storing silicone sealant

[AJ]

For those of you who like using silicone sealant on your gaskets (e.g., valve cover, points cover, etc.), nothing is more annoying than picking up a nearly full tube of the stuff and finding it has all solidified on you.

Next time, place the tube in a zip-sealed sandwich back and store it in your refrigerator. Squeeze the excess air out of the bag as you zip it up.

I'm on my last eighth of a tube that has to be 3 or 4 years old, which is what made me think of this tip.

[chuck hahn]

Seal A meal bags are resealable and youll get ALLl the free air out.

[AJ]

There are two parts to why this works. First, RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) silicone rubber needs water from the air to cure. Sealing it in a bag keeps the water out. Also, the cold air in a refrigerator is also drier than air in most places. The other part has to do with the rate of chemical reactions, which decrease by 50% for every 10*C (18*F) you decrease the temperature.

[Agemax]

i just wrap a piece of cling film over the nozzle with an elastic band on it and chuck it back in the cupboard. never had any problems so far

[bwringer]

Why are you using RTV on your GS?

[tkent02]

i just wrap a piece of cling film over the nozzle with an elastic band on it and chuck it back in the cupboard. never had any problems so far

I have, and also heat does it in. I have had a couple tubes of it that won't dry, ever. They were stored in a hot climate in a drawer in the garage. Now the stuff stays liquid forever, days weeks even months after squirting some out it has not dried.

I have had two or three tubes of it do this. And about fifty of them dry out all the way through.

[AJ]

Why are you using RTV on your GS?

There seems to be some prejudice here against using RTV on motorcycles. I've been using it for over 30 years and would not be without it in my toolkit. The trick is to use it properly, but that can be said for just about anything.

[1_v8_merc]

There seems to be some prejudice here against using RTV on motorcycles. I've been using it for over 30 years and would not be without it in my toolkit. The trick is to use it properly, but that can be said for just about anything.

Yeah I agree. I've done some pretty amazing stuff with it.

I patched the side of my float bowl with it, to stop a fuel leak, temporarily. Well... 9 months later, I go to install some new Main jets, and I'm like WTF is this crap on here? OH YEAH.....hey it's still not leaking! It must have took me 15 minutes to cut threw all that RTV, I couldn't believe that stuff put up such a fight.