Dear Leopold,
I have never used "Hondabond II" so I can't offer an opinion. But as a point of interest, that applies to an untold number of other sealants in that, never having used them, I know nothing about them. Yet at the same time it raises an interesting point: The reason I've not tried any of the many other sealants is because Permatex works well enough that I've never felt the need to try other sealants. By the same token, if I HAD to find another sealant, I would first use it on a Test Engine, probably something that never left the test-stand -- possibly a 2-stroker, hoping to accumulate more data in less time than with a 4-stroke.
A second point with regard to "Hondabond II" is that most of Honda's efforts now involve WATER-COOLED engines. If I had to find a new sealant I would look for something that was SPECIFIC for air-cooled engines.
Please understand my position here is not meant to be contentious. I was shown how to assemble Volkswagen engines in a certain way. Oil leaks were never a problem and never a point of discussion. There are a number of difference between what I was taught and the methods & procedures shown in various popular manuals. People who use those 'popular' methods often complain of oil leaks, causing oil leaks to become a frequent topic on Groups such as this, where people advocate different sealants, torque values and so on. I've mentioned the methods I use but only in the sense of saying: "I do it like this." There is no need for argument since the engine(s) speak well enough for themselves. Nor is there any reason for me to experiment with other sealants since the ones I use don't leak.
In the past I HAVE pointed out that other sealants are available but that was mostly for non-stock applications, or applications for which the Factory Service Manuals offered no information. Or for the notorious 'cardboard' sump-plate gaskets.
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Some years ago I was invited to attend the assembly of an engine, partly because the fellow needed help installing the cam gear on the crankshaft but also for the purpose of my catching any errors the assembler might make. This was not a comfortable occasion for me but one I could not gracefully get out of. In fact, I didn't see any glaring errors but neither did I see anything worth copying. What I DID see was -- over a period of about four hours -- the assembler talking on the telephone, talking to friends who dropped by (some of whom stayed), drinking a couple of beers, searching for tools and so on.
I came away with the impression that assembling the engine was something SECONDARY, a matter of less importance than talking on the phone, chatting with friends, drinking beer and so forth.
I think the point here is that the fellow doing the assembly created a number of opportunities where errors COULD occur. I can't say if they did or not, although once assembled he seemed to always be pulling the engine for one reason or another.
I don't assemble engines in that manner but I don't see any benefit in advocating my method over his. Clearly, the assembly of the engine was a matter of lesser importance than other factors to which he devoted considerable time. I don't know if he had any sealing problems but I saw several opportunities for such problems to occur.
I've a hunch that people who experience oil leaks or sealing problems are liable to blame the sealant rather than their assembly methods, leading to a never-ending search for a 'better' sealant when in fact a low-cost, commonly available sealant such as Permatex seems to be more than adequate... so long as it properly applied and the engine is properly assembled.
-Bob Hoover