|
|
Posted by Sherman in Idaho [24.32.202.166] on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 13:19:55 :
In Reply to: Pipe dope mean pipe thread compound? posted by Sterling from Texas [166.147.123.169] on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 12:18:54 :
I always just use the Teflon paste kind (Harvey's, TFE paste, etc) that comes in a bottle with a brush in the cap, both on water and gas pipes, and on vehicles on all pipe-threaded fittings like the 1/8" fitting for the brake light switch and oil pressure lines, and coolant lines like where the heater valves go in. I also use it on all bolts that go into the water jacket. It seems to be fine for those pressures and temperatures. The old white lead pipe dope in a stick seems to be obsolete. I haven't seen it for years.
Teflon tape is okay in most cases, but you have to think about what would happen if small pieces of it came off and went into the fluid. The worst would be on oil lines where it might plug an oil hole and cause loss of lubrication to a bearing. Also, Teflon tape is so slippery that it's very easy to over-torque a fitting and crack the female part (on fuel systems, especially), and yet even though it's tightened almost to the breaking point, the fitting may still vibrate loose.
Flare fittings should never have any pipe dope on them (tape or paste), because they are supposed to seal with metal-metal contact at the flare, but I'll admit that I've put a touch of TFE paste on the flared end of a fuel fitting sometimes as a field expedient to get it to quit leaking, and often it works. I can't imagine it working at all on flared brake tubing, though.
Follow Ups: