Removing a gasket coated with RTV

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Coco

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Yeah, so anyone have any tips for removing a gasket coated with RTV? Transmison cover needs to come off and I don't know how to get things off without carving up the mating surfaces with a scraper. Will permatex gasket remover eat RTV? I'd like to avoid carving up my freshly polished cover and prevent damage to the mating surfaces.

Thanks.
 
A razor blade at a flat shallow angle works well. You can get single sided ones or the holders for scraping paint overrun off windows to be safe.
 
Thanks. I was hoping I could buy something to soak in to the gasket to make things quicker but I feared I'd be there for a while with a razor blade.

Is there anything that will help remove the silicone once I get the cover off? I've never had to deal with removing RTV before.
 
There is a fluid that's made specifically for removing household silicone, (bath sealant etc) but I don't know the name of it, failing that, I wonder if cellulose thinners would soften it? must admit iv'e never tried it but it does soften most things,
Dave.
 
L.A.B. said:
Paint stripper.
Click to expand...

I'll give it a whirl. I think I'll try to slowly soak it into the gasket over the next few days before I attack it with a razor. Thanks.
 
BrianK said:
Brass wire wheel in a dremel works too....
Click to expand...

I still have to crack the seal and remove the cover. :shock: That thing is on there good. Getting the residue off is another story entirely so that is where I assume the wire wheel comes in.
 
Let me get this straight, you are trying to get the timing cover to pop off? I use the butt end of a wooden hammer handle and pop it around the parimeter till you see a gap. I use the word pop cause that 's what it seem to do. POP! A small screw driver here and there to bring it off EVENLY around. Shouldn't take much more persuasion to get it off. Two dowels, idler spindle, end of the cam and crank end all protrude into the cover. That is why it should come off evenly around or straight out in a perpendicular manner.
 
I use a hacksaw blade snapped in half or to the size you need, the trick is to find the brittle ones, which seem harder to come by these days. Any RTV that is left is easily removed with the stainless steel scourers - one of the handiest things to have about for cleaning and srcubbing things! To make life easier in future try using grease on one mating face before using RTV, I use TW25B and it works a treat as it is like a semi-grease, but I imagine Tetra gun here in the UK would do the same. Another trick, if you don't want use RTV in future, grease your gaskets and leave for a while to soften and then fit.
 
pvisseriii said:
Let me get this straight, you are trying to get the timing cover to pop off? I use the butt end of a wooden hammer handle and pop it around the parimeter till you see a gap. I use the word pop cause that 's what it seem to do. POP! A small screw driver here and there to bring it off EVENLY around. Shouldn't take much more persuasion to get it off. Two dowels, idler spindle, end of the cam and crank end all protrude into the cover. That is why it should come off evenly around or straight out in a perpendicular manner.
Click to expand...

I need the Transmission cover off (not a timing cover). It needs to come off a freshly rebuilt transmission (not built my me) so I can do a hydraulic clutch conversion. Shit won't just pop off as there is a fresh layer of RTV on the gasket surfaces. I have been trying to pry it off for a whole day, used heat and I tried cutting the gasket with a razor.
 
A while back I removed one of the two dowel pins from the various covers. Makes for a lot easier removal/installation and one is all you really need to help with installation.
 
To get the outer gearbox cover off remove the inspection and stick a hammer handle in, a rubber covered one is best, and then lever the cover off at loads of postions and it should start to move.
 
MexicoMike said:
A while back I removed one of the two dowel pins from the various covers. Makes for a lot easier removal/installation and one is all you really need to help with installation.
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Bad idea :!: the two dowels are there to secure the shafts remain centred.
 
Coco said:
pvisseriii said:
Let me get this straight, you are trying to get the timing cover to pop off? I use the butt end of a wooden hammer handle and pop it around the parimeter till you see a gap. I use the word pop cause that 's what it seem to do. POP! A small screw driver here and there to bring it off EVENLY around. Shouldn't take much more persuasion to get it off. Two dowels, idler spindle, end of the cam and crank end all protrude into the cover. That is why it should come off evenly around or straight out in a perpendicular manner.
Click to expand...

I need the Transmission cover off (not a timing cover). It needs to come off a freshly rebuilt transmission (not built my me) so I can do a hydraulic clutch conversion. Shit won't just pop off as there is a fresh layer of RTV on the gasket surfaces. I have been trying to pry it off for a whole day, used heat and I tried cutting the gasket with a razor.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my bad. But still, if fresh this should come off easier than old. A thin steel putty knife or an old butter knife, the thin kind that that can be tapped to the outer surface.
Ya know, it shouldn't require super goops and what not to keep this cover sealed. I use nothing but the gasket. If any pressure exsist, the 1/16 hole at the top of the inspection cover will take care of that. Don't be overly concerned about nicking the joint. The outer is easy to clean up. The gasket will handle the rest.
Please don't be insulted but it begs the question (and I am sure i am not the first one to think it, including you) are all the screws out?
 
Ha ha. Yes, all the screws are out.

Thanks guys. I'll put more pressure on the cover while prying and try that again. I don't think I was giving it enough juice before as I was worried about bending something. If that won't do it, then the razor it is.

I keep forgetting that I'm not building a piano so I tend to go easy on things that need some force sometimes.
 
Coco, I use a Dremel tool with a scotch-brite head after I clean it up with a chisel. If you have studs to go around a Dremel wire brush head works good. You wouldnt believe how mush I use this tool working on the NORTON. Phil
 
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