RTV cure time?

[iwannadie]

So, I changed the Tstat on my cherokee and have been battling a leak on the Tstat housing. This will be the 3rd time cleaning, sanding and RTVing it to hope the leak goes away.

However I need to get to work with the dam jeep tonight and dont want to let it sit the 24 hours to cure. Is the 24 hours a must or over kill for Tstat rtv(grey) to cure? I just need to drive like 7miles to work will 15 hours be enough cure time...

 

[Ckanderson]

well if you gotta drive there, you gotta go, leak or not. doesnt sound like you have much of a choice, now do ya?

 

[iwannadie]

well if you gotta drive there, you gotta go, leak or not. doesnt sound like you have much of a choice, now do ya?

Well I can always find a ride if I must, sucks to wake people up at 2:30am for a ride though. Just wondering if the 24 hours was a must or 'recommended'.

 

[starscream5000]

I'd say the water pump is pushing too much pressurized coolant through for the seal to hold...

I'd say it'll leak if it doesn't cure, but you gotta work, right?

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Use 'The Right Stuff'......Done.

 

[johnathan1]

Inspect the sealing surfaces to make sure they aren't pitted or corroded...even if the RTV is a little on the wet side, it should still seal...unless you are using JUST RTV and no gasket...

 

[Superjustin13]

Use 'The Right Stuff'......Done.

Ding ding ding

when that shits on, have fun getting it off, it sticks like a MOFO, i use it on my oil pans on my 7m's and taking them off, HUGE, HUGE pita

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Ding ding ding

when that shits on, have fun getting it off, it sticks like a MOFO, i use it on my oil pans on my 7m's and taking them off, HUGE, HUGE pita

I use it on my truck when putting shit back together that needs major sealing or on Intake Manifold Installs. NEVER had a leak with that shit....well worth the $13/can IMO. Hell, I Ghetto-fixed my lower radiator hose on my truck with it one time. Right after I installed the blower, I wasn't paying attention and the blower belt didn't have enough clearance from the hose (it wasn't touching, but only cleared by 1/16"), so it eventually cut into the hose and it got a small leak....well, the NAPA replacement hose wouldn't work with the blower, so I built up the worn-down portions of the hose with 'Right Stuff' and duct-taped that area to give it a little more strength....I ran that for almost 6 months before I replaced it with a new hose from the dealer...LOL!

 

[iwannadie]

I have a can of the right stuff, but it dried up and is now useless lol. Its all caked into the nozzled and the lil rubber piece on the top, dunno how to clean or prevent it from happening. I used it 1 time when doing my bhg, on the valve covers.

The surface on the head was not pitted at all. Some old gasket was left, I sanded it down to bare smooth metal. The Tstat housing is brand new and looks perfect. Ive tried 3 times now, each time the leak is less and less so I hope this time its good to go. I swear you could eat off the 2 surfaces they are that clean ha.

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Sounds like maybe one of the surfaces is warped/uneven...most likely the T-stat housing itself...

 

[iwannadie]

Sounds like maybe one of the surfaces is warped/uneven...most likely the T-stat housing itself...

The housing is brand new from a reputable performance company. If it was a case of being warped the leak would stay consistant, its gotten smaller with each gasket scrap lol.

I think it was just some old gasket left overs. Also, maybe some coolant seeping out getting the sealant wet right away. I drained the head so no coolant was in it this time.

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Could be. In any case, good luck with it. If it leaks again, throw down on some more 'Right Stuff'...takes less time to set up and partially cure than regular RTV.

 

[iwannadie]

Could be. In any case, good luck with it. If it leaks again, throw down on some more 'Right Stuff'...takes less time to set up and partially cure than regular RTV.

If I could get the can unclogged I would have used that in the first place lol. I dont want to buy another can and use it once just to have it clog again.

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Use an awl or a scribe or small phillips screwdriver or something.