I'll answer the *real* question.....

A bit of silicone grease for o-ring lubrication should be sufficient.

Jim

Rob Scott wrote:

>Greetings, all.
>
>I'm reassembling the right side of my 1990 Vanagon's engine after a poorly
>installed (by a pro shop, no less) rubber waterjacket/head gasket leaked
>and had to be replaced.  Everything's apart, cleaned and ready to go back
>together.
>
>Is it usual practice to apply a tiny bit of sealing goop (I'm using the
>non-hardening stuff) to the block surface where the inner end of the
>cylinder sleeve contacts it?  I'm pretty sure that the outer end where it
>contacts the cylinder head must be a dry fit, but the inner side has me in
>a bit of a puzzlement.  Nothing is mentioned in The Book about sealing goop
>there, but then again the book doesn't really give particular mention to
>sealing goop technique anywhere else, either.  I see evidence of what might
>have been a thin smear of goop on the mating surface at the block, but it
>might just be the remains of a bit of oil blowby that's turned to tar.
>
>Any thoughts and experiences would be helpful.
>
>By the way, unlike my other previous (air cooled) VW Beetle and Van engines
>I am finding the task of working on this engine to be less than a pleasant
>experience.  I have found a ton of things where I scratch my head and ask
>"Now why did they do that?", quite unlike the typical German "logical
>reason for everything" approach that I saw in the earlier models (and in
>general in my BMW motorcycles).  I know that it may upset some of the
>faithful, but this whole water jacket thing is a stinky design IMO.
>
>
>Regards,
>Rob
>
>              It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
>                    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>                     Rob Scott, mailto:rob@unixguy.com
>        Langley, Washington on Whidbey Island (a suburb with a moat)
>
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