primary chaincase cover gasket

[marvic]

Hello all, i had an oil leak from the primary due to bad gasket and i removed the primary cover to replace the gasket. My question is, should i do some silicone with the gasket or just install the gasket without silicone? i heard  different options from friends that i should add some heating gasket silicone before closing the primary cover. Any advise on this topic would be helpful as i'm ready to close it up so i can ride this Sunday   

[RDfella]

Most of us (I think) prefer to keep silicon around the bath and out of the workshop. For my own part, I'd use either a smear of grease or, if the joint faces aren't great, a thin smear of hylomar.

[marvic]

RDfella great to know and thanks

[metalflake11]

Silicone has a nasty habit of blocking oil passages in the engine if you slap it all over the show.

I use it, but only a very thin smear on the gasket. For the chaincase there are no oilways to block so you can afford to be generous if you like.

I haven't had a gasket on my chaincase for as long as I can remember, I just make a small pyramid along the edges.

[Slymo]

Make a nice fat .8mm Flexoid gasket and fit it dry. You'll need to re tighten it after a day or so but that is what works on mine.

[Black Sheep]

Normal paper gasket and grease works for me.

[KiwiGF]

Hello all, i had an oil leak from the primary due to bad gasket and i removed the primary cover to replace the gasket. My question is, should i do some silicone with the gasket or just install the gasket without silicone? i heard  different options from friends that i should add some heating gasket silicone before closing the primary cover. Any advise on this topic would be helpful as i'm ready to close it up so i can ride this Sunday   

Another thing to look for is oil leaking around the (bottom) visible screw heads (small o rings can help) also past the bottom threads where the hole in the inner goes all the way through, I had to fit a longer screw on one, and put a nut and rubber washer on the back face of the inner (hope that makes sense). Sealant on the thread is another option that may work.

You may have to do a bit of detective work to locate leaks around the screws, obviously the oil will leak from slightly higher up if its an issue with the screws.

[GregW]

For sealing up timing cover and primary cover I have had really good luck with PERMABOND -LOK HH190. I have used it with and without gaskets and have not had leakage. I just removed both my primary and timing cover after  years (5 riding, 25 sitting) and did not have leaks and was able to clean up residue with one pass of a razor blade. I swear by the stuff. No gasket and/or  gaskets dressed with this are great to seal things. The sealant stays flexile, does not wash away with oil and is easy to disassemble. It is an anaerobic gasket sealer and does not seem to have any threat to engine oil passages.

This sealant is one required by M.A.N bus engines I worked on several years ago to maintain warrantee and has served me well on my A10 for 25+ years.