Real life example of what may happen when not using the anaerobic sealant for the cam cover

shodanx · Post by **shodanx** » 10 Dec 2018, 20:10

Hello

First RTV silicone cures with moisture not oxygen

Second, the issue you have here, is excess sealant that got into some very poorly placed oil passages

If the anaerobic sealant part was the issue, it would not have gotten in the oil passages but rather you would have uncured sealant that didn't seal and eventually bypassed

Post by **abscate** » 11 Dec 2018, 00:41

Some good stuff from Permatex on the craft

https://www.permatex.com/ten-common-gasketing-mistakes/

Post by **oragex** » 11 Dec 2018, 05:14

Excess of sealant was definitely a problem. But I wonder if the right amount of RTV would have been fine for the cam cover?
My idea is the physical gap for this cover is very very small as it has a tight tolerance from machining. The contact surfaces are also quite large in some areas. This causes the sealant film to be extremely thin and wide. It may be the reason why a standard RTV may not cure properly as, as you mention, humidity doesn't reach deep enough inside the 'gap'. The car in the video came at the shop with oil leaking from the gasket which seems to mean the RTV can't cure properly inside such tiny gaps. Just a theory..

Post by **BlackBart** » 11 Dec 2018, 11:39

That guy sounds just like Michael Andretti. I didn't know he fixed Volvos on the side - busy guy.