Mercury Perfect Seal Alternative: What Qualities Make a Perfect Alternative?

Gasket sealing is crucial in any automotive to secure components and provide an airtight seal. For years, Mercury MerCrusier perfect seal has been widely the preferred brand for marine vessels. Unfortunately, since they seized the production of sealing compounds, there is a high demand for alternatives.

Mercury perfect seal alternatives include Permatex aviation form-a-gasket No 3. Permatex 80062 high tack gaskets and marine pro gasket sealing are also worthy substitutes. These sealants share the same qualities as the mercury perfect seal, including withstanding heat and pressure.

The question many users ask is, what makes a perfect alternative? In this article, you will learn about the various alternatives for the Mercury Perfect seal sealant and what makes them preferable.

Mercury Perfect Seal Alternative

Mercury’s perfect seal has been a quality sealant for years, offering a gasket seal to components. The alternative quality sealing compound should have various qualities, like a high-pressure seal against water and other liquids.

The table below shows the various sealant alternatives to the perfect seal.

Sealing CompoundManufacturerQualities
Permatex Aviation Form-A-GasketPermatex sealantSlow-drying, non-hardening sealant Resist against gasoline, oil, and grease Wide Temperature range between -65°F to 400°F.
Marine Pro gasket sealingPro marine partsResist common shop fluids Can resist up to 204°C Easy during disassembly
Permatex 80062 High tack gasket sealPermatexHighly tacky Resists axle lube, Kerosene, and propane Can withstand temperatures up to 500°F
Gasgacinch 440-AGasgacinchRemains flexible Adhere to materials like lead Has vibration-dampening qualities

What Is the Purpose of a Sealant?

Most vehicles use gaskets to seal a gap between two parts. However, sometimes a gasket won’t do alone and must include a sealant as a reinforcement. The airtight and watertight seal is crucial, especially in the air and marine vessels, to protect against damage.

A sealant seals the parts against water, oil, anti-freeze, gasoline, and vacuum pressure. Some sealing compounds also have noise and vibration-dampening qualities to improve the vehicle’s durability.

In addition to that, some sealants are made with silane compounds enabling them to protect against corrosion on items like nuts and fitting thread. Without sealants, vital parts like the engine would get damaged due to exposure to liquids.  

What Are the Alternatives to the Mercury Perfect Seal?

Since mercury marine /Mercruiser stopped manufacturing perfect seal sealants, it has been hard for their customers to find an alternative. Customers who have ordered the perfect seal on Amazon have received other products, causing confusion and frustration.

However, few worthy substitutes provide almost the same quality as the old Mercury’s Perfect seal such as

1. Gasgacinch 440-a gasket sealer

Gasgacinch 440-A Gasket sealer made by Gasgacinch company in the USA. This sealant is a good option because its sealer remains flexible, which makes mounting and dismounting parts easier.

Likewise, it adheres to aluminum, carbon steel, lead, titanium, and cork. The sealant works in hot, warm, dry, or wet environments as well.

2. Permatex aviation form-a-gasket sealant

The Permatex aviation form-A-Gasket sealants are made by the Permatex company, founded in early 1909 by Constant Benoit. This sealant is a good alternative because it dries slowly and doesn’t harden.

It is also used in various automobiles but often in boats and planes. The Permatex sealant costs between $15 and $50 in local and online stores.

3. Marine pro gasket sealant

Marine pro gasket sealants are manufactured by Pro Marine USA parts company. The sealant is a good alternative because it resists various fluids, including water, oil, and coolant oils. This sealant is also easy to disassemble and has a temperature resistance of up to 400°F.

4. Permatex 85420 permashield sealant

The Permatex 85420 Permashield is manufactured by Permatex. This sealant makes a worthy alternative because its tacky formula allows unlimited assembly time.

Similarly, it also remains flexible at low and high temperatures ranging from-50° F to 500°F. The cost of Permatex 85420 Permashield sealant ranges between $20 and $90.

What Qualities Make a Perfect Alternative?

In the quest to find a better alternative to Mercury’s perfect seal, various seal qualities should help you decide. Quality sealants do more than hold parts together but also protect the items against damage.

Following are the different qualities you should look for in a sealant when deciding the one to buy.

Be flexible

A quality sealant should dry out slowly and remain flexible for a long time. The flexibility allows smoother assembly and disassembly of the parts. Also, a dry sealant is prone to cracking and is unable to keep fluids or vacuum pressure.

Easy to apply

A quality sealant should also be easy and controllable during installation, especially the quantity. Most come with a brush for easier installation, and the excess is washed using Acetone (Dimethyl Ketone)

Adhesive

The sealant should also be faster to stick on various surfaces, including steel, rubber, cork, and lead.

Resistance

Accordingly, a quality sealant should be resistant to dirt and UV light. The sealant should be anti-chemical and waterproof, especially when used on a sea vessel.

Withstand temperature changes

The sealant should work in wet, dry, hot, cold, and abrasive environments. It should also have a high melting and freezing temperature working on both hot and cold temperatures.

Durable

In terms of durability, the sealant should last long on the machine without damage, and the leftover should be stored for future use.

Non-corrosive

The sealant you select should be able to protect metals in your vehicle against corrosion as well.

Key Takeaways

Finding alternatives can sometimes be challenging, especially if the product has impeccable qualities. Luckily for the perfect seal by Mercury MerCruiser, there are a number of substitutes worth trying. The choices are based on the sealant’s qualities, including adhesion and flexibility.

If you’re looking for a mercury perfect seal alternative, you may consider Gasgacinch 440 and Permatex aviation form-A-gasket sealant. The Marine pro gasket sealant is also worthwhile due to its high resistance to various fluids.

However, you can always explore more sealants by gauging them by the qualities provided in the article.

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