<VV> Re reply to Frank

[Smitty]

Smitty Says;  Since it is cold out and I am not going to play out there, I 
have time to raise a couple of inconsequential points.  We had a discussion 
at our last club meeting about RTV gasket material for pan and valve cover 
gaskets.  I rather strongly made the point that the original RTV and some of 
its offspring makes lousy gasket material.  The original RTV gasket maker 
sold in various colors was lousy.  Oil attacked it and whatever extruded 
inside the covers or pan would turn into jelly.  In some cases it would 
break down so badly parts of it would get adrift in the oil system and you 
can imagine how good that was for the oil galleries and the parts they were 
supposed to be lubricating.  The engineers finally got their act together 
and developed an improved product.  It is called Ultra.  Ultra blue, ultra 
red, ultra black etc.  That stuff works and unless you go nuts with the 
volume of application it will stay where you put it.   Removing a pan for 
instance where it has been used you will find the Ultra product squeezed 
inside and if you want it off you will have to tear it off.  If you want it 
off the flat surface you better be prepared to do some work.  It stays where 
you put it.
Applying sealer just to the outer edge is fine to a point but you must use 
enough to seal the bolt holes or you will have oil seeping from inside, and 
out the holes
So I guess the answer is to stay on top of new developments.  You don't have 
to put your battery on a board to charge it anymore.