There are several gaskets and o-rings in my Fel-Pro kit and I'm a little unsure which one to use on the distributor. When I took it apart I looked like it had a rubber o-ring that was smashed flat, but of all the o-rings in the kit the only one that even comes close to fitting it this one:


But I did also find a "paper" gasket that appears to fit quite nicely, is this the one I should be using?

 

mine had a paper one, so that's what I put back on it.

 

Dunno - I always do a light smear of RTV black around the base flange, and go that way. You don't need a lot of torque on that screw, so you don't have to worry so much about squidging out all of the sealant.

Come to think on it, I don't think I've used a base gasket in a couple of dozen years. The RTV has a long enough work time to let me dial in timing - paper gaskets have been known to "scrub out" doing that...

 

I also use RTV Grey or Black. I used the gasket that came inthe gasket kit and I could not keep the distributor tight gasket kept squishing out.

 

How's that grey stuff work? All I use are Black and Copper - Black for general purpose, and Copper for exhaust and self-grounding sensors (it does actually carry copper particulates, and therefore doesn't block grounds for one-wire sensors.)

I don't even bother with Blue anymore - had too much trouble with it - and the high-temp Red is simply duplicated by the Copper in my kit - except Copper handles higher temperatures than the Red. I try to keep logistics simple - my "durable chemical" kit is:

RTV Black
RTV Copper
LocTite #222
LocTite #242
LocTite #272
LocTite #277 (high-temperature equivalent to LocTite #242)
LocTite #592 (59-something. It's hydraulic thread sealant, rated to hold threads against up to 15ksi.)
LocTite PST (PTFE paste thread sealant.)

Keeping the stock simple makes it easier to keep track of what I have and what I need.

LocTite, being an anaerobic sealant, is best stored lying on its side. It doesn't really start to cure until exposure to air is removed - so maximising the air-exposed surface in storage helps. But make sure to put the cap on - else the carrier solvent will evapourate...

 

second one...

 

Grey stuff is good for sensor's, Use either or ,whatever you choose.I've just always used a gasket, never a problem "scrubbing out" ? Maybe unless you have a buggerd up surface, or you sit there for days turning the distributor.

 

back to his original question, the second gasket is the proper one to use. Otherwise RTV is another solution..

 

Or I got cheap gaskets when that happened.

I've given up on things like that - it happens to me once, it a flaw. It happens twice, it's a problem and I devise a better solution.

It happened to me twice over my first fifteen years of swinging wrenches - but that's still twice. On to Plan B...

 

For sure since it happened, plan B for sure.