Gaskets, Silicone,or ?

[Fitter274]

Hi All,
What do you guys use for sealing steering clutch housing covers? I was thinking of using RTV silicone, but was also thinking of maybe anerobic gasket maker.(red jelly type) Also, should there be any sealant between final drive and clutch housing? Thanks for your input. Brian

[pdmech08]

I would recommend using the Deere sealer part # unknown at this time. It is a red sealer/locker made by Loctite I believe. It is a replacement for the clutch cover gasket Deere originally had. Also used on the final. Someone else on the board will know the part #. Steve.

[jdemaris]

I would recommend using the Deere sealer part # unknown at this time. It is a red sealer/locker made by Loctite I believe. It is a replacement for the clutch cover gasket Deere originally had. Also used on the final. Someone else on the board will know the part #. Steve.

I wouldn't use it - at least not on inspection covers for steering-clutch housings. If fact, I would't use it anywhere unless I had no other good choice. We had many service-related problems with that stuff. Works good in certain high-stress applications - but not as general sealant. The John Deere "Plasti-gasket" made by Loctite allowed Deere to cut down on large gasket inventory - and subsequently gave us a lot of field-repair headaches. Go out to the field or woods - and try to replace a final drive on a 540 log skidder, 4020 tractor, 350C crawler, etc. When the gaskets were used - you could pull the final drive, fix it, and then reinstall with a new gasket. But - when Deere stopped selling gaskets - and we had to use the Loctite - it became a problem. A machine would sit there and drip oil for a day - and the Loctite won't cure with oil dripping on it. So -a lot of time had to be spent finding a way to get the area dry - or - tilting the machine in an effort to stop oil dripping, etc. The Plasti-Gasket is supposed to be used with a spray-primer that makes it set faster - and just cost more money. When it cures properly, it is rock-hard and makes things pretty hard to get apart later.
After years of wasting time with the stuff- Deere went back to making real gaskets for many of the big housings.

Deere did have some interesting and useful chemicals. That red Plasti-Gasket worked very well in some problem areas - including sealing hydraulic pumps with scratched mating surfaces - but you had to be real careful. The stuff is kind of strange - I've got an open bottle sitting on my shelf now for 20 years - no top on it and it's still all liquid. Seems it has to be compressed to cure and never evaporates. At the same time the Loctite stuff came out -Deere also started using Devcon metal-epoxy to glue wheel hubs onto splined axles that often came loose - on 1010s, 2010s, log-skidders, etc. That stuff is amazing and I still use it.

Back to the original question. I'd make a gasket for the top inspection plates if it was mine - since they need to be pulled every once in awhile.
In regard to sealing final-drive housings against the steering -clutch housings? I'd use a permatex product if anything - or a very thin layer of red RTV (room temperature vulcaninzing compound). With the later, you have to be careful. If put on too thick - you can wind up with a rubber layer inbetween the two housings instead of pure metal-to-metal contact.
You can also use the Deere red Plastic-Gasket - just as Deere did OEM with many 350Cs. But - you don't need it, it can cause problems during installation, and - if it's done right - makes it pretty hard to remove the housing later.

[Tigerhaze]

Sorry to highjack the thread a little, but since we are talking about gaskets I thought it a good time to ask. With respect to hydraulic components (specfically the reservoir filter cap on a 2010 loader), would I need to do anything other than use a new gasket? I have the new gasket in hand.

Out of habit for auto repairs I am used to sealing gaskets in contact with engine oil (valve covers, oil pans, etc.) with blue RTV and have good experiences. However I have limited experience with hydraulic systems. The reservoir doesn't seem to be under pressure. Thanks for any replies.

[jdemaris]

Sorry to highjack the thread a little, but since we are talking about gaskets I thought it a good time to ask. With respect to hydraulic components (specfically the reservoir filter cap on a 2010 loader), would I need to do anything other than use a new gasket? I have the new gasket in hand.

That cover has to be pulled off once in awhile to service the two separate filters inside. So, seems you don't want a sealer on the gasket if it's going to make it stick and rip whenever you pull that cover.

[RANDY Fay]

I would say there is about a 90% chance just the gasket would be fine--the other 10% would mean oil leaking to the outside--maybe not to much--water getting into hyd. oil cloging filters--causing damage to pump and every thing else--all over the price of a gasket??? I also do not use silecone on hyd. parts not that it don't work well--but it tends to squeze inside and is washed loose by oil flow and will be found in filters
As for John Deere plastic gasket (T43514) I think it is one of the best products on the market--when deere used gasket on these housings the housing would work causing the gaskets to break and work out from under housings leavings bolts loose and everyone knows where it goes from there--maybe it dose make these crawlers harded to take apart--but i never put one together to take apart JD plastic gasket is also a very good thread lock have fun Randy

[Tigerhaze]

Thanks for the replies- I had bought a new gasket for the hydraulic reservoir (because the cap hadn't been off for a while) and was just wondering if silicone was needed. I am going to be doing the hydraulic cover on my Ford tractor as well so wanted to know beforehand for that as well.

[jdemaris]

Thanks for the replies- I had bought a new gasket for the hydraulic reservoir (because the cap hadn't been off for a while) and was just wondering if silicone was needed. I am going to be doing the hydraulic cover on my Ford tractor as well so wanted to know beforehand for that as well.

You might want to reach down to the bottom of the tank and check the suction-filter (assuming it has one). It often gets missed during a filter change since it's hidden below the oil. Most of the older Deere crawler-loaders have twin filters - a suction at the bottom, and a return at the top that is bolted to the top-cover you are removing.

[jdemaris]

As for John Deere plastic gasket (T43514) I think it is one of the best products on the market--when deere used gasket on these housings the housing would work causing the gaskets to break and work out from under housings leavings bolts loose and everyone knows where it goes from there--maybe it dose make these crawlers harded to take apart--but i never put one together to take apart JD plastic gasket is also a very good thread lock have fun Randy

I think Deere Company doesn't agree with you.

Seems Deere Co. feels the same way we did in our shop. They stopped selling the stuff as a gasket-maker and now only sell it as a thread-locker - EXCEPT in parts of Canada.

The number you cited - T43514 has been obsolete for quite a while and replaced - i.e. subs to Deere part # PM38655 which is purple and flexible. Not red and hard as Plastic Gasket was. The purple stuff is also sold under Permatex-Loctite # 515.

I don't know of any Deere wheel tractor, crawler, combine, etc. that ever had a problem with gasket-sealed housings coming loose as you mentioned. If the correct gaskets are used - and not homemade - they are very hard and don't compress very much. There are millions of Deere log-skidders, crawlers, and farm tractors that use them. In the early 80s, Deere tried eliminating some of the gaskets and replacing with the red Plastic-Gasket. It caused several problems - especially with outdoor field repairs. It doesn't cure with oil dripping on it. It also doesn't cure in cold weather - and we had to do many repairs out in woods in 10 degree F temperatures and the stuff would not work.
That being said - it did work well in a controlled environment for certain types of repairs. It does make stuff harder to take apart - and yes - I understand your comment about not planning to take stuff back apart. The reality is - any machine will have to come apart sometime - if it keeps getting used - and even if well cared for. Anything wears out over time. Final-drives on combines and log-skidders are a good example. If a machine is well used and maintained - you can almost plan by the hours used when they need to be redone.

Deere Plastic-Gasket is now only available in Canada under Deere Canadian part # PM38627 or Loctite # 27731. In the United States - Deere now only sells it as "Thread Locker 277."

All the equipment that Deere had previously been recommending the red Plasic Gasket- now either gets real Deere gaskets again - or - the flexible purple stuff - Deere # PM38655. Deere calls it "Gasket Maker 515."

[Lavoy]

There is a new product I have been using, can't remember who makes it, called Right Stuff. It is a gasket eliminator, and is used by the OEM's for different applications. It is flexible, stays somewhat flexible I believe, and works great. I had an engine oil pan that was not quite square and would leak no matter what I did. I don't like silicone either, and my local parts guy sent me out a can to try. Worked fantastic, problem solved. It is not cheap, seems to me $25-$30 for a small can like a cheez whizz can, the kind you squirt on crackers, but works great, I will always have a can on hand now.
Lavoy

[wwattson]

Is this the stuff Lavoy?



Bill

[Lavoy]

Yes, that is it. It is kind of spendy, but works great.
Lavoy

[wwattson]

Cool. I found the "cheese wiz" style can for $21 a couple of places on the internet and some short caulking tubes for $6.50 a tube. Looks like cool stuff.

[Lavoy]

The aerosol cans seem to work the best, the caulking gun is kind of inconvenient unless you are using it on a daily basis.
Lavoy

[RANDY Fay]

I felt real bad to think I was posting part #'s that were obsolete--until I went into John Deere on line parts catalog and seen they were doing the same thing sorry for any problem this may have caused check it out
http://picasaweb.google.com/yasshol/PlasticGasket

Lavoy I got a sample can of that right stuff off salesman--put it in service truck tool box-forgot about it for awhile--when I found it a month or two later can was flat--never got chance to try it Randy