Morris Minor Owners Club

I need to change gaskets on my 1965 Morris Minor and am not sure if I should fit them dry or smear them with something.

The gaskets in question are:

1. The cork gasket for the thermostat
2. The manifold gasket.

Advice would be appreciated.

Ditch the cork thermostat housing gasket and fit one of the later paper type gaskets.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251750460431 ... R764jMnxYw
The gasket in the link above is what I use and so much better than the original cork type.
Give the gaskets a smear of grease before fitting.
It improves the sealing qualities of the gaskets and keeps them supple so that they can be removed easily if required.

Thanks Phil

I can confirm from experience Phil's recommendation for the blue paper thermostat gasket shown in his photo. I had to replace the thermostat housing a few years ago as it had developed a small leak from the top. First I used the cork gasket but it soon leaked. So I got the one Phil recommends and its been fine ever since.