Best Axle Cover Gasket

[bl5211a]

Anyone have a recommendation for axle cover gaskets? Napa, felpro, etc?

[wilfreeman]

1/8" cork - made in USA. Whatever brand is available. I prefer to use gasket sealer, but others don't.
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Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

[danrothe2001]

Most are paper, I don't know if I have ever seen cork. I don't know that there is a big difference between paper gaskets. All of the store brands are made by a major gasket company and repackaged. Paper is more durable but does not conform as well as cork. Cork will shrink and need to be tightened periodically and eventually fail. What works best but it is not original is silicone. Most manufacturers use it now. Go to Dodge for a rearend gasket and they hand you a tube of silicone with a Dodge part number. Clean the surfaces with brake clean so they are oil free, run a bead around the surface staying inside the bolt holes and bolt it together. You will probably bend the cover if you ever take it apart.

Dan

[bl5211a]

Thanks for the input. I am from the paper gasket generation and they always seem to work fine. Just wanted to place a post out there to see if technology has created a new generation of gaskets..

[willie1]

A couple of tricks for better sealing. lay the cover on a flat surface and make sure that it lays flat. You may have to take a hammer to the area around each bolt hold. Next take a file and go across the inside sides of the cover taking down any high spots. The scratch lines you put in are good. They will make for places for the sealer to grab. Clean the cover and the diff housing with parts cleaner and dry off. Next put a heavy bead of silicon gasket sealer on the cover being sure to go around the holes. Now carefully put the cover in place. I usually use a couple of bolts with the heads cut off or studs screwed into the housing to aline the cover as I side it into place. Install the bolts and tighten them just enough to push the sealer out around the sides. Now let it sit for about 24 hours and then go back and snug up the bolts. You have made a quality gasket that will seal for ever. but easy to remove. Don't worry about any sealer getting into the housing. It is soft enough where it will just get chewed up by the gears or the bearings if it should come loose form the housing. Oh, and you can go back with a razor blade and cut off the excessive sealer when it is dry.

[wilfreeman]