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RTV Sealer tubes hardening between uses.

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Rick B.

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Dec 29, 2008
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460
Location
East Tampa
Has anybody come up with a way to keep RTV sealer from hardening in the tube and or nozzle between uses? I've tried removing the nozzle and installing the screw cap but the next time I use it I still have to drill out the hardened material in the front of the tube. I've left the nozzle on and shoved a screw or plug into the tip and the material in the nozzles still sets up solid. It's getting so I might as well just buy a new tube every time I need to use it. Anybody got a solution? I'm tired of having to poke holes in the side of the tube after the initial use.
 
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rlitman

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Oct 18, 2010
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Long Island
I haven't had luck with this, but RTV tubes are something I only use every few years or so, so I'm always opening a fresh one.

If you're looking to extend their life by a few months, I suspect that the cap is too permeable to the solvents. I'd try putting a piece of aluminum foil over the opening before capping it.
 
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landrover bodger

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Sep 25, 2014
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Location
norfolk england
i just put a wood screw in the end of the nozzle and hope its ok next time i need it . i also buy the smallest tubes i can get so if it goes off less waste
 
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man-a-fre

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Nov 1, 2007
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359
Location
Nebraska
I have had good luck by putting the cap on and barely tightening it,I think the caps crack easy if you tighten them and it sets up.
 
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Here2Learn

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Oct 27, 2009
Messages
342
Location
Alabama
I bought some corkscrew looking plastic "tool" that is supposed to keep it sealed. I have not used it yet. I can't remember the name or where I got it, but there exists such a thing. :)
 
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Aquamoose

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Jan 28, 2014
Messages
365
If using squeeze tubes with twist on nozzles, squeeze out a dab and form a mushroom (with wet fingers) over the top & let dry. It makes a handy cap until next use. If it sits longer, it will start to dry up in the tube but that’s ok, twist off the mushroom flush, take off the nozzle and use shop air gun with a rubber tip to blow out the wad like a booger and you’re back in business. I do this often for silicone RTV sealants.


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TangoFoxTrot

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Jan 23, 2009
Messages
1,961
It's just not worth experiencing a failure over, at least the times I've used it, I'm not redoing the job over $5. Unless you're a shop that's constantly using it, I would use a fresh tube for every automotive job. I just threw out a bunch of sealed, unopened tubes because the RTV felt hard inside of it after several years.

I remember I had a shop do a timing belt/water pump job and when I got the vehicle home, my garage was covered in coolant. He said it was the RTV, who knows the story behind it, but I wouldn't want to have to redo a job like that to save the $2 left of RTV in an opened tube. I could have lost an engine over it.
 
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Arkansas COB

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Sep 15, 2015
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Arkansas
I generally put a piece of saran wrap doubled or tripled or a piece of a sandwich bag over the opening and screw the cap back over that. saran wrap works best. seems to seal better. Not to tight though as mentioned before. The cap will split. I have a tube thats been open for around maybe 2 months and it was still usable this past weekend. Have a tube of shoe goo thats a good 6 months open and still good to go.
 
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kapster

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Dec 14, 2011
Messages
517
Location
Wooster, Ohio
I have had great luck using "the right stuff" in an aerosol can, on my second can now. As a side benefit, seems like really good stuff. Think they make rtv in an aerosol as well? I used up a can over a year or so, probably 5 or 6 uses. I can't remember ever getting to the bottom of a tube of rtv.

They recommend leaving the tube on and balling up some to seal it. When I need it again, unscrew the cap and pull the dried up stem out. Screw the tube on and pull the trigger.

https://www.permatex.com/products/g...ex-the-right-stuff-gasket-maker/?locale=en_us

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Dumber than lumber

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Dec 19, 2015
Messages
1,897
When the RTV hardens in the nozzle I cut off the tube at the bottom.
Use a paint stir stick or similar to squeeze out as much as I need.
When done flatten out the tube with paint stick. Next time I just cut the bottom of the tube slightly below the bulge of material.
Have been able to get many uses out of tube this way.
 
C

Copymutt

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Sep 3, 2016
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Location
Colorado
Foam ear plugs. Haven't tried these on RTV tubes, but they work for caulk. Just roll em like you would for your ears and stuff em in the nozzle.
 
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Honda guy

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Feb 20, 2011
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735
Location
North Carolina
Arkansas COB said:
I generally put a piece of saran wrap doubled or tripled or a piece of a sandwich bag over the opening and screw the cap back over that. saran wrap works best. seems to seal better. Not to tight though as mentioned before. The cap will split. I have a tube thats been open for around maybe 2 months and it was still usable this past weekend. Have a tube of shoe goo thats a good 6 months open and still good to go.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I do. Two layers of saran wrap, then put the cap on.
 
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larry4406

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Jan 27, 2006
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19,248
Location
Northern Virginia
I used Right Stuff in a tube for an engine rebuild. Squeezed a section about 1/2” out of tip leaving it connected and laying on bench. The exposed portion hardened. Later when you want to use it pull on the dried section and it pulls out clean and ready to use. Directions for this are printed right on the tube. RTFM.
 
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dnschmidt

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Oct 3, 2014
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Location
Phoenix, AZ
The Right Stuff is one of the few products ever made that lives up to its name. That **** is "The Right Stuff" for most RTV applications.
 
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M6erfan

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Dec 6, 2014
Messages
10,170
Location
'Merica!
I've tried everything and... nope, just doesn't last long. I wish they sold smaller "one time use" sizes, feels like such a waste every time I throw one out and have to buy a new tube. I don't need 3-4oz of sealant to do one valve cover/water pump/etc. gasket. Busy shops that use it often are a different story.
 
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bonneyman

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Apr 22, 2010
Messages
8,795
Location
Desert SW
Never tried it with RTV, but with caulk it works well: Old rubber wine corks. Drill a hole in the end a little bigger than the tube end, and push it on tight.

Or you could try this little device. The Caulk Saver. Screws into the material on the end, seals it pretty good, then when you remove it the threads grip the hardened material near the end and pulls it out.
Here's a HF one. The one I got from Ace Hardware is a bit different and works great.

https://www.harborfreight.com/caulk-saver-97561.html
 
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MikeF2316

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Dec 29, 2012
Messages
9,605
Location
Thornhill, ON
I push a 3 1/2" framing nail into the nozzle, then wrap in a plastic bag (multiple layers) and tape. I just used the bottom 2" of a tube to install vents in my shed that I last used 3 years ago when I built the shed!

I had bought a new tube as a backup, just in case the old one was bad. This procedure doesn't always work.
 
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demarpaint

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Sep 17, 2010
Messages
1,237
Location
Long Island
I clean the excess from the tube, then tear off a small piece of aluminum foil, place it over the tube nice and tight, wrapping it onto the threads, and screw the cap down. That makes a foil seal of sorts. The method has been working well for me. YMMV.
 
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