What's "silicone sealant"?

Mig21

Mig21

Well-known member
I've taken my clutch cover off and soon will have to install it back. I'll be getting a new gasket.

The manual says to put "silicone sealant" between the gasket and the crankcase. Can someone please explain what that is?

Is it a glue? I went and got from crappy tire a "SealAll Contact Adhesive and Sealant" but I've no idea if it's good enough. It says temperature range from -40 to 66 degrees, that's the part I'm most worried about, though I don't think that part of the engine gets any hotter than that - I'm pretty sure I can still touch it when it's hot.

I can return this, if only I know what to look for instead and where. There are all kinds of glues, but none of them say "silicone" on them, the silicone is usually caulking-like stuff.

Thanks in advance.
 
There's special automotive stuff that's silicone based. Its sells as gasket dressing or gasket maker. Look in the automotive section, ask the staff to point it out to you.
 
I wish they made the tubes of sealant smaller. Part surfaces are so small to begin with. It just seems so wasteful to me.
 
If you have a fuel injected bike with an oxygen sensor be sure to use RTV or room temperature vulcanizing silicone.
If you don't have an oxygen sensor feel free to use any silicone sealer... even the stuff for a kitchen/bathroom.
 
Use a proper mc specific sealant.Bathtub silicone can be very nasty in oil passages.Yamabond does a very good job.Sparingly is the key word.
Loctite 518 works extremely well.But is a bit expensive.
 
Wingboy said:
Use a proper mc specific sealant.Bathtub silicone can be very nasty in oil passages.Yamabond does a very good job.Sparingly is the key word.
Loctite 518 works extremely well.But is a bit expensive.
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That 518 stuff is amazing. We use it at work to seal up gear reducers... The Parmatex stuff just doesn't compare. Its like real cream vs skim milk.
 
Oh and the reason i didn't see it to begin with - it wasn't with the glues, it was in the automotive isles next to air filters, thereabout.
 
Mig21 said:
I got one of these, except clear not black. Interesting that the webpage says -62°C to 260°C but there is no mention of temperature either on the packaging or the tube :)
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The clear stuff is not the right stuff. Post a picture of the package you bought.

-Jamie M.
 
Mig21 said:
I dunno, looks like the same thing to me..
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Nope, wrong stuff. Not temperature rated and not resistant to gasoline or oil :(

You got the general stuff for like your bathtub or windows.

-Jamie M.
 
Crap :( Oh well, if I see a leak I'll redo it. It feels a little stupid that it's taking me so long to find something so basic, probably just my lack of experience taking engines apart :)
 
For what it's worth I always apply a thin coat of anti-sieze (I hear grease works too) to both sides of any gasket I install. That ensures that next time it's apart you don't need to spend an hour with an exacto blade removing the gasket remnants. AND if you're cheap like me you can, then, even reuse the gasket - though most frown on that practice.
 
Isn't that the opposite of applying sealant? It was a lot of work scraping that old gasket off for 30 minutes, but I figured they must know what they're talking about so I put what they asked for back on. Then again that manual has some retarded stuff in it everyone says not to do :)

I'm not sure I understand why it's needed, I mean look at the oil filter - it gets just as much vibration and heat and oil flow, but it's not even screwed in tight, never mind glued on!
 
As I said the anti-sieze or grease means you don't have to spend 30 minutes scraping off old gasket. But if you thought was fun then ignore my advice.

You can still use silicone over the A-S. I always assumed the sealant filled any minute scratches the gasket doesn't and or will make up for a slight bow in either surface that the gasket can't fill. Anyone able to confirm that?

As for oil filters, they usually recommend a coating of oil on the sealing rubber - pretty much serves the same purpose.
 
dirtbag said:
As I said the anti-sieze or grease means you don't have to spend 30 minutes scraping off old gasket. But if you thought was fun then ignore my advice.

You can still use silicone over the A-S. I always assumed the sealant filled any minute scratches the gasket doesn't and or will make up for a slight bow in either surface that the gasket can't fill. Anyone able to confirm that?

As for oil filters, they usually recommend a coating of oil on the sealing rubber - pretty much serves the same purpose.
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The sealant is used to cover the spaces between joints. Like a sharp turn in the cover, 90 deg. turns.
 
yma6yte5.jpg

This is the best stuff I have ever used (right stuff)
Use it all day long at work and have never had a leak with it.
 
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