Patent ID: 7574990

Claim:
A method for reducing fuel permeation through gasketed joints in an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of: providing an engine block; providing an engine component at least indirectly connected about its periphery to the engine block; fabricating a gasket entirely from an elastomer containing the element hydrogen, the gasket being of the type having an exterior surface to be compressed between opposing surfaces for the purpose of establishing a fluid-tight interface therebetween; compressing the gasket with the periphery of the engine component to create a fluid-tight sealed interface; and said step of providing a gasket including surface treating the entire exterior surface of the gasket in a halogenated medium prior to said compressing step, whereby halogen atoms in the halogenated medium replace hydrogen atoms in the exterior surface of the gasket thereby altering the chemical composition of the entire exterior surface and substantially enhancing the fuel permeability resistance of the gasket.