[dsraven]

just as a side note, RTV is basically any silicone that is made to air cure but a lot of the stuff you find will not be oil resistant and is made for sealing or bonding. the automotive stuff is made to resist oils and heat etc but even some of those are not made for engine use but rather are for sealing glass or holding trunk rubber in place etc. it's always best to know your product. there are a couple of "the right stuff" RTV's too. one is a 1 minute cure and one is a 90 minute cure. grab the correct one if you wanna add oil or coolant right away in the affected area.

rusty, you're probably correct on the machinist thing and I think thats what is going to happen, a skilled machinist is going to make a new cap or fix the old one and either way the crank bores from front to rear will likely need to be checked for alignment and size. welding or brazing on the original cap may warp it so it will need to be checked at least. thats why the engine is taken apart and sitting on a table ready for the machinist to see what can be done. it's gonna be interesting for sure. prolly not cheap, but interesting.