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Oil Filter HOUSING: Additional Blue RTV Sealant?

27K views 32 replies 17 participants last post by  RJUHAN 
#1 ·
A friend told me when he replaced the Oil Filter HOUSING Rubber Gasket (Black dots in the pic below), he also added a thin bead of RTV Blue Sealant around the perimeter (Blue dots).

Has anyone done this trick of a thin bead of RTV Blue Sealant or is it overkill?

 

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#2 ·
I just replaced mine about a week ago and didn't use any extra sealant. I would think it was not a great idea. That seal doesn't make that much contact with the engine as it is. Anything that increases the distance between the engine and the housing, even a little, would seem to me like a bad idea.
 
#3 ·
I would think it to be a good idea--the sealent will add insurance against another leak coming along--you would need to allow the sealent to dry throughly before starting up again--once the bolts are tuorqed down the sealeant would thin out and help not hinder. I would use the Permatex Black ultra seal instead of the blue--
 
#6 ·
#5 ·
I didn't do the housing sealant yet, but it is on my immediate to-do list. I AM planning to use a little bit of Permatex RTV right on the edges of the housing. Unlike your blue dots, I was planning to go right outside the 4 bolts, and put a little bit around the head of the bolts.

I am planning to use the 'copper' color RTV as this is what I already have from using it on the valve gasket cover. Why buy another one? The copper RTV has a very high temperature specs, so I am sure it will be ok.

I think its a good idea to use RTV to go into all those microscopic gaps and scratches to fill them up and seal them. It can't hurt, right? Just to put them on the very outside edge to make sure it is not going to get inside anything in there.

mw
 
#7 ·
Hey CN90--I've used both the Blue and the Black Permatex for years now--the Black came out about 15 years or so ago and I was turned on to it by a freind in the biz--the stuff is much stronger thane the blue--oil won't touch it as long as there was no oil under it when applied--strong stuff---I've used it under 427 Ford FE intakes without the mounting end gaskets and the stuff held--in my book thats as strong as it gets.
 
#8 ·
FYI-

From a technical standpoint using any sealant betwee the two surfaces reduces the pressure on the OE seal from what it is designed to be. The blue Permatex is formulated to cure even in the presents of oil, whereas most other silicone sealers are not.

YMMV
What is the thickness of the thin smear of RTV at the edge of the housing after the bolts have been torqued to spec?

I have no idea what it is. Maybe you have some info somewhere. But just using my common sense, it is definitely less then 0.1 millimeter.

If 0.1mm will reduce the pressure of the housing gasket by that much as to create a leak problem... ??? Than we are really in trouble. - I don't think so.

mw
 
#9 ·
#10 ·
After the Gasket is installed in the Housing, it sticks out about 1mm before install.
I understand that BMW does not call for extra sealant, but it is this goofy design that allows the factory gasket to leak as early as 50K miles.
A very thin bead of RTV sealnt will be squeezed down to paper thin once the bolts are torqued down.
The key word here is thin bead.

I guess I will be the guinea pig and will report back.
 
#12 · (Edited)
The DIYs you find on the web are mostly OK, some of them miss details such as torque and Freeze Plugs etc.

I do have the DIY, I am writing it up this weekend if you can wait.
It is more complex than you think.

1- O.F. Housing Seal DIY is not difficult but one can strip a bolt if not careful:

http://bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/727932

2- The two (2) Freeze Plugs in the back are troublesome, they leak too:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410800&highlight=freeze+plugs

I am putting together a diy for the whole thing: gasket + two (2) Freeze Plugs.
So stay tuned. I will post it this weekend.
 
#13 ·
It's not a gasket. It is an O-ring. It is not designed to have any additional sealers. Make sure that all surfaces are spotless that this O-Ring will contact. M8 bolts to be tightened to 22NM
or 16.2 foot pounds.
 
#16 ·
When it leaks, it leaks from either:
1. Gasket (common problem after 60K miles).....or
2. The 2 "Freeze Plugs" in the back.

Either way, the area BEHIND the OF Housing will be wet and the Oil Pan will have trace of oil dripping. Mostly because the wind created by Fan Blade and the road wind pushes the oil back.
 
#18 ·
Yes I know this is a somewhat old thread!!!

CN90, how has your oil filter housing gasket repair held up? I assume that you did use RTV as indicated above. Thinking about doing the same and would like to know about performance.

Looks like either the Permatex Black or Copper would be a good choice.
 
#23 ·
Just a follow-up.

I posted that idea of extra RTV a few years back but ended using only the gasket (BMW OEM gasket). Six (6) years and 70K miles later, no leak.
No need for additional RTV. However, it does not hurt to have a bit of RTV as mentioned.

The key thing is "sequential torquing" of the bolts.
- Seat the housing down finger tight.
- Tighten the bolts in sequence, a bit at a time.
- The gasket will settle in.
- Then tighten sequentially a bit more.

etc. etc.


Anyway, in many vehicles I have owned, most of these gaskets leak around 100K, it is the nature of the beast.
 
#25 ·
theres lots of little tricks of the trades that a lot of people dont know about or never did... or never had the option to do ...

Adding a little rtv is one of them.. you can easily and safely add RTV to the OFH gasket... but BUT

the most importent part is you have to put it on... and let it set up... B4 you actually install and tighten it down


Like..... permitex coper gasket spray on a block face b4 and after seating the head gasket

Like RTV on the half moons of a valve cover gasket


There is always pitting and warping of parts after use... this includes just about every mating surface on the car



Litttle bit of gasket material..... let it sit.. 15-20 install like normal
 
#26 ·
theres lots of little tricks of the trades that a lot of people dont know about or never did... or never had the option to do ...

Adding a little rtv is one of them.. you can easily and safely add RTV to the OFH gasket... but BUT

the most importent part is you have to put it on... and let it set up... B4 you actually install and tighten it down

Like..... permitex coper gasket spray on a block face b4 and after seating the head gasket

Like RTV on the half moons of a valve cover gasket

There is always pitting and warping of parts after use... this includes just about every mating surface on the car

Litttle bit of gasket material..... let it sit.. 15-20 install like normal
+1 unless you use permatex the right stuff, it sets in 1 minute.
 
#29 · (Edited)
since we are on the permitex trip... (which i love )

Gold copper spray,
*while the head is at the shop getting faced and valved

Green rolox scruff pad *NOT RED green

rolox the block by hand for as long as your hand will take it, you can get it real nice with time... you can do the top of the pistons if you want to

Blow it all off, wipe it down, dry....... spray the block generously (not like its liquid sitting) then place your headgasket then spray again.... wait 10 or so seat the head, proper touqre and sequence.... youll never do that head ageain
 
#30 ·
Well, I did this job yesterday. What a PITA to change a 6 dollar gasket. It's done though and everything appears to be dry so only time will tell. The gasket was definitely leaking but it did not appear to be failed in any one location. It was definitely about 0.5-1.0 millimeter thinner than the replacement gasket. Otherwise you would never know there was an issue, other than the oil all over the block.

No RTV was used. There really isn't much room to get even a narrow bead on the housing so I just used the gasket and moved on.
 
#31 ·
So I am doing this later today, replaced the Oil filter housing gasket a month ago and it still leaks.

Any issues using RED RTV instead of the black or blue or copper as suggested here? Because I only have the red around,

I plan on cleaning every thing up with degreaser spray, then once dry and clean I will apply a thin bed of RTV with my finger around the mating surface and let it sit for 10 - 15 mins before reinstalling. Its a old M52B28 Block with the black plastic oil filter head cover.
 
#32 ·
This seems to have cured my problem, applied some RED RTV Sealant around the edges of the oil filter housing, which was not warped from the looks of it, I did put it against a flat straight edge or a ruler and this and that, seems to be fine.

Whats important I think is that a genuine BMW Gasket is used, Another fail I found was my oil filter cap (plastic) was leaking, the new rubber o ring was poor quality and has flattened out!; replaced it with my old one and that did the job.

Also torqued the bolts slightly around 20-25ft-lbs (keep it to 21ft-lbs to be safe as they might strip), the factory spec is around 16 ft-lbs.

So all this and a bit of driving around parked up and there, never thought I would say this but no more drips on the floor!

:)
 
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