Remove Chain Tensioner Sealer?

[Samos3]

Just as it says.
When using the Felpro gaskets for the oem tensioners, do you leave on the factory sealer that is on the tensioner or remove it?
I don't recall seeing that mentioned anywhere in the discussions on the Felpro gaskets.
Rule of thumb in general has always been doubling up on gaskets is likely to result in a leak.
Instructions say to 'remove any old silicone'.....Am I to assume that means 'new silicone' on new tensioners?

Words mean things. I wish more people knew how to use them properly.

 

[Kev555]

I think I removed mine from memory. Was there a lip on the felpro that sat into the spot where the factory silicone or seal sat? Somebody with more experience of this will comment the proper way to do this I'm sure

 

[Samos3]

I think I removed mine from memory. Was there a lip on the felpro that sat into the spot where the factory silicone or seal sat? Somebody with more experience of this will comment the proper way to do this I'm sure

I'll have to look. Haven't got that far....yet.

 

[skwerl]

Look at the new Fel Pro gaskets. If they have a ring to fit into the gasket groove in the tensioner, then remove the oem gasket. If they don't then don't.

 

[Samos3]

I'll post this pic here, too.

 

[Racer45]

You think just smearing some RTV to fill up the channel would suffice?

Because me personally I’m planning on removing the silicone all together my self. The silicone tears and breaks open in my case and that’s proven

 

[Samos3]

You think just smearing some RTV to fill up the channel would suffice?

Because me personally I’m planning on removing the silicone all together my self. The silicone tears and breaks open in my case and that’s proven

I'm not qualified to answer that! I haven't even opened the package yet.
But, I would hazard a guess that rtv might not be as good as the oem silicone. If it doesn't stick well the oil pressure might just blow it out.

 

[Midlife Crises]

Remove the factory sealant. It fails and that’s why we’re installing a new style gasket. I think I painted the surfaces with Hi-Tack when I used the Felpro gaskets. There were no signs of leaking when I took it apart.

 

[whitmanink]

i didnt remove the old gasket ,, the instructions dont say to , only to make sure you press in the square bits into the tensioner..
my last build and this one i did just that and its great,,
so i wouldnt go ripping the oem gaskets off

it says remove old silicone ,, im wondering if they ment for the mating surface of the block to tensioner .

when i pulled my engine apart this time , everything was nice and leak free..

so eaither do what one of us say,, or get ahold of felpro and ask

 

[whitmanink]

You are to keep the original seal and. If compromised you are to replace the whole thing..

This is why the Internet can be bad.. too many voices that have no clue

 

[whitmanink]

Remove the factory sealant. It fails and that’s why we’re installing a new style gasket. I think I painted the surfaces with Hi-Tack when I used the Felpro gaskets. There were no signs of leaking when I took it apart.

What brought you to this conclusion?

The is exactly what felpro says not to do?

 

[Samos3]

Makuloco's Facebook post and discussion on the Felpro gaskets....inconclusive. Lots of 'Well, I just did this or that and no problems so far..." Yeah, 'so far'....everything works...until it doesn't. Just because you have 10k miles on your repair does not mean it will last as long as my original oem did.

But, his pic shows gaskets applied and no oem sealer.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid08ZoeXHVGDPrF73myrmmmq8byzhwk7Jppp8h7wnQLBjBorijfR2NowCBf2tdB72tEl&id=100057119994105

 

[Samos3]

You are to keep the original seal and. If compromised you are to replace the whole thing..

This is why the Internet can be bad.. too many voices that have no clue

View attachment 115832

That says to remove the old tensioner and inspect the sealing bead. If its bad, replace the tensioner, if not, clean and reuse it. And to 'align the new gasket with the sealing bead". So, that implies using the oem sealant with their gaskets.

 

[Samos3]

Every 'official' pic with gaskets in place seem to show no oem sealer sticking out anywhere.
I'm going to have to test fit a gasket. If the Felpro fits inside the sealer, I will use both, if it overlaps, the oem sealer will come off.


...I think.

The Felpro does have a 'tab' on one end that looks like it is made to fit into the groove under the oem sealer....that would be a clue. Probably to help locate it. Or is that the area most susceptible to blowing out? Hmm?.....

 

[Racer45]

If you read this carefully it implies this is the solution to “REPAIR your old tensioners when OEM states to replace if bead is compromise” they state this is the solution for REPAIRING

Also states no need for any RTV

Im going to throw it on dry my self and leave it at that no bead no RTV

 

[Samos3]

View attachment 115839

If you read this carefully it implies this is the solution to “REPAIR your old tensioners when OEM states to replace if bead is compromise” they state this is the solution for REPAIRING

Also states no need for any RTV

Im going to throw it on dry my self and leave it at that no bead no RTV

But if the 'repair' is good, then it should be good on new tensionsers to avoid having to do the repair later?
Since it is to repair a bad oem seal, then all of the old seal can be removed, right? I mean, if its leaking in one spot, then it's the same as not being there.

 

[Racer45]

But if the 'repair' is good, then it should be good on new tensionsers to avoid having to do the repair later?
Since it is to repair a bad oem seal, then all of the old seal can be removed, right? I mean, if its leaking in one spot, then it's the same as not being there.

yes! You would then peal off the factory bead to get a nice clean flat surface to use this gasket.

Same gos for if there brand new as well. Tear off the factory seal

Doesn’t matter if there new or old. Run the felpro gasket on its own

I Think ill be a good Guinea pig for this product seeing as I blew out my factory seal in only 5000 mi of hard use

 

[Samos3]

Okay, here is what the tensioner looks like with oem sealer and the Felpro gasket. I highly doubt they mean to use both. The oem sealer is fairly hard, so I don't think they will both compress enough to seal the gaps.
It looks like the Felpro will rest nicely in the recess after the oem stuff is removed and it is thicker than the recess for compression sealing.

I think if you leave both on and one fails, then you have an even bigger problem.

 

[assasinator]

There is so much pressure and volume in a 3v pump, if it leaks you will never know.

80psi idle.

 

[Samos3]

I suspect the recommendation (from Ford, according to Felpro) to replace an old tensioner if the sealer is bad, even though you're going to remove it on a new or old one is to avoid other issues with a potentially failing tensioner being blamed on the seal (oem or Felpro).