I've got what may be, I hope, an easy question for your gearheads.....
How long does a tube of RTV stay good?
I have one tube that is still pliable that has been open for probably several years and one still factory sealed.
The rest of the semi- fossilized opened tubes I've already pitched....
I'd say if it comes out of the tube looking decent then use it.
Carl
I agree. There is an acid (smells like vinegar) in there that is used to keep it from setting up until applied. Once that evaporates, you have the fossilized version. If it comes out of the tube OK, use it.
"Carl" wrote in news:I_udnULRwOaanJPYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
We have some old caulking-gun tubes of silicon (Rotasil?) at the warehouse that doesn't cure. First time i have seen that, but it IS french.
They seem to last a long time as long as you don't let them freeze. When they freeze they go jelly.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >It would probably be safest to just pitch them. Things are usually safe from freezing in the back of the garage but I'd rather not risk a failure on a $3 tube o RTV.
Vinegar? Wouldn't that be silicone then? Silicone eats Jeeps??? OOh...bad.....
Seahag
RTV is a type of silicone. The 'RTV' part means room temperature vulcanization which is a chemical process. It used to be a heat process for vulcanizing.
The vinegar that outgasses from the silicone makes acetic acid when it rains which will eat up body metal.
'Normal' RTV or silicone will also kill O2 sensors faster than you can blink. All they need is one whiff of the stuff. The 'new' RTV is called 'sensor safe'.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N>At work we keep our RTV for 13 months, opened or not, ater which time it is classed as time-exed and gets sent back to the mfg. By law we are required to clean out all time expired items every month. I happen to have 3 tubes of RTV, 1- 5oz bottle of locktight and a can of releaseall due to expire in the next 30 days. Garage stock up :)
Snow...
billy ray wrote:
They are moisture cured and release acetic acid as they cure. If it is squeezable, it is still useable.
Red Jeep proclaimed:
The acetic acid released during cure is much stronger than vinegar and is extremely corrosive to anything anywhere near the adhesive--including your eyes and lungs.
Seahag proclaimed:
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.