Thermastat gasket

[Petehalsted]

Order new thermostat for starboard engine because whoever replace the engine put a 165 in it instead of the 142 it calls for. I ask when I ordered does it come with gasket. Answer was never seen one not. Well guess what........

So question is it ok to use rtv instead of gasket? If so what color?

 

[docofthebay]

If you are just replacing the gasket on the top where the thermostat cover comes off, then I would think the form-a-gasket stuff is OK. However, if you disrupt the thermostat housing off the intake manifold, then that housing to intake manifold gasket needs to be the correct one as it has a couple of pieces of metal in it to ground the housing to the manifold. If you put an all paper gasket (without the metal studs in it) or if you use the rtv, then the water temp gauge and overheat alarm wont work, as these sending units are in the thermostat housing.