Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-26-2016, 02:32 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
City: Hampton Bays, N.Y.
Vessel Name: Grand Yankee
Vessel Model: 1981 49' Grand Banks Classic
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 328
Sealant For Fuel line fittings

Is there a Sealant recommended for diesel fuel line fitting and connections ??
Ron T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 04:21 PM   #2
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
Lots of different fittings are used on marine fuel lines: copper compression, single and double copper flares, Parker and similar tapered cone fittings and finally hose barbs with clamps.


With the exception of the last one, all of these are designed to seal with no sealant. If you can't get one of these fittings to seal without a sealant or maybe a squirt of WD40 for lubrication while tightening, replace the fitting.


David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 05:09 PM   #3
Guru
 
jleonard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,037
Rector seal. That's what Tony Athens on boat diesel recommends Available at Home Depot
jleonard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 06:12 PM   #4
Guru
 
twistedtree's Avatar
 
City: Vermont
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,093
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleonard View Post
Rector seal. That's what Tony Athens on boat diesel recommends Available at Home Depot
Yes, I've had the best luck with Rector Seal #5, but as djmarchand points out, many types of joints are meant to be dry. Rector Seal or other sealant is for tapered pipe threads.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
twistedtree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 06:21 PM   #5
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
Very good comments above. I've had excellent experience with Permatex product as used by two mechanics I respect.

https://www.permatex.com/products/ga...lange-sealant/
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 07:06 PM   #6
Guru
 
ulysses's Avatar
 
City: Gulf Shores, Ala.
Vessel Name: Ulysses
Vessel Model: Romsdal 1963
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 878
djmarchand: Perhaps I misunderstood your statement. Hose barbs and clamps need a sealant ?
ulysses is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 10:27 PM   #7
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,786
Quote:
Originally Posted by ulysses View Post
djmarchand: Perhaps I misunderstood your statement. Hose barbs and clamps need a sealant ?
No, but that is the only type of fitting that might benefit from a sealant.

David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2016, 10:30 PM   #8
Guru
 
Vashon_Trawler's Avatar
 
City: St. Petersburg, Florida
Vessel Name: M/V Sherpa
Vessel Model: 24' Vashon Diesel Cruiser
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 598
Ditto on Rectorseal #5. I've used it on all sorts of fittings to include metal and plastic--it works quite well.
__________________
“Go small, go simple, go now”
― Larry Pardey, Cruising in Seraffyn
Vashon_Trawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 12:20 AM   #9
Guru
 
78puget-trawler's Avatar
 
City: LaConner
Vessel Model: 34' CHB
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,257
NAPA used to sell a product called WOGS for water, oil, gas, sealer. They still sell it but just under their own name now, not WOGS anymore. Probably something to do with political correctness? Anyway its a brown gooey stuff that does semi harden overnight and it works very well, even with gas. I had to just the other day take apart a leaky stand pipe fitting on top of my fuel tank and doped the threads with it. Stuff works. That of course was when the galley table came down on my nose!
78puget-trawler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 05:14 AM   #10
Guru
 
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
Rectorseal good.
OR, Seal All sold at Home Depot is good. Seal ALL will seal up gasoline fittings. Is a clear liquid dries to a hard rubber plastic. And it does work on gasoline, I tried it out.

Seal-All

There are very few sealers that will works with gasoline since it now has 10% alcohol.
I have even coated metal parts with Seal All for immersion in gasoline. Like as in filter housings to prevent rusting.
sdowney717 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 09:29 AM   #11
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
The important thing about sealant is to not get any on the end of the thread where it can get into the fuel. I use both Rectorseal and Teflon tape but insure neither is applied so any sealant gets on the end of the male threads.

David,
Do you have no sealant on the many pipe thread joints on your boats fuel system? Never heard of that and do'nt see how it could be but many (as in many many) use sealants on gasketed mating parts (especially on engines) whereas the gaskets seal the joint. And using sealants where none is required or intended could lead to leaks probably dependant on the sealer used.

Plumbers universally use Rectoseal (or equivalant) on pipe threaded joints in the industry so why do they do it?
__________________
Eric

North Western Washington State USA
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 10:17 AM   #12
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
It's Leak Lock for me. Never failed me yet.

Highside Chemicals Inc. manufacturers Leak Lock and Leak Lock Gold.
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 11:15 AM   #13
Guru
 
ulysses's Avatar
 
City: Gulf Shores, Ala.
Vessel Name: Ulysses
Vessel Model: Romsdal 1963
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 878
There are different types of "threaded joints". Those with tapered threads should be "sealed" those without should not. A flare and/or compression fitting that has a "sealant" may diminish the mechanical nature of the fitting. If the liquid gets to the sealant then it means the mechanical fitting is not working. A thread compound might be used to allow for easier dismantling but need not have sealant properties.
ulysses is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 11:18 AM   #14
Guru
 
Heron's Avatar
 
City: Cypress Landing Marina (NC)
Vessel Name: Heron (2)
Vessel Model: '88 Cape Dory 28 Flybridge #115
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,305
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad Willy View Post

Plumbers universally use Rectoseal (or equivalant) on pipe threaded joints in the industry so why do they do it?
Tapered NPT threads (common in standard plumbing fittings) actually require sealants to work correctly. Some good info on sealing fuel fittings here:

How to Properly seal Fuel Fittings and Fuel Lines
__________________
Steve
Heron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 11:30 AM   #15
Guru
 
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heron View Post
Tapered NPT threads (common in standard plumbing fittings) actually require sealants to work correctly. Some good info on sealing fuel fittings here:

How to Properly seal Fuel Fittings and Fuel Lines
I have had worn stretched brass NPT fittings that I soldered together for fuel systems.
Once soldered with a torch and acid flux, that is very solidly sealed.

Torch also will take them apart, and can also put them back together. I repaired my 45 year old fuel manifold doing that. All the valves were disassembled, I was soldering only the threads. I had some that were just too loose for any sealant to hold.
sdowney717 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 11:47 AM   #16
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Heron,
That's what I thought. Good link.

717,
60/40 lead/tin I assume. That's really interesting. Don't think I'd be inclined to heat ball valves though. Can one insure solder won't get into fuel lines during assembly? Think I'll stick to tape and Rectum seal.
__________________
Eric

North Western Washington State USA
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 11:50 AM   #17
TG
Senior Member
 
TG's Avatar
 
City: Oceanside, CA
Vessel Name: Tera Grace
Vessel Model: Californian 42 LRC
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 197
On threaded fittings I used Permatex #1. Available everywhere and works great.
TG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 02:16 PM   #18
Guru
 
C lectric's Avatar
 
City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,414
Tapered pipe threads, NPT and others, were designed to seal without sealers. The catch is that works ONCE, for the initial tightening but not for subsequent uses, and requires accurate, good quality machining.

In most cases that is not the case. Even if a new fitting is used the threads it screws into may have been altered by the removal of the first fitting so that seal cannot happen.

Sealers are used to fill the tiny gaps between threads that almost always occur. Many fluids may not leak as they are too viscous but many will, including gasses.

Plumbers and anyone working with fittings,, pneumatics, hydraulics, gas fitters, use sealers routinely because the consequences of a leak from one lousy fitting can be major rework and very expensive. Not just the cost of the part but the rework time , the mess, the lost production and all the associated costs.

There are places that sealant should not be needed such as JIC, compression, flares unless they have been damaged in which case they actually should be replaced but where those fittings are adapting to a NPT a sealer is almost always used. In the case of the flares, JIC, compression, sometimes the damage is minor enough and pressure low enough that a sealer will work. I have used some Loctites in those cases, small quantity just to fill the gap, not gobs. However unless darn positive of no leaks after, it was replacement time.

I should mention that many fittings use either an O ring for the seal or a crush washer that should be replaced each time that fitting is disturbed. The actual threads are straight, not tapered. Many, many of those types of fittings are used industrially.
C lectric is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 02:31 PM   #19
Guru
 
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad Willy View Post
Heron,
That's what I thought. Good link.

717,
60/40 lead/tin I assume. That's really interesting. Don't think I'd be inclined to heat ball valves though. Can one insure solder won't get into fuel lines during assembly? Think I'll stick to tape and Rectum seal.
The valves on mine are cone valves, so they come apart easily. They are just like this.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Moeller-02...&wl13=&veh=sem

Likely you could solder a ball valve, simply keep the ball-handle part of the valve submerged in water.

Sure, no solder gets in there, you can look inside. The threads are getting soldered only. You put flux on the threads, and tighten up the threads, then run some solder on them. Just tighten by hand is all it needs.
sdowney717 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2016, 08:20 PM   #20
Guru
 
jleonard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,037
NPT threads are designed to use sealant.
NPTF threads are dry sealing.
jleonard is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:37 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012