Effect of Seal Conditioners on Liquid Gasket

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The Critic

The Critic

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My good friend has a '98 Acura TL with 130k (or so) miles. At the last oil change, the dealer informed her that the oil pan gasket was leaking slightly. Resealing the oil pan on this car is a 6.8 hour job as it involves removing the front differential and both halfshafts, so it's probably not worth it ($800 job) on an older car.

The oil pan is sealed using a liquid gasket/sealant. Normally I'm not a fan of using additives to correct mechanical problems, but will Auto-RX or a HM oil have any effect on liquid gaskets?

Thanks!
 
I would try Auto RX first. Much cheaper and more reliable than most other stuff out there. Since your good friend has over 100k miles on it I would do 2 clean and rinses on it. My bet is that the Auto RX will clean the gasket and she will be good to go.

If it still leaks after that at least she will see an increase in power and efficiency. I have on my car.

Also, ask her about the leak. If she hasnt noticed any leaks the stealership is probably trying to upsell an $800 gimmick. Ive had places try to sell me $1200 in stuff that I had done elsewhere 6 months before, "cause it is all worn out".

If it dosent work (if it is a small leak my money is on the A-RX) I know it seems like alot, but I would see about getting it replaced.
Those Acuras are good cars, but much like hondas, they are expensive to fix.
 
I have Auto-RX in-stock at my house, so that's possibly an option. But my main concern is whether or not Auto-RX will actually have any effect on RTV.

They told her that it's just slightly wet, so it isn't urgent by any means. They didn't even give her a quote.

Book rate for the job is 6.8 hours, which is over $800 at the $120/hr labor rate around here.
 
I think a large number of those gaskets start leaking once they get that old. As long as she isn't losing a lot of oil, I wouldn't be too concerned. Just check the level often.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
But my main concern is whether or not Auto-RX will actually have any effect on RTV.


Are you hoping the gasket will swell from being exposed to a little ARX?
 
I have a feeling A-Rx is not going to do anything for a leaking RTV sealant gasket. I've heard people say they stopped those leaks or slowed them down by cleaning the exposed areas and running a bead of RTV gasket sealant around the entire oil pan. I never tried it so I have no first hand experience with it. It's a band-aid approach, but beats dropping $800 on a repair, and it won't make anything worse. HTH
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I have a feeling A-Rx is not going to do anything for a leaking RTV sealant gasket. I've heard people say they stopped those leaks or slowed them down by cleaning the exposed areas and running a bead of RTV gasket sealant around the entire oil pan. I never tried it so I have no first hand experience with it. It's a band-aid approach, but beats dropping $800 on a repair, and it won't make anything worse. HTH


I have done this on oil pans and transmission pans, and it works.

I would stay away from the Blue RTV, and instead pickup a tube of the Red or Black RTV.

I would recommend after putting the RTV on that it would be a good idea too let the car sit for 24 hours so that it cures properly.
 
Originally Posted By: c3po
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I have a feeling A-Rx is not going to do anything for a leaking RTV sealant gasket. I've heard people say they stopped those leaks or slowed them down by cleaning the exposed areas and running a bead of RTV gasket sealant around the entire oil pan. I never tried it so I have no first hand experience with it. It's a band-aid approach, but beats dropping $800 on a repair, and it won't make anything worse. HTH


I have done this on oil pans and transmission pans, and it works.

I would stay away from the Blue RTV, and instead pickup a tube of the Red or Black RTV.

I would recommend after putting the RTV on that it would be a good idea too let the car sit for 24 hours so that it cures properly.


Typical shoddy backyard "fix." Every repair comes in a tube, a container, or in form of duct tape. Suit yourself.
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman

Typical shoddy backyard "fix." Every repair comes in a tube, a container, or in form of duct tape. Suit yourself.
frown.gif



Agreed. Thanks for the ideas, but I'm not going to try the backyard fix.

I think I'll just tell my friend to get it fixed properly or get rid of the car.
 
If it's only damp with oil but not dripping then I'd keep it as-is. The oil pan on my 1994 Civic, which had nearly 240k mi when I sold it, always had a film of oil, but never dripped. To me, that didn't warrant a fix.
 
Why is it a "shoddy backyard fix"???
The oil pan was originally sealed with RTV, whats the problem with adding more to fix a leak.
Thats like saying, Oh, my radiator is low on coolant, I cant just top it of, thats a backyard fix, I'll just have to replace the engine.
 
The OP said the friend didn't want to spend $800 for a repair, made no mention of wanting to drop the pan herself. Then asked if A-Rx would fix an RTV gasket, I didn't think so, so I offered a suggestion. Shoddy repair perhaps, would I do it, if I planned on keeping the car a short period of time maybe. When I tackle a repair on a vehicle I plan on keeping it's done correctly, and better than a pro mechanic will do. It was a suggestion, nothing more, nothing less. The OP spelled it out, what other options are there other than, the band-aid fix, leaving it alone, or doing the job properly?

BTW good point cronk, we're on the same page!
cheers3.gif



Edit: I missed a suggestion, getting rid of the car, but that was already mentioned. :-)
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: cronk
Why is it a "shoddy backyard fix"???
The oil pan was originally sealed with RTV, whats the problem with adding more to fix a leak.
Thats like saying, Oh, my radiator is low on coolant, I cant just top it of, thats a backyard fix, I'll just have to replace the engine.


An oil pan gasket is made from sealant that is compressed, sandwiched between mating surfaces. Slopping RTV on the outside is not a fix. You may just as well stick a wad of chewing gum on the leaky spot.

Your analogy is faulty.
 
RTV is an adhesive sealant, it does not need to be sandwiched to make a seal. Why spend big money on a pan drop for an older car.
When I worked for GM, they had this problem on some S10 pickups, they leaked on the front of the pan, on a u shaped area.
Dropping the pan required pulling the motor, so GM had a bulletin to use a sharp chisel to cut out the protruding RTV, the clean the surface and apply a fresh bead. We did this on several trucks and it worked like a charm!
I guess some people just like to spend extra money to make them feel warm and fuzzy that the job was done fully, I'm just making the point that you don't always have to blow 2 week worth of pay to solve the problem!
 
That was my feeling. I never had to use that method, but figured it was worth a shot, and could prove useful on an older car, or one leaking and the owner not having the time or cash to start ripping it apart. Glad it works, hopefully I won't ever have to do it.
 
Originally Posted By: cronk
RTV is an adhesive sealant, it does not need to be sandwiched to make a seal.


A proper seal requires a new gasket.
 
what worked best for my "back yard" repairs was clean the shat out of it with a thorough application of brake or carb cleaner. then a brushing, more cleaner.

Apply silicone to the outside of the area to be sealed. push the sealer in with your finger and try and remove excess sealer.

Give plenty of cure time 48-72 hours. Now apply a coat of paint, spray bomb works the best. don't be shy and make sure to cover the whole area. The paint will keep the weeping to a min.
 
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