That's my thinking, I could be completely wrong. Also, when we're venting the crank case and gas-tank vent tube etc., it's not like the tiny exhaust leak is what you're going to smell. And lastely, doesn't the carbon in the exhaust seal-up any leaks? I bolted my wastegate directly to the wastegate flange, and it leaked a bit for a few days, after that it sealed up with the black carbon buildup. As you can see, my post is void of any fact, but I just wanted to add my $0.02.


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## AlwaysInBoost (Sep 4, 2001)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (Agtronic)*

so most people aren't using any gaskets at all for the exhaust manifold, turbo, or WG? 
That was actually on of the questions I was unsure about because I didn't buy a kit I am peicing all my stuff together. I assumed you would have to use some kind of gasket for all this stuff but (either metal or something else) but now I am not sure.


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## draculia (Feb 27, 2002)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (schrickedVR6)*

you'll definately want a manifold to head and a tubine inlet gasket. turbine disharge gaskets aren't always needed. if both mating surfaces are nicely machined, there shouldn't be a problem. some for wastegates.


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (schrickedVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *schrickedVR6* »_so most people aren't using any gaskets at all for the exhaust manifold, turbo, or WG? 
That was actually on of the questions I was unsure about because I didn't buy a kit I am peicing all my stuff together. I assumed you would have to use some kind of gasket for all this stuff but (either metal or something else) but now I am not sure.









I didn't use any gaskets anywhere, except for the stock stainless gasket that goes between the manifold and the head. The turbo is bolted directly to the manifold, same for downpipe and wastegate. I don't have any leaks. From reading this thread, I guess it's not the proper way to do it, but it worked for me.


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## StevenT (May 28, 2002)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (Agtronic)*

I guess I'm the complete opposite Agtronic! I bought new gaskets for everything! For my 5 bolt internal flock off flange gasket, I cut a gasket out of thin copper. Copper squishes well, so I am going to try it out.. 
I've got lots of copper, so I am going to make some more gaskets..


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## Agtronic (May 14, 2001)

*Re: silicone sealant on turbine housing??? (StevenT)*


_Quote, originally posted by *StevenT* »_I guess I'm the complete opposite Agtronic! I bought new gaskets for everything! For my 5 bolt internal flock off flange gasket, I cut a gasket out of thin copper. Copper squishes well, so I am going to try it out.. 
I've got lots of copper, so I am going to make some more gaskets..

Normally, I'm anal about stuff like this, but at this point, if I didn't bolt everything together it was never going to happen.


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## BoostedOne (Mar 30, 2003)

A friend of mine turned me on to Hondabond RTV which is about all I ever use anymore. One of the places I used it was on the race car between the turbo and the header, and between the head and the header. After many many EGT gauge pegging runs, the stuff is still pliable. On the GTI I used the stainless gaskets, but because my manifold is not studded and getting the turbine bolts started is a project and the RTV would have been smeared all over the place by the time I got the bolts started.


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## D Wiz (Jun 20, 2003)

*Re: (BoostedOne)*

i re used my gasketes tons of times, been fine..... my garrett came with blue RTV, i dont use anything, as long as its milled flat you should be ok and NOT need one, but a little sealant cant hurt


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