Gasket sealant

I always use a line of sealer across the top of the rubber cam end plugs. They always leaked because the valve cover gasket takes a "step" at the edge of the surface where the aluminum stops and the rubber begins. The gasket squeezes thinner between two aluminum surfaces, but not as thin over the rubber so there is a thickness change at that edge and it will seep oil there.

bountyhunter wrote: I always use a line of sealer across the top of the rubber cam end plugs. They always leaked because the valve cover gasket takes a "step" at the edge of the surface where the aluminum stops and the rubber begins. The gasket squeezes thinner between two aluminum surfaces, but not as thin over the rubber so there is a thickness change at that edge and it will seep oil there.

+1 I Do the same, plus I use an RTV sealant, it doesn't dry brick hard :blink: like some of these sealants being recommended .
My current favorite is Permatex Ultra Black Professional for almost everything.( except gasoline)
My view of sealants is, it can't hurt, take a few extra minutes and put it on...Why Not :ohmy:
Now that old time Permatex...anyone that uses that on a bike engine should be shot :woohoo:

Use the aerosol copper coat on top side of valve cover gasket to help hold it to the valve cover,let it tack up before installing.Will make your life much easier installing/removing valve cover with out tearing it.
Cylinder base gasket,spray both sides and let tack up before install.
Case cover gaskets,same as base gasket.
Carb bowl/bottem gaskets?Make like Susie chap stick and smear it (chap stick)on both sides o fnew gaskets before installing,they wont stick/tear when you remove the bowls
The last time I had a dry cylinder base gasket installed on a kz900 leak the engineers from Kawasaki were no where to be found, :sick: :woohoo:
The mechanic who used to wrench on my backhoes and excavators turned me on to the aerosol copper coat years ago and I haven't had any leaks since.

ezrider714 wrote:

bountyhunter wrote: I always use a line of sealer across the top of the rubber cam end plugs. They always leaked because the valve cover gasket takes a "step" at the edge of the surface where the aluminum stops and the rubber begins. The gasket squeezes thinner between two aluminum surfaces, but not as thin over the rubber so there is a thickness change at that edge and it will seep oil there.

+1 I Do the same, plus I use an RTV sealant, it doesn't dry brick hard :blink: like some of these sealants being recommended .
My current favorite is Permatex Ultra Black Professional for almost everything.

That's what I used on my rebuild and it worked great.

Oh ya another question which way does the metal side of the head gasket go u know how one side has metal showing on one side...when I took my block apart guy had diff kind of head gasket

Oh one picture on the Bible days put liquid gasket on the head gasket with four arrows wouldn't it get to hot and melt also when u apply liquid gasket to the other gaskets how much should I apply like on the can guard and around the valve cover ends

Apply a thin coat. Otherwise the excess stuff will squeeze out when you tighten things up and end up floating around in the motor oil until it lodges in some small orifice which will cause a problem. Ed

650ed wrote: Apply a thin coat. Otherwise the excess stuff will squeeze out when you tighten things up and end up floating around in the motor oil until it lodges in some small orifice which will cause a problem. Ed

I watched a guy putting an intake manifold on a brand new 427 chevy he just had built by a high end race engine builder in Omaha.
He pitched the end gaskets which is normal and ran a bead of rtv across each end,instead of a small bead he ran what looked like half of the tube across each end and slammed the intake down on it.
I told him that big pile of slime coming through the outside of his intake looked just like the inside,he told me I was crazy and it wasn't a problem. :sick:
A couple moths later his hydraulic lifters started going flat,when he took the motor back to the machine shop to bitch about it the engine builder pulled the pan and showed him all the silicone and metal shavings in the oil pump pickup.
That econo sized tube of rtv cost him several thousand dollars for another new 427 chevy.

I have not tried the gascacinch' but maybe will try it sometime.

I have used the Permatex blue (I don't know if that is #1 or #2 with very good results and it can be removed easily. They also make a spray can that can be used without taking something apart. Just follow the directions on the can I like to use a vacuum cleaner cleaner to apply suction to pull the sealant into larger cracks, like the oil pan gasket on a Porsche where the engine would need to be removed to take the pan off. I have also used that on motorcycles. Saved a lot of time and work.