Can You Use RTV For Valve Cover Gasket? All Answered

RTV is a great sealer since it’s waterproof, sticky, and keeps its form. It is most widely used as a construction sealant, and many individuals use RTV for valve cover gasket.

On the other hand, others are still unsure if RTV is suitable for valve cover gaskets or not.

Our post will supply you with clear facts about this issue, explain the best RTV for valve cover gasket, the benefits when using RTV, and other findings you need to know to assist you in eradicating the above suspicions.

Don’t hesitate anymore! Scroll down right now to learn more!

Can You Use RTV For The Valve Cover Gasket?

Can you use RTV for valve cover gasket? Yes, you may use RTV for valve cover gaskets. However, in reality, they do not require any RTV sealant.

If you have to, consider the Permatex No.1 or the Permatex High Tack for the best outcomes.

The gasket will form a flawless or tight seal as long as it is brand new and outstanding. The only recommendation we have is that you apply a small layer of engine oil to the gasket before restoring the valve cover.

If the nuts are torqued appropriately, you should have no problems with leaking.

Besides that, valve cover leaks are the most affordable oil leaks to repair. And removing the valve cover is one of the simplest and least time-consuming ways to inspect your engine.

If your engine bay looks a little drab, changing or reconditioning the valve covers is a reasonably inexpensive way to make a big difference.

That said, some valve cover gaskets require RTV as a supplemental sealant due to their form and construction.

It would be best if you did not use RTV put on the entire gasket; it should be fitted clean and dry. Apply RTV only on the gasket’s corners and stepped casting sections with gaps.

What Does An RTV Do?

RTV means room temp vulcanization silicone, which indicates that it begins to harden as soon as the silicone comes into contact with high humidity. Because it is impermeable and sticky, it proves to be a good gasket sealer.

When RTV sealant is pushed out of an airtight tube and exposed to the moisture in the air, a reaction occurs, forcing the sealant to cure and solidify.

RTV silicone glue is also a ready-to-use gasket sealer that can withstand weathering and chemicals, and it’s frequently used for insulating material.

Chemical- and heat-resistant properties of this product are high. Even after drying, RTV silicone remains malleable.

Because it doesn’t contain a releasing agent, there is no residue to wipe up after use. Therefore, silicone RTV is non-toxic and cures quickly when exposed to moisture.

RTV silicone has the drawback of being more costly and attracting dirt and residues.

How To Properly Use RTV For Valve Cover Gasket?

Get ready to learn how to apply RTV for valve cover gaskets properly with our brief guide below:

Use In The Right Situation 

As we’ve discussed, before using RTV for your valve cover gasket,  note that RTV should not be put on the entire gasket; it should be fitted clean and dry.

Fill in the gaps with a small amount of RTV to ensure a leak-free assembly. Also, RTV is often put into the engine’s corners or stepped sections with gaps to avoid smearing it.

Importantly, the repair manual may provide further instructions on where to use RTV and how much to apply. Thus, you can refer to this handbook to complete your task.

Be Careful

Remember that using RTV in improper places might cause lasting damage to the gasket, such as overcompression and cracking. It’s also possible that the gasket will slip out of key locations.

Rubber gaskets are intended to withstand a standard degree of compression. And when RTV is added in a large amount for rubber gaskets, causing greater compression to the gasket than it was constructed for.

Apply RTV Sparingly

The RTV will run into the cover joint and gasket as the gasket is overtightened into position. Some producers may give you professional advice and suggest the amount of RTV to use.

Plus, if you know how to apply the right amount of RTV, you’ll always get a decent result. As such, you should never apply for the entire gasket.

Take Your Time 

Once the engine part is mounted and pulled tight up, you should take some timing covers after the RTV application to let the RTV cure and dry.

If you do rush the task or start your car immediately when RTV doesn’t become hard, your car will have a bad problem.

In this case, your car starts sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t because of problems from the engine.

Additionally, the cure time for RTV is generally 24 hours. If you don’t have much time, you can dry the gasket adhesive using a fan or heat lamp.

You can try dry-healing it with a hairdryer should you have one.

FAQs

Can I Use RTV On Thermostat Housing?

Our answer is clearly yes. You may use enough RTV on the thermostat housing to keep it adhered to the housing.

You may achieve this by utilizing a thermostat RTV Silicone Gasket, a non-corrosive, safe RTV silicone gasket material specifically for thermostat housings.

How Long Does RTV Need To Dry?

RTVs usually take two hours to process and 24 hours to cure completely before pouring fluids or restoring the vehicle.

Also, 72 hours is the maximum drying duration to make sure the RTV is totally dry.

Can I Use Silicone Instead Of A Gasket?

When reassembling your engine, we don’t advocate using silicone glue to hold a gasket in place.

The sort of actual gasket made by the manufacturer is not suited for this purpose. Ask them to get advice about this issue.

What RTV To Use For Valve Cover Gaskets?

You can try the RTV high-temp red silicone for valve cover gaskets.

This is because this type is a high-temperature, high-pressure, low-odor, non-corrosive sealant that can withstand temperatures ranging from -65°F to 650°F without drooping and shrinking.

What Is The Best RTV Sealant For Valve Cover Gasket?

There are various RTV for your gaskets, such as Permatex Ultra Black, Permatex Ultra Grey, Blue RTV, Permatex Route, etc.

So, which RTV for valve cover gasket do you think is the best one? For bonding the gasket to the valve cover, Permatex high tack is commonly used.

You can use it to replace practically any cut gasket by forming in-place pads that successfully resist cracking, shrinkage, and movement due to heat cycling.

Plus, this item allows for easy removal of the lid for valve adjustments or other tasks.

You can also apply this item for a crack pump in your engine car to avoid the matter of transmission fluid gushing out.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we hope that our research will assist you in fully comprehending RTV for valve cover gasket. You now know whether or not an RTV suitable for gaskets may be used.

You’ve also identified the ideal RTV and learned how to use it effectively.

Thank you for spending your time reading our post, and stay tuned for our next article. See you then!