S5 t2, I know I need the big rubber seals for the coolant holes, but is it ok to use RTV in place of a paper gasket? I dont have another gasket to use.

Thanks
Mike

 

my friend did that to his UIM, it sealed just fine. The problem came when we tried to take it off, after unbolting it, we spend a good 3hrs trying to pry it off.

 

Yeah I just said the hell with it and bought all new gaskets from mazdatrix and overnighted them cause I need my car up and running. I wasn't 100% sure that the LIM to engine coolant seals were good, since that was the reason I pulled it off, it was leaking pretty bad.

meh, there goes 20 bucks for gaskets and probably another 15 for overnight.

 

I would be worried about it squeezing in to the intake path and possibly blocking airflow, too.

 

Just use the kind that stay's plyable. thats what i use and it work's for me.

 

Why won't you just do it the right way and get a gasket?

 

IDK if he's doing it once yea..But it seems that they only last about 3 times removal and reinstallation of the LIM.maybe i just take mine off too much?

 

Except for the metal S4 NA gasket (reusable many times), they're so cheap you might as well buy several at a time if you think you'll be removing your LIM often. Not that you should have to...

 

Isn't that the S5 that's metal?

 

Yeah you're right, it is.

 

There is some level of impatience since I had to take off work today because the car is down. I actually thought this leak was coming from the coolant return line so I repaired that with a new hose, buttoned everything back up and was good to go. Well the spots under the car became progressively... bigger, instead of disappearing alltogether.

Yesterday after I got home I noticed a large puddle. When I got under the car and saw the drips coming from the rear of the passengerside of the iron (drivers side in New Zealand ) I looked up and saw a small coolant stream running down from the LIM. I was pretty pissed because I really didnt' want to dig into a UIM/LIM/Turbo removal and reinstall at 4:30pm on a Sunday. Those kind of projects warrant sufficient time for parts to arrive, etc.

And it's not like we can just run out to a local parts shop and grab the gaskets for an 89 Mazda Rx-7 Turbo. Even the dealers either "Can't find them" or can get them from a west coast dealer, however it's going to take a week.

 

lol, nice avatar. picard FTW!

 

Removing old bonded on gasket is the real bitch.
I RTV just about everything including the LIM. Never had a problem.
The trick is clean flat sealing faces.
Removal is easy, you just need a good lift point.

 

I had a S5 n/a... and it had the metal LIM gasket... everything else I used orange high temp silicone. Came off very easy, heat tolerant, and sealed well.

 

That sucks, I guess I'm just lucky with Mazda parts suppliers. I have one Mazda dealer/workshop five minutes drive from home and one service workshop five minutes walk from work. Both know me on site and so far have gotten me anything I need that Mazda still stock, including plenty that needed to come from Japan. They've even stopped looking at me funny when I go in with pages printed out from the parts catalogue.

True, but this mostly applies when removing the original gasket that's been there over 15 years. It's much easier to remove one that's only been there a few months or even a year or two.

 

Probably because they're confused as to what a "catalogue" is. Damn Kiwis and their weird spelling.

 

The problem with using RTV on the LIM is that it tends to block the stupid air bleed holes for the primary fuel injectors.
I dunno if the S5 engines are like this, but I know the S4's run the air bleed passages into the gasket.
If you block those holes, your idle quality goes to ****.


-Ted

 

Yeah, I had a great time removing old gaskets from my engine. They might as well have been part of the engine since they bonded so well to it.

 

I'm the same way. The parts guy at the dealer knows me by now and gives me the shop discount. I can even get the parts next day for a few extra bucks.

 

spent 5 hours removing my old UIM to LIM gasket, my hands (more specifically my fingertips) HURT like a bitch, replaced it with a OEM mazda gasket, idle issues are mostly under control. Will this theing BREAK in and seal better with time? b/c i think i still have a vac leak

 

I hate taking of the damn gaskets. I spent several hours friday and its still not off yet. I gave up for the day after the razor slipped and sliced my finger.

 

Use nitrile gloves and that permatex gasket remover spray, let it sit for about 30 mins, whatever doesn't come off by peeling, should easily come off with a razor blade.

Back on topic, I reinstalled the LIM with a new gasket and new o-rings, I used RTV to hold the orings in place (they didn't really fit, they seemed to big to really sit down in the grooved) then I just very lightly rtv'd the gasket to the engine and LIM. I put everything back together, filled it with coolant, checked for leaks, now I'm going to let it cure for 24 hours before I start the engine and get the cooling system hot and pressurized.

 

Ya know Ted that remind's me of the time i put my TB spacer on backward's and couldnt figure out why my idle was soo shitty for about 6 months. DO'H!

 

do what I do, order factory gaskets and use them as masters for tracing out on gasket paper.