Permatex The Right Stuff Gasket Maker

[IanDMacDonald]

Anybody try this on their valve cover? I tore mine up and do not feel like waiting till the weekend to get a valve cover gasket.

[motoman]

Anybody try this on their valve cover? I tore mine up and do not feel like waiting till the weekend to get a valve cover gasket.

Others here say it works good for that application. Have HighTempGrey on my pan, clutch cover and shift cover. Not so much as a weep for the past five years. Decided to go that route when i fixed the tranny since all mating surfaces are machined. All three gaskets are still in an envelope on the shelf.

[bikerphil]

Yes, The Right Stuff is the best gasket maker I've ever used, JMHO. Just apply it to the head and not the valve cover, it is very easy to bump the valve cover on the cam chain and mess up the bead, DAMHIK. Make sure you use it around the cam plugs too.

[ViperRon]

I have found it is better to not tighten down as tight as normal when putting on forma gasket then after it has had time to cure tighten it a little more. I have used permatex products for years. If there is any fault with them it is the fact that if you make a good clean thin seal matting both surfaces well it may not let go. Almost 30 years ago I installed a high rise performance alluminum intake on a 340 engine using just the forma gasket. I cleaned both surfaces with accetone and made a tight seal torqued it down fully and all worked fine for 2 years but when i needed to take it off it was nearly impossible to break the seal. I can still remember having the engine and trans hanging in the air by the intake bouncing while we heated it with a torch and drove a thin chisel in all the way arround. Finally one side let loose and we took a picture of it hanging in the air with one side of the gasket material still supporting the weight of the engine and trans. I sent the picture to permatex but never heard anything back.

[CatatonicBug]

Yes, The Right Stuff is the best gasket maker I've ever used, JMHO. Just apply it to the head and not the valve cover, it is very easy to bump the valve cover on the cam chain and mess up the bead, DAMHIK. Make sure you use it around the cam plugs too.

+1! Use that stuff to replace every single engine cover gasket on the bike. It seals better than paper, and is more oil resistant than many other RTV products.

[Larrym]

Release Date?

Anybody try this on their valve cover? I tore mine up and do not feel like waiting till the weekend to get a valve cover gasket.

I prefer to use "The Right Stuff" on the valve cover itself then carefully place the gasket (yes....I'd wait and get a new one.) on the cover.

Then I'd place the cover/Right Stuff/gasket on a flat surface to cure. (Plate glass...)

Lastly, I'd use Aviation Form-a-gasket on the gasket itself (wait for it to dry/become tacky) and install.

Result is that when it comes time to go invasive again like to check/adjust the valves again (or replace a CCT...) the cover AND gasket will release with a little persuasion. (Rubber Mallet.)

Otherwise I look forward to your future post where you share the heroics it took to remove the cover again.

Please include pics and/or video when you do the future removal.
(Bleeping out the expletives/colorful language is optional)

[crazy steve]

I'm partial to Yamabond, as I've found it seals every bit as well but releases much easier....

Not that I don't like Permatex products, but I've had the same problem that Ron described. I've ruined valve covers that wouldn't come off....

[IanDMacDonald]

I just bought it. I'll let you know how it holds up. ACCT and Valve cover.

[Rasputin]

I swear by "The Right Stuff" on my bikes. I have never had an issue with removing parts afterwards either. It never hardens and if you goof and put on too much it will simply rub off where it spills over after it cures. Never had a leak yet using it so I recommend it myself.

[DGXSER]

I've used Permatex formagasket on alot of cars and bikes. Had great success with their products. I did recently try "Right Stuff". I did not like it as well as the formagasket product.

[IanDMacDonald]

My experience with this right now is, if you do not have a steady hand or patience, buy the gasket.

[James England]

I always use 335 industrial silicone.... you know, the stuff for bathrooms etc. I use the clear version. It takes the heat from my wood burning stove (I used it to seal the stove to the marble back panel) and it makes great gasket compound. I used it for my ACCT and all sorts. Just a moderate smear from a mastic gun....

[crazy steve]

Nearly any silicone sealer will work as long as it's rated for the heat involved, but the main disadvantage IMO with most is they leave a 'bead' where they squeeze out. Not a big deal on external surfaces, you can simply 'roll' those off and have a clean joint. But on internal surfaces, those beads can come loose and clog passages or get chewed up and cause wear (remember, silicone is based from silicon i.e. sand, and last time I checked sand doesn't make a very good lubricant). Don't use silicone grease on a bearing, it won't last long... DAMHIKIJK...

That's why I prefer Yamabond. It 'flows' differently and rather than leaving a 'bead' where it squeezes out, it flows onto the adjoining sufaces and bonds to them. Makes exterior cleaning a bit harder, but no worries about excess sealer getting loose inside your motor...

[Larrym]

Duct-Tape, Paper clips, and Super Glue???

Nearly any silicone sealer will work as long as it's rated for the heat involved,

Once had a Suzuki DR370 which required splitting the cases to repair the dogs/shift forks for 5'th gear. A "friend" needed the $$$ so I farmed the repair out to him. Instead of using a gasoline/oil proof (resistant at the very least...) on the case halves, he went to the hardware store and bought/used that slicone bathroom caulk.

Lasted for around 20 minutes before the "slicone caulk" failed and every last bit of oil drained out of the crankcase/onto my rear tire.. Luckily, I was riding the bike in a desert wash only 2 miles from my home at the time.

(remember, silicone is based from silicon

Not so according to Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone

"Silicone is not to be confused with the chemical element silicon, a crystalline metalloid widely used in computers and other electronic equipment."

I think you meant to say "silica", eh?

Wiki:
"Silica (silicon dioxide), common in sandstone, beach sand, and similar natural materials, is the initial material from which silicones are produced; "

One of these days I look forward to hearing about how someone sealed up their engine/cases/covers with Duct-Tape.

(No kidding...Check out MythBusters for some of the amazing things it'll do.)

[crazy steve]

I think you meant to say "silica", eh?

Yep... sometime the typing fingers just aren't connected to the head...