Pushrod seals...cork or rubber ? Oiled or dry ?

[jbgoodner2]

How is everyone doing ? At the risk of opening a can of worms, what type of pushrod seals do you guys like best, rubber or cork ? ...and when using cork, do you soak them in oil, lightly oil them, or install them dry ? I have known people that swear by all three ways. I have always lightly oiled them myself. any thoughts ??? Thanks and God Bless !!!!!

[1962FLH]

I have used both but like rubber seals best.

[panhandler]

i've used both but had better luck with the buna-y rubber type, installed dry and making sure the seats in the lifter blocks are clean and dry as well as the bottom of the push rod covers (I have found one cause of leaks is dented or not flat and true push rod cover bottoms.).....but of course ya go with what works for you.

Keith

[james]

I agree with Keith regarding cleanliness of assembly.
I never had a problem with cork seals.
Had a problem one time with a push rod cover that was
re-chromed and the bottom lip just slightly chemically corroded
causing a void and a leak. The fix was to pull the tube across a piece of 220 sandpaper attached to a piece of glass. Once true and square no leak.
Examine your parts.
Jim

[chuck 56 pan]

I had cork, one tube leaked. put on blue silicone ones, no more leak. now I have blue on the back cyl and cork on the front cyl. I will tell anyone that notices that im running a test paid for by the stimulis.

[panbagger]

I also use blue silicone ......and like them better than cork.....Scott

[amiabledave]

I also use blue silicone. Never used rubber. The cork I put a light coat is grease on them, but would leak after several adjustments.

[rozemab]

+ clean
+ covers true

Quad O rings (douple seal), never leaked
material = Viton

look here:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#o-rings/=kwhkfv" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[58flh]

Always used cork on all my bikes!--Never a Problem!--I tried the Dlue & Black ones & had leaks from both!. The tubes themselves have to be in very good condition to get away with silicone seals!,Cork is more forgiving & will mold itself to any imperfection ,Like after a chrome-shop did thier work!. Once installed ,it olny takes 1 Heat & cooling cycle to find a home where they wont leak!. As for installation I dip them in motoroil & wipe excess off with a rag!-& proceed to install.Also most of the bikes that would come to the shop after a winter & have a seal or 2 leaking at the bottom were 90% of the time Sillycone. Im not saying that they dont seal!--but!, your surfaces have to be clean FLAT with no Divits & new springs help to!--You have to get a seal!, where as a cork is more forgiving in that dept. Most of the leaks I have seen were from a silicone product!,--just my 2----RICHIE

[awander]

When I bought my '52, it had the blue silicone seals init, and they always leaked some.

I bought some corks at a local hole-in-the-wall bike shop(now gone) and asked the owner how to stop them from leaking. He said get all the surfaces clean, and give the corks a quick spray of the red gasket sealer spray-I think it is Permatex?

Anyway, it sounded hokey, but I tried it, and have had no pushrod tube leaks since. It;s been 2 or 3 years.

[chuck 56 pan]

Interesting, Today I received my new steel non adj push rods from S&S, the instructions that came with them say to plug the tappet block hydraulic lifter oil feed holes when converting to solids, to prevent the tubes from filling up with excess oil escaping above the lifters and filling push rod tubes, causing potential oil leaks.

Chuck

[caschnd1]

Since I have Evo-like lifter blocks in my panhead, I use the rubber orings at the bottom. But for the middle and top I have had the best luck with cork. The blue silicone dried out and cracked too quickly. I have extra cork on hand all the time and I keep them submerged in a small container (an old 35mm film can) of motor oil. Keeps them soft and flexible.

-Craig

[58flh]

As to ANDYS post--the Permatex you are thinkink of comes in a Blue-CAN & theres copper color sealer & the RED sealer!--If you need to use the RED!,But if your parts are up to par you should need nothing!--I never had to use sealer for a cork!--But I have run across a few & its a PITA when the cork crumbles from sticking & you just want to do a Valve-ADJ.--That is the olny downfall!--You have to take em out & replace the cork!--After you clean-up the red goop that wiil have some cork stuck to it on the guide!--other then that, its FINE!---RICHIE

[Hog54]

I haven't ever had any problems with either. I have the rubber on my low rider and cork on my pan and neither has leaked.i think like others said here that either its dirty or damaged tubes.

[Pomike]

Cheap aftermarket pushrod covers are a problem, too. Make sure the edges are formed properly, and are not sharp, or else they will cut the seal. Mike