RTV sealant is our friend... Sealing the Dana 18

Dan, what brand and part number did you use for teh double lipped seals? I just ordered some and the cross reference number that my auto parts guy decided to use what not double lipped...

 

Dan: Yup, that's the # on the National Seal.

Mine leaks like a sieve on the botton cover. I found most of the bolts just finger tight! Got to remove it and RTV, with a gasket, back on. Don't forget to smear RTV on the bolts also. They are drilled thru to the case. If you don't seal them, it will leak around the threads!

 

dan;

don't forget to rtv the speedo cable and smear some around where the metal housing is clamped to the cable housing. mine was leaking there also! :?

 

Yea, I know what you mean. My problem is that I'm not removeing the case, so I can't get the threaded part in the case dry enough to use Locktite. Just going to totally clean the bolts and RTV the bottom half and run them in as fast as I can so they won't get oil on them.

Supriseingly, I don't have much oil leaking out of the output shafts! :?

 

I see my transfer case is leaking. I think it is coming from the threads for the pan bolts. I should have sealed them when I rebuilt the case. Haven't even had very much time on the road test...Or should I said yard test.

 

An old timer told me never use RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) because oil will always work its way between RTV and the adjacent metal. He said to use Aviation gasket maker/sealer #2 or #3 (forgot which number, probably 2). Any comments on that statement.

 

Fred: Your friend is sort of right. RTV doesn't really adhear to metal, but it makes a good gasket "filler". The sealer you're refering to is Permatex #2. Sort of the standard for non-hardening gasket sealers for many, many years. It still works great.

I've sort of gotten away from #2 and gone for Permatex "High Tack". Used it for years also. Especially good for front and rear rubber gaskets on intake manifolds. It's totally "anything" proof and actually "expands" with heat.

In my above post I stated that I would use RTV on the bolts. Well, upon second thoughts, I might use High Tack as it "sticks" to the metal better and will seal just as well, maybe better.

 

I won't use RTV on any mechanical part like engine, transmssion, the transfer case or axles, I personally Dan hate that crap (no offense intended) my dad would have killed me back in high school or afterwords if he saw me use RTV (blue glue as we called it), you either used spray on gasket sealer or one with a felt blob to put it on, Permatex or wheel bearing grease on a gasket but silicon or RTV was a big no no. Grease works very well on certain types of gaskets that you just need to hold in place, I generally use Permatex #2 or the spray on copper based permatex.

 

Mike: You know, I don't think I've ever used it on an engine. I've got a tube of Ultra Copper now, don't know why I bought it, but I know it was not for an engine. I usually use it for pluging holes.

I've seen two MC engines sieze from use of RTV--A Triumph & Harley. That was enough. I did use it on a tranny pan once and a diff cover. Worked OK but I don't think it was any better than anything else. It does work good on oil pan covers (not the engine) where the surfaces are not perfectly flat since it fills the gaps OK.

Like I said, I usually use Permatex High Tack. I even found it would seal the banjo fitting on Jag fuel pumps that were mounted in the trunk.

 

RTV

RTV IS OUR FRIEND- IF WE USE IT SPARINGLY. On my son's XJ the 231 transfer case uses rtv only on the case halves-use to much here and the excess in the case will plug up the pump causing bearing failure,$$$$ I agree on the permatex it's just very messy and hard to get off your hands. - If it leaks it still has oil in it- it just when it quits leaking that you need to worry. :hurrican:

 

Billy: Nuff said.

Patrick: You are correct, but the problem is getting the drain pan mateing surface on a D18 chemically clean when it's mounted and dripping the remaining oil out while you're on your back under the Jeep. R)

 

Patrick: "Note to self": Take cigarette out of mouth before proceding! R)