Post by 90GTVert on Oct 13, 2011 13:13:28 GMT -5
What chemicals do you use, and for what? No, not drugs and alcohol. What sealants, cleaners, adhesives, and such do you prefer to use on your scoot? I'll start with some of the stuff I try to keep around and probably knock out some of the obvious stuff.
Ultra Copper RTV : I prefer this for exhaust components. It works well alone to seal the header to the cylinder in some cases, sometimes it makes a good crutch when I have trouble with just a gasket working. Works great for silencer seals or muffler to header connections instead of buying replacement gaskets. A tube of this stuff saves me a lot of money on exhaust gaskets of all sorts.
Ultra Black RTV : I use this on reed gaskets. The minarellis are prone to leaks there and a thin coating on the gaskets can reduce the risk of a leak. I also use ultra black RTV on cylinder gaskets at times on the 2 strokes. I put a thin coat on both sides of the case gaskets for the GY6s and also on the base gasket in hopes of keeping all the oil sealed in.
Threebond 1194 : Tough stuff. I always use this to seal the cases together on the 2Ts. I've used it in place of gaskets for reeds and it never fails to seal, but it's very hard to remove. Works when no gasket is wanted on the base of the cylinder for the 2T as well. I find it best for stuff that you want to work for a long time, not things you need to remove often.
Copper Spray-A-Gasket : Works great for eliminating the head gasket and sometimes I coat the metal head gaskets with it for the 2Ts.
Anti-Seize : Apply to spark plug threads. The name tells the story.
Blue Threadlocker : Good for all sorts of nuts and bolts to keep them from loosening up. I rarely use this on anything I remove often, unless I have trouble with it staying in place.
Brake Cleaner : It's a strong cleaner that will remove all sorts of stuff, including things you don't want to remove so be careful around paint and coatings. It can dry out plastics and make them brittle too. I use it for cleaning engine parts, transmission parts, brakes obviously, and cleaning carbs (I use carb cleaner for carbs if I have it, but I tend to buy brake cleaner by the case.) It will work in place of starting fluid or carb cleaner to help out with no-start conditions at times too, but it tends to have a strong odor if the engine does start.
All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser : I tend to get whatever I can find in a gallon container cheap and use it to refill a spray bottle. A local shop sometimes has some off-brand stuff for $3-4 per gallon and it usually works about as well as the name brand stuff like Simple Green for example. What don't I use this for? Cleaning the workbench, cleaning wheels, cleaning off something that doesn't come off of a fairing with soap and water.... after all, it's "all purpose".
Multi-Purpose / Wheel Bearing Grease : I use thin coats of this on the thrust bearing and needle bearings for the starter in my 2Ts. I use a thin coat on the needle bearings inside the rear pulley and I lube the torque driver with it. I use in in the steering stem bearings and on the speedometer hub. A dab on the end of a screwdriver or bit can help the fastener stay on the driver when you can't reach or don't have a spare hand. It's good for a bunch of stuff.
Plastic Welder : The best glue for plastics that I've used. It's came in handy many times.
JB Weld : If I can't actually weld it or bolt it together, this is probably next on my list.
Rustoleum BBQ Black Spray Paint : I'm not sure if this really fits in here, but I had to list it. I started using this paint for exhausts, but ended up using it for a lot of stuff. It holds up to heat well and it dries faster than any other paint I've used. Flat black is easy to do touch ups on too because it blends in well, unlike gloss paints.
Well, there are most of my favorites and the things my shop feels naked without. Mine are pretty boring, run of the mill, and obvious. I'm sure someone out there has some interesting products that work for certain jobs.
Ultra Copper RTV : I prefer this for exhaust components. It works well alone to seal the header to the cylinder in some cases, sometimes it makes a good crutch when I have trouble with just a gasket working. Works great for silencer seals or muffler to header connections instead of buying replacement gaskets. A tube of this stuff saves me a lot of money on exhaust gaskets of all sorts.
Ultra Black RTV : I use this on reed gaskets. The minarellis are prone to leaks there and a thin coating on the gaskets can reduce the risk of a leak. I also use ultra black RTV on cylinder gaskets at times on the 2 strokes. I put a thin coat on both sides of the case gaskets for the GY6s and also on the base gasket in hopes of keeping all the oil sealed in.
Threebond 1194 : Tough stuff. I always use this to seal the cases together on the 2Ts. I've used it in place of gaskets for reeds and it never fails to seal, but it's very hard to remove. Works when no gasket is wanted on the base of the cylinder for the 2T as well. I find it best for stuff that you want to work for a long time, not things you need to remove often.
Copper Spray-A-Gasket : Works great for eliminating the head gasket and sometimes I coat the metal head gaskets with it for the 2Ts.
Anti-Seize : Apply to spark plug threads. The name tells the story.
Blue Threadlocker : Good for all sorts of nuts and bolts to keep them from loosening up. I rarely use this on anything I remove often, unless I have trouble with it staying in place.
Brake Cleaner : It's a strong cleaner that will remove all sorts of stuff, including things you don't want to remove so be careful around paint and coatings. It can dry out plastics and make them brittle too. I use it for cleaning engine parts, transmission parts, brakes obviously, and cleaning carbs (I use carb cleaner for carbs if I have it, but I tend to buy brake cleaner by the case.) It will work in place of starting fluid or carb cleaner to help out with no-start conditions at times too, but it tends to have a strong odor if the engine does start.
All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser : I tend to get whatever I can find in a gallon container cheap and use it to refill a spray bottle. A local shop sometimes has some off-brand stuff for $3-4 per gallon and it usually works about as well as the name brand stuff like Simple Green for example. What don't I use this for? Cleaning the workbench, cleaning wheels, cleaning off something that doesn't come off of a fairing with soap and water.... after all, it's "all purpose".
Multi-Purpose / Wheel Bearing Grease : I use thin coats of this on the thrust bearing and needle bearings for the starter in my 2Ts. I use a thin coat on the needle bearings inside the rear pulley and I lube the torque driver with it. I use in in the steering stem bearings and on the speedometer hub. A dab on the end of a screwdriver or bit can help the fastener stay on the driver when you can't reach or don't have a spare hand. It's good for a bunch of stuff.
Plastic Welder : The best glue for plastics that I've used. It's came in handy many times.
JB Weld : If I can't actually weld it or bolt it together, this is probably next on my list.
Rustoleum BBQ Black Spray Paint : I'm not sure if this really fits in here, but I had to list it. I started using this paint for exhausts, but ended up using it for a lot of stuff. It holds up to heat well and it dries faster than any other paint I've used. Flat black is easy to do touch ups on too because it blends in well, unlike gloss paints.
Well, there are most of my favorites and the things my shop feels naked without. Mine are pretty boring, run of the mill, and obvious. I'm sure someone out there has some interesting products that work for certain jobs.
