Gasket maker for lawnmower

[CarLuver]

i am trying to seal the valve cover on a briggs OHV 6.5 hp engine. I used some RTV and it has leaked twice. i flattened the mating surfaces and cleaned with acetone. So what am i doing wrong? is there a better gasket maker than the permatex RTV i have been using . its orange color.

i know i could get a gasket for it , but it cost the same a tube of RTV

 

[ripcord]

Make a gasket out of a cereal box or some scrap rubber? Or, maybe try just barely tightening the bolts and allowing the RTV to set for several hours before snugging down the bolts.

 

[oldcodger]

You are probably tightening too soon. You can squeeze all of the material out. Let it set like ripcord said and then tighten. Do goes easy on the torque.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

Use this, and you'll be fine. Don't over-torque.

Permatex® Ultra Grey® RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, .5 OZ – Permatex

www.permatex.com

 

[Dave9]

lol, get a roll of gasket material from the auto parts store, cut out your own gaskets with an X-acto knife if price is that much of a concern. I mean it's no cheaper than Permatex either but you have the rest of the roll for years' worth of gaskets.

I got a roll just because I don't want to hunt down gaskets when I can cut one in 2 minutes for something small.

Another alternative is a generic gasket set. Amazon or ebay, you can often get a full set of gaskets for an engine for much less than buying 2+ OEM, individually. Then it just costs you the time to hunt down what you need.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Don’t know that the orange is made for oil stuff. I’d use ultra black or ultra gray if going the RTV route. The best thing to do is put the gasket that’s made for it on there. And if using RTV let it cure some before tightening as others have said.

 

[Chris142]

The orang and blue stuff isn't very good. We have many small engines like yours at my work. I always use mega Black or mega grey on them.

Clean the surfaces spotless with brackleaner. Put your goop on the valve cover only. Install it finger tight with a socket and fingers only. Let it sit over night and final tighten in the morning.

 

[CarLuver]

ok . i will go pick up a tube of ultra gray. hope it take care of the leak

 

[Lubener]

i am trying to seal the valve cover on a briggs OHV 6.5 hp engine. I used some RTV and it has leaked twice. i flattened the mating surfaces and cleaned with acetone. So what am i doing wrong? is there a better gasket maker than the permatex RTV i have been using . its orange color.

i know i could get a gasket for it , but it cost the same a tube of RTV

Just go buy the gasket and don't get obsessed with RTV. You will buy a tube of RTV but why not the gasket?

 

[Snagglefoot]

ok . i will go pick up a tube of ultra gray. hope it take care of the leak

Here are the installation instructions for Ultra Grey. Notice Permatex suggests you surround the bolt holes and also you torque down the screws while the product is still wet. Re-torquing after it’s set up is not recommended.

Many of Permatex’s products have different installation techniques. It's important to follow the technique listed on the back of the package.

 

[Propflux01]

The grey sealed up my Honda cam cover.

 

[repairman54]

The gray worked just fine on my leaky BS 17 hp valve cover.

 

[jeepman3071]

I usually use the Right Stuff black.

 

[Chris142]

Just go buy the gasket and don't get obsessed with RTV. You will buy a tube of RTV but why not the gasket?

There is no gasket. Rtv only

 

[Dave9]

^ What makes this B&S unique? Last one I had the valve covers off, used paper/fiber gaskets. Gaskets were in good shape so I just reused them despite having a gasket kit with new... just had it open to adjust valve lash, had no leaks before or after.

 

[CarLuver]

i think i figured it out. the valve cover is right on the head and when it get hot it exceeds the temp rating of the RTV. went to autozone and bought a sheet of gasket and will make my own. factory gasket was like $6 and this roll $9 and i will have plenty left in case i need it in the future.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

OP you want the black RTV, this one is for gaskets that come in contact with oil. Put a nice bead on the valve cover and let it form a "skin" before mating the 2 parts. Install the screws and snug them down by hand. After several hours, even overnight come back and tighten the screws down tight. FWIW, I recently re-did a valve cover gasket for my Kohler out of cork gasket maker. I traced it with a sharpie and cut it out. Has worked good for a few months now.

just my $0.02

 

[Snagglefoot]

OP you want the black RTV, this one is for gaskets that come in contact with oil. Put a nice bead on the valve cover and let it form a "skin" before mating the 2 parts. Install the screws and snug them down by hand. After several hours, even overnight come back and tighten the screws down tight. FWIW, I recently re-did a valve cover gasket for my Kohler out of cork gasket maker. I traced it with a sharpie and cut it out. Has worked good for a few months now.

just my $0.02

This is basically the instructions for Permatex Ultra Black.