Dirko HT vs. other RTV sealant

Newbie question! Nick is working on a Stihl 391. Stihl recommends Dirko red sealant for making the cylinder gasket. We can’t find any locally and He doesn’t want to wait a week if we order it online. Can we use another brand of ATV high temp sealant, actually the question is, are they ALL fuel resistant or what brands do you all use? Also, the Dirko brand is $20 and the store brand at Harbor Freight is $3.99!
~Lissa

 

huskihl would know the answer to that.. A few others as well I'm sure.

Fifelaker

 

I’d only use rtv as a last resort. Motoseal should be available at the auto parts store

 

Thanks! We’ve been reading reviews and a lot of people mentioned Motoseal. We’ll probably end up going with that
~Lissa

 

i use Yamabond 4 which can be found at the local motorcycle shop. I have done many many base gaskets with just Yamabond 4. Make sure it is 4 and not 5 or any other number.
I do not know if RTV is fuel resistant and would not use it myself. The Yamabond is specifically made for 2 stroke engines and sealing them.

When I am deleting the base gasket Yamabond is what I use.

 

Motoseal has been my go to for a good while. No issues to report from using it. Been great on the plastic case to metal and metal to metal applications.

 

Yup, I can vouch for YB4...great stuff!
The Right Stuff works good too.
Gasketing – The Right Stuff® Gasket Makers

 

Although Dirko smells similar to conventional RTV (acetic acid/vinegar when curing), it definitely is not the same. It’s a proprietary sealant that can handle gasoline exposure.

I’ve used Dirko and Hondabond for clamshells and base gasket deletes. I’ve used Loctite 518 for fortifying gaskets... I wouldn’t use that on clamshells, though.

 

Thanks everyone for all the advice, It definitely helped Nick make a decision. We found some Dirko at a Stihl dealership in another city. Worth the drive and the money to get it done right!
~Lissa