I have a set a coolant seals that were prepped for assembly with hylomar and then not used. I am contemplating the removal of the hylomar to try to save these seals for future use.

Has anyone done this before?
I am wondering if there is a solvent that will soften or dissolve the sealant without harming the seals.

and finally, is this a foolish endeavor? Should I just trash these, I would hate to do that as I am cheap and and replacements are $$.

 

You could just wrap them airtight with the hylomar on, & save them for later - - it won't dry out. Just keep them clean.

 

^what DD said

 

I've used the solvent before -- works great, but it's somewhat pricey. The good news is you won't need much -->

 

Could wax paper be used for storage? Or would that make things worse? Test a small area.

 

I'm wondering about isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

This should loosen the hylomar and make it easy to remove with a soft cloth.

But would alcohol damage the coolant seals? (I don't think so).

 

yes, just about any alcohol will absorb into the seals, most likely including the hylomar brand solvent(which is probably just mineral spirits as most solvents are).

IMO the factory seals are one time use only, if they were unused but installed into an engine which was broken down then your best bet is what DD said. isopropyl alcohol is probably the worst offender of them all, i tried it on a few types of rubber o-rings and they swelled up like balloons including the viton seals which are highly chemical resistant.


if you want definitive results find an old seal and place it in a container with the solvent over night. measure the dimensions before and after for an absorption rate comparison. viton had less than 1% absorption rate in fuel(pump gas with less than 15% ethanol content), coolant and new/used engine oil. most seals i make using viton now due to the durability of the material but even it has limits with some solvents.

you might get away with a quick swipe over the surface but if you leave the rubber in contact with the alcohol for too long it will begin to absorb it and may never shrink back to regular size once it has fumed off. what i'm saying is it is probably possible with most types of alcohol but you must do it quickly and no more than absolutely necessary or the seal may not fit in the housing again.

 

Great stuff RE, thanks!

Does anybody know about using viton seals for the inner coolant seals as well as the outer coolant seals?

From RotaryEvolution's description, it sounds like the viton o rings might actually be better than the original stock Mazda inner seals, which have laminated teflon in them and are "one use only".