by NWade » Sat Sep 02, 2023 4:07 pm
RTV has a history of causing engine failures once it’s inside the engine.
Permatex Aviation Form-a-Gasket (anaerobic sealant) is recommended specifically because any excess dissolves into the oil and doesn’t become rubbery chunks/schmoo like RTV.
Given the quantity of this stuff that you’ve found already, I would not take any chances. Given what you’ve found so far, there may be chunks lurking in the engine and able to cause a clog or interference at any moment. The amount of sealant required on engine parts is very tiny -just a thin film at most. The fact that you’re finding this much stuff makes me believe it was put on like thick peanut butter. Everywhere it has “squeezed out” inside the engine represents a flap or glob of semi-hard material that could break off and begin floating around in the engine or oil galleries at some undetermined point in the future. The only way to be sure that it won’t happen is to split the case, scrape it all out, and then put it back together according to the instructions. It’s not the “easy” answer, but it’s the one that gives you peace of mind and no surprises in the future.
—Noel