Scott, respectfully and I mean that, you always have good opinions.� BS.
�
I designed O-ring seals amongst other things there in the 90's for several years from low pressure up to 10,000 psi.� A lubed O-ring (silicone grease almost always a good choice) installed in a properly designed setting (anything VW intended) will seal optimally without any sealant.� In fact Parker, Apple, any of the big names will state in their design guides that O-ring seals will often NOT WORK at all in a long term sense, as intended�with a sealant applied.� The O-ring does not work goobered� up with a semi-solid sealing material.�� It is supposed to be able to move in its land, goob up the land, it doesn't function any more than a solid goob of RTV�glue would in the same spot (which might admittedly be just fine.)� O-rings rely on well finished mating surfaces, in proper approximation, with proper stretch of and crush�on a properly chosen (durometer and material)�O-ring.� New in nearly any automotive setting, all of these were present in
 todays world (last 40 years) as O-ring seal design is a well, well, hammered out engineering thing until you get to real high speed, high pressure, or high heat situations.� The illusion that a sealant solves problems, is that it solves problems based on a degradation of one of the design factors.� If the parts are still in good shape, not corroded, not scored, the lubed O-ring alone will give the same service when replaced (to solve the change in durometer as it aged) that it did when new.� Which in the case of the one on the governor of an autobox if he cleans the surfaces well will probably be a solid 15+ years as they aren't usually corroded, and it don't move so there is no wear at the seal that would require a sleeve, or metal deposition, or the things one uses to cure a leaking O-ring seal.
�
Anyway�gouge the surface, have corrosion, wrong material O-ring for the job, whatever it is doomed to fail, and yes goobering it up with a good quality RTV (I prefer the clear MBZ stuff that Karl put me onto years ago) will give the illusion the problem is solved.� But as you imply, you might have just as well left the O-ring out, and just goobered it up, cause excepting the fact that it is centering the male in the female part, it ain't doing shit.
�
Sorry but this one has always burnt me up, wrote a treatis involving it on T4 pushrod seals on this list near 15 years ago, and it still applies today.� You will NEVER see a hydraulic shop at least one of any quality using sealant on any O-ring seal, and they are probably the most common use secondary to automotive.� You restore the surfaces, if you can't anything short is a rig.
�
To the OP, if you got somebody with a universal nitrile O-ring set you might come up with something close, but as Scott does state, probably not.� It isn't going to cost more than a buck or two even from the dealer (probably a fancy graphite impregnated one now)�if it isn't NLA, and being an O-ring it probably isn't.
�
John

----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM
�
I never put an o-ring in dry ..or just lubed.
they will always leak later without a sealant as well.

scott
turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "marc rose" <mrose1028@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: Tranny O-ring size

> Forgot to mention it is an 90 Carat 2.1 with auto tranny.........mt bad.
>
> On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 12:13 PM, marc rose <mrose1028@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This is my first time posting and I am a new Vanagon owner also.......It
>> looks like the o-ring around the governer cap is leaking fluid and I was
>> wondering if anyone knew what the correct size of o-ring is?