briggs ohv cover. gasket or rtv

[38racing]

I'm finding the rtv a pain. many times I've found the gasket reusable. usually they switch to save money. seems to me rtv would add some small smount of labour time to assemble. is rtv that much cheaper as gasket material?

[hanz63]

It was like 2007 when they switched to sealant. The little ridge on the valve cover went away after that. Personally, I use Permatex Right Stuff. No waiting to get back in service.

[KE4AVB]

The service bulletin 746 was dated March 2009.

Considering the price of the Right Stuff and that I am not that big of hurry I used either the Ultra Black or Ultra Grey rtv and wait over night. I do use the surface prep spray for better adhesion. I apply, install the screws finger tight, and torque to spec after overnight cure time.

It is about $6.25 vs over $20 for the Right Stuff. Now the Ultra Black is 3.5 tube vs a 5 oz Right Stuff. The choice is lot more about time between use lost of the product. If you go through a lot, like a tube a week than it is just a matter of choice, but here it may be over a month between uses. Now the tube Briggs sell is only 1/2 oz and they are very proud of it price wise.

One side note on the rocker covers. You don't simply pry them off; unless, you like straightening them. You use a block of wood and a hammer to shear them off first or at least loosen them. At least that how I get them off here.

And I can tell the difference between one that were quickly put in service vs the ones I wait overnight before putting back in service. The ones I had put in service quickly would come back in a few months with leaks especially those Kohler Courage single cylinder engines. I just did a head gasket replacement on a customers that the last time the rocker cover was sealed was in 2015 and it was still sealed until I removed it.

[hanz63]

Prep is key on the bucket engines for sure. You should try the Right Stuff. It works so much better. Twist the cap on w/ some plastic film / bag in the threads, lasts long time. Like silicone, you don't have to have them squeaky clean to the metal and they still seal. On Briggs covers, I slide in my repurposed thin would chisel. , but at the top corner and lift away. For the longest time I didn't see the Briggs factory jobs leak until this spring when they started to appear rather regularly. I bout the Briggs stuff once . Once.

[Arkie]

If you are not using the tubes of gasket maker very often or want to save un-used tubes put them in a zip lock bag and store in the fridge. The permatex types will eventually get a dry film in the top of the tube in the fridge vs going completely bad and dried when not in the fridge during long term storage, but I have an old tapered hand reamer or a file handle and can break loose the dried portion.

I've also got a large sheet of gasket material and make up spare gaskets as time allows usually in winter time several types of small engine valve covers gaskets, small engine carb and intake gaskets, and also have a sheet of High heat wire impregnated type for exhaust gaskets using OEM gaskets as a pattern or sometimes having to use the ball peen hammer method for getting a pattern.

I also do as K4AVB and not expose the fresh permatex type gasket makers (and even Yamaha bond to oil until it's set for approx 12 hours if I want to most likely get a more permanent long term seal to oil.

I've got a tube of Yamaha Bond in a small one zip bag that has been in the fridge for over a year and still A-ok with no dry film on top.
Several paper gaskets now days are around $10 (and should be around 35 cents) vs cost of tube of gasket maker vs sheet of good gasket material. Quite often I can put a thin layer of gasket material on one side of a gasket and light coat of oil on the other side and get a good seal and re-use the gasket if removed later. (like for example around carb and intake paper gaskets on small engines)

[KE4AVB]

I might try the right stuff but getting off the cover I install with the Ultra Black/Grey is a pain with even a putty knife that why I found that I can shear them off instead. So I know they are sealed good.

You got to remember Briggs has been brought by a financial investment company which means they will do things the absolutely cheapest way even it hurts business down the road. It is buy at the cheapest and sale at highest price they can ripoff the customer for.

It is like the retaining ring for the starters. They now wanting me to sale them for $5.09 with my cost at $3.31 apiece. Well I ordered 20 from a Rotary supplier at $1 each. That is Briggs $66.20 lost order in flavor of $20 Rotary order.
Matter of fact I ordered very little in the line of Briggs parts this year due the ridiculous prices; just depleting my stock instead. Sorta glad I have only seen 6 Briggs engine this year. I having a major Kawasaki engine invasion here.

My Briggs distributor is demanding that I order at least $2,000 in parts by the end of August. Not going to happen; unless, I get the repairs in. They are threatening to close my account so as far as I care they can. They are the ones that caused me to setup a Stens account last year as they intentionally started lying to me, jack up the shipping rates to outrageous levels, and raise their prices a lot.

On top I got ripped yesterday at Autozone on a AGM battery that I just found I could got for under $30 thru Amazon but locally it was $75 before taxes. But since I didn't have my tax exempt papers with me they insisted on charging it.

Basically it has been a pain in the backside the last month around here. I had to change banks due to banking fees. The current local CU was holding my check deposits for two weeks. I just tried sending a payment to my CU in Dayton and it going to take two weeks to process. Now I got to shut down the purchasing of parts because of the delay due the CU in Dayton allowing me to setup a new external account link. Have to mail them a check which means the two weeks the local CU is taking is now at least three weeks.

I don't think I going to stick with the local CU either as they are so paranoid about security as I have to call for a pass-code everytime I login to the online banking system. They want place a permanent cookie on my system. I still got to figure which cookie it is as I am deleting all cookie on exit of FF but there is a way to keep some from being deleted. It already cost them me switching over my CC and a 10K CD. I not putting a whole lot in a CU that can't trust a business.

[Arkie]

Yep, got to constantly watch your backside and pocket book now days.
Lots of Mr. Haney's and his kinfolks doing the pricing.

Napa was going to CHARGE ME $40 plus for shipping to buy an auto axle from them. (I always ask for the total price)

Rock Auto had the exact same thing for $100 less. (the NAPA extra charge shipping was not mentioned until I asked for a total price)NAPA said it was not coming from their warehouse. I said must be air freight out of China and did not get a return reply.
(and few days ago O'reilly's quoted me a price for a master cylinder for a vehicle and rock auto had the same exact items for $60 less)

[KE4AVB]

I know it seems the locals are out to rip everyone off lately.

I use to buy my Stihl parts from local John Deere dealer until they revoke my discount and added a $20 per order shipping charge. They were better than the first Stihl dealer. Now I buying from another Stihl dealer that gives me the 10% discount and seldom ever charges me shipping as I am will to wait on his now stock order shipments.

As for auto parts I have been using Rock Auto too along with an old family favorite JC Whitney. JC Whitney was cheaper than the local junk yard on a set on mirrors for my truck. Besides I didn't want 21 yr old plastic mirrors.

[38racing]

Yep, got to constantly watch your backside and pocket book now days.
Lots of Mr. Haney's and his kinfolks doing the pricing.

Napa was going to CHARGE ME $40 plus for shipping to buy an auto axle from them. (I always ask for the total price)

Rock Auto had the exact same thing for $100 less. (the NAPA extra charge shipping was not mentioned until I asked for a total price)NAPA said it was not coming from their warehouse. I said must be air freight out of China and did not get a return reply.
(and few days ago O'reilly's quoted me a price for a master cylinder for a vehicle and rock auto had the same exact items for $60 less)

been buying car parts from rockauto for almost 20 years. I can get stuff shipped to canada from Texas for less than me shipping the same size parcel by postal to the adjacent postal code in canada.
I can even pay rockauto in cdn dollars from my bank account and save the ripoff PayPal exchange rate.

[Arkie]

When preparing a parts order for the really needed parts from rockauto I also take a look at their rtv/gasket sealers, windshield wiper blade prices to add to a order. Their windshield wiper blades are name brand some are like less than $3 apiece for same ones that are $15 and up each at auto parts stores.
Really neat that their web site helps choose the lowest prices parts and most preferred first and also helps with getting all parts at one shipping rate.

Wished rockauto would open a small engine parts store selling Briggs & Stratton parts at reduced rates.