water gaskets

[sidsmith]

Hi all, I have noticed a bit of water coming from my thermostat cover, not a lot but I want to change the gasket. What I want to know is, can I use a cereal packet cardboard for the gasket or would I have to travel 9 miles to the moggy place to get a proper one, ( about 70p for one ) would it be reliable and would it last. Also could there be an alternative product.
I will be at the classic on sunday, so will have to go round the auto jumble and see what they have anyway.
cheers. sid

[bmcecosse]

The gasket is so cheap - postage will be less than travelling 9 miles and 9 back! So just ask them to post. You could use cardboard - but it's quite fiddly - I would pay the £1. You may find the stat cover is very difficult to get off - so right now - unscrew the 3 nuts and run some release oil down the studs to try to 'unstick' the steel studs from the aluminium casing. It's quite common for these studs to snap - and sometimes the only way forward is to smash the aluminium casing ! Although sometimes a good blast with a gas blowtorch is enough to free the cover from the studs. Whatever you do - try to NOT snap the studs off flush with the head surface!

[eastona]

I usually make my own out of cardboard. Yes, cereal packets are OK. Mainly because I can't be bothered to go and buy a new gasket. I use frosties, but I presume any packet will do .

I happened to have a head set lying around when I did my last thermostat and used a cork gasket. . Pure luxury!

The car runs so much better now it has a cork gasket.

As BMC says, be careful of broken studs and make sure the mating surfaces are clean, it'll be fine.

Andrew