Q: i have a '97 2wd nissan pickup, and the first time i tried this, it leaked. should i just goop the hell out of it? or do i need it to dry?
A: with most gaskets I would wait till it is fully set and cured about 12 hrs should do the job minmal I would say is 6 hrs. There is one I bought but havent' had a chance to use yet that claims to instantly be ready to use and put together and will be leak free. It a small aerosol can type and the color is black and it cost is expensive about $10 for just a small bottle but it claims it has enough to do at least a few gaskets. Putty on more silicone material actually usually makes the matter only worst not better. It will usually create leaks and you wasted more material and now you have more to clean up. Just follow the directions and make a steady consistent even bead. Most important thing I can't say enough is surface must be extremely clean no dirt or even oily residue or it will hinder the eftectiveness of the seal. No hand or fingerprints at all. Most be oil and residue free and free of all old gasket material. Once you have it super clean only then do you apply the sealant. Also torque here is super important. Too little and there will be leaks too much torque and it will squish out too much sealant and also cause it leak. Most people have a tendency to overtightened thinking that the tighter the surface the better the seal which is not true. I did all this mistakes before but now I learned from them.