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Careful with RTV
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:50 pm
by BobShirleyAtlantaTx
Bought a car with a engine knock. Pulled the inspection pan and sure enough number one was loose. Pulled the head, got the rod out, miked the crank and was very lucky. Pulled the transmission cover and to my surprise, it was not lint in the oil tube it was a piece of RTV. Looking at the inside of the motor someone had used way too black silicon, it squished out on the inside of all the mating surfaces, and some broke lose.
Just a heads up, a little go a long way. That stuff will clog things up!
Re: Careful with RTV
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:36 am
by Craig Leach
RTV is the best thing i know of for oil leaks when used in moderation, but I have pulled it out of oil pickups from Harleys to big cam Cummins. Its like alcohol Ok in moderation. Deadly if abused.
Re: Careful with RTV
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 5:07 am
by D Stroud
What Craig said!!!!! Dave
Re: Careful with RTV
Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:28 pm
by thom
I managed an auto parts store in the 80s that had a full automotive machine shop. We took in a newly rebuilt (non-T) engine that had been built elsewhere and failed after a very short time. My tech found that it had failed due to oil starvation because the oil pickup screen was filled completely with pieces of silicon/RTV gasket sealer. The original "engine rebuilder" had told the customer that he guaranteed his engines not to leak therefore he had used 10 tubes of RTV during assembly. Needless to say, most bearings and the crankshaft were ruined.
Re: Careful with RTV
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:02 pm
by Aarongriffey
Yup, moderation is the word.
Just enough to see that there is some there.
Several years ago we took in a Volvo that couldn’t blow heat out of the heater.
I found the heater hoses were put on with blue RTV and it had plugged the temp control valve.
I helped a guy change a third member on a 63 year old car a couple of months ago.
He wouldn’t let me use sealer.
He said he was always taught to use grease.
When we finished the job and filled it with gear oil it only leaked at the third member and the axle flanges on each side.
At least he saved the dollar fifty by being able to reuse the gaskets.
Try this trick:
Get two five gallon buckets, drill an 1/8” hole in the bottom of each bucket.
Plug one hole with RTV or Right Stuff, the other buckey plug the hole with grease. let them set for an hour.
Now fill each bucket half full of water.
Come back the next day and see which one still has water in it.