Gasket or sealer for clutch cover

[Guest]

Does anybody here go sans gasket for the clutch cover and just use a decent sealer?
I have a friend who works as a mechanic who uses a sealant rather than a gasket for some jobs.
Could this be done on the clutch cover?
The gasket looks like it makes a bit of a dam, is there a reason for it?
What would happen if it weren't there?
Cheers

[almarconi]

I prefer a gasket and rtv sealer.

[81gs1100]

I used just a plain Suzuki gasket and it sealed fine, not troubles what so ever, and its way cleaning looking then sealer.

[rapidray]

Gasket alone is all I've ever needed. Ray.

[KiwiGS]

Thanks for the replies, maybe I wasn't clear. I was wanting to know if I could go with out a gasket altogether.
Cheers

[almarconi]

Thanks for the replies, maybe I wasn't clear. I was wanting to know if I could go with out a gasket altogether.

As long as it doesn't leak..go for it.

[Nessism]

Automotive OEM's sometimes skip the gasket so I don't see why you can't although the clutch cover is a load bearing member so that may change things some. If you dedice to give it a try make sure you get the proper type of sealer..

I rebuilt an EX500 engine a few years ago and after consultation with an EX engine builder guru, I skipped the gaskets and just used ultra black silicone on everything. No leaks afterward so I'd say it can be done.

[bwringer]

Gasket only, please. And I hate RTV.

On many GS bikes, the thickness of the gasket is important. We installed a crappy thin aftermarket gasket on a friend's GS850 one fine day, and then he couldn't shift. Turns out the shifter shaft on his bike was binding against the inside of the clutch cover with the thin crappy gasket in place.

A new OEM gasket fixed things right up. We could have ground a bit off the inside of the clutch cover and/or the end of the shifter shaft, but I would much rather not make permanent modifications to accommodate a low-rent $8 gasket.

[twistedwankel]

I used just a plain Suzuki gasket and it sealed fine, not troubles what so ever, and its way cleaning looking then sealer.

+1 on this not a drip and I never use any atv so I know it will come off the next time in one piece with no scraping of aluminum.

[tkent02]

The problem with RTV is the little balls of it that form on the edges when the screws are tightened up. They can break off and float around in the oil, end up blocking some tiny oil passage somewhere. Not a good idea anywhere there is oil.

[Rudeman]

The problem with RTV is the little balls of it that form on the edges when the screws are tightened up. They can break off and float around in the oil, end up blocking some tiny oil passage somewhere. Not a good idea anywhere there is oil.

I agree. That silicone is not soluble in oil (or anything for that matter) and may create a blockage and kill your engine.

If you decide to risk it be sure to use as little as you can get away with.

[Larry D]

I would use a gasket before any type of sealer. Bad things can happen with sealers.

[Nessism]

I rebuilt a Mazda 12A rotary motor once and both the oil pan and front cover were sealed with RTV – no gasket. Nissan also uses a lot of RTV on their engines for similar applications (I’ve been in a plant and watched robots apply the sealer). The type of RTV these companies use is not the same as the stuff commonly available at auto parts stores, it’s a special RTV that is designed to function as a gasket and it does not peel off in chunks like the stuff many of us are familiar with - Three Bond calls this stuff Liquid Gasket http://www.threebond.com/LGasket.html. Bottom line is if you decide to go sans gasket, but do some research and find the proper sealer material and don’t slather it on overly thick.

[Rudeman]

I rebuilt a Mazda 12A rotary motor once and both the oil pan and front cover were sealed with RTV – no gasket. Nissan also uses a lot of RTV on their engines for similar applications (I’ve been in a plant and watched robots apply the sealer). The type of RTV these companies use is not the same as the stuff commonly available at auto parts stores, it’s a special RTV that is designed to function as a gasket and it does not peel off in chunks like the stuff many of us are familiar with - Three Bond calls this stuff Liquid Gasket http://www.threebond.com/LGasket.html. Bottom line is if you decide to go sans gasket, but do some research and find the proper sealer material and don’t slather it on overly thick.

Good advice.