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maarten versteeg
Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 37
Location: San Antonio
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 Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:39 am Post subject: Fuel thread sealant |
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Hallo All,
I am reaching the point where I need to install the fuel tank
and accessories. What did you all use as thread sealant for
the pipe thread of the drain, finger screen and nipple
coupler?
I looked in the mailing list archives and saw a discussion
around 2005, that mentioned that use of sealube or permatex
was suggested in the Zenith manual but I can't find anything.
I got another advice to use DOW 730 sealant from ACS or Wicks
but this is a pricey sealant at $94. Any suggestions here?
Maarten, San Antonio
601xl plans building wings.
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Maarten Versteeg
601XL scratch building wings |
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bryanmmartin
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018
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| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: Fuel thread sealant |
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Use anything that will tolerate gasoline and stay pliable enough to
allow the fittings to be removed later. Teflon tape isn't recommended
because when you remove and reinstall fittings, you end up with
slivers of teflon in the treads that are very difficult to remove and
may clog up things downstream. You may be able to find a suitable
sealant at your local auto parts store. Aircraft Spruce also sells
Bakerseal at $6.30 for 8 ounces, this is inexpensive and should work
as well as anything. These are tapered pipe fittings, they shouldn't
need much in the way of sealant, one main purpose of the sealant is to
prevent the threads from seizing up over time.
On Mar 9, 2008, at 3:35 PM, Maarten Versteeg wrote:
| Quote: |
>
Hallo All,
I am reaching the point where I need to install the fuel tank
and accessories. What did you all use as thread sealant for
the pipe thread of the drain, finger screen and nipple
coupler?
I looked in the mailing list archives and saw a discussion
around 2005, that mentioned that use of sealube or permatex
was suggested in the Zenith manual but I can't find anything.
I got another advice to use DOW 730 sealant from ACS or Wicks
but this is a pricey sealant at $94. Any suggestions here?
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Bryan Martin
N61BM, CH 601 XL,
RAM Subaru, Stratus redrive.
do not archive.
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_________________
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Bryan Martin
N61BM, CH 601 XL, Stratus Subaru.
do not archive. |
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Ron Lendon
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 685
Location: Clinton Twp., MI
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jeffrey_davidson(at)earth
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject: Fuel thread sealant |
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I bought my Sealube from Aircraft Spruce. It was/is recommended and used by
Zenith.
Jeff Davidson
Do not archive
--
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tjs22t(at)verizon.net
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: Fuel thread sealant |
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| Quote: | I am reaching the point where I need to install the fuel tank
and accessories. What did you all use as thread sealant for
the pipe thread of the drain, finger screen and nipple
coupler?
|
Hi Maarten,
This topic arrives on a three or four month cycle and the answers are always: SealLube, FuelLube (one of these two is now Bakers), or teflon paste.
I always stay quiet on this (amazing thing for me!) because my experience flies in the face of the list majority:
Use teflon tape.
Now here's the experience - but first a little history. Waaaaay back when I was building and the list was younger, there was a crusty old engineer, George Pinneo, who loved anything he could fabricate/purchase out of stainless steel: stainless entry steps (which were way cool), stainless fittings, even some stainless hardware. List members called him "Mr. Stainless." He also was the only proponent of using teflon tape on fittings. Since everyone else told George he was basically off on this issue (one of George's favorite words - "...no issues.") I decided that Fuel/SealLube was the way to go. But durn, the stuff came in one pound cans and I wasn't planning on building that many airplanes. An inquiry to the friendly local A&P got me a couple of dabs of both in two baby food jars.
Hint: your local A&P will do stuff like this, or loan you his flaring tool, or loan you his tensionometer, or swage your control cables even with the Kearny swager, for a little help around the shop and a pizza now and then.
So all fuel fittings and brake fittings were done with one or the other - keeping track of what went where.
ALL LEAKED within the first 80 hours, every one of them. AN into the old aluminum gascolator that ZAC used to provide - leaked. Brass NPT into tanks for sumps - leaked. AN onto brass ends of ballcock valves used to control left/right tanks use - leaked. Fittings into Facet pumps - leaked. Fittings into ACS gascolator on firewall - leaked. Brake fittings - leaked.
However, none of the flared fittings leaked.
Now it's beginning to sound like I don't know how much to tighten fittings, which could well be true. Snug and then a bit more was the basic mantra, but you would think that one or two would hold. When a few of the accessible fittings were tightened a bit more, the leaks continued. I began calling the stuff FuelLeak. I used Permatex 14A Teflon Paste Sealant on the brake line fittings - leaked.
One by one the fitting were taken apart and the residue of the "whatever" was cleaned off. This is no easy task. The stuff gels to various sticky lumps (very small) and reusing the fittings without thorough cleaning would be asking for trouble. The "...don't reuse after teflon tape" warnings have nothing on what you will find when you take a SealLubed fitting apart. And ask yourself - will you normally take apart a fitting for any other reason than it leaks???
I followed George's advice and used tape, but adhered to all the caveats, especially the one about starting the tape a couple of threads back from the end of the fitting. All have held since, and the bird ticked over 315 hours last week. Maybe I torqued 'em a bit more or maybe teflon tape works better; all I can say is that it's nice not to have to stand on my head and swap out fittings at the bottom of a header tank more than once. No teflon flecks or threads have shown up in the gascolator screen.
So Maarten, you still have a decision to make and everyone else will tell you to use one of the "Lubes" or teflon paste. However, it didn't work out here in central Pennsylvania.
Check your six...Jeff
[quote][b]
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Craig.Spainhower(at)exelo
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:42 am Post subject: Fuel thread sealant |
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But use the yellow Teflon tape, it is recommended as it is resistant
to gasoline. Also, snug plus a bit more may be applicable to flare
fittings but pipe fittings should be wrench tight.
Craig S.
N601XS, 601xl 0-235 lyc
I followed George's advice and used tape, but adhered to all the
caveats, especially the one about starting the tape a couple of threads
back from the end of the fitting. All have held since, and the bird
ticked over 315 hours last week. Maybe I torqued 'em a bit more or
maybe Teflon tape works better; all I can say is that it's nice not to
have to stand on my head and swap out fittings at the bottom of a header
tank more than once. No Teflon flecks or threads have shown up in the
gascolator screen.
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ronlee
Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 141
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel thread sealant |
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My experience has been the same as Jeff's regarding leaks with other dope. I have never had a leak with Teflon tape. If it is put on properly your fitting will not leak and it doesn't have to real tight either. I have found that when removing a fitting that has had Teflon tape the easiest way to clean out the female threads of the Teflon residue is with a brass gun cleaning brush. Put it in your drill motor in reverse and it will clean out all residue. I do not use Teflon beyond the last fuel filter though.
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Ron Lee
Tucson, Arizona |
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steveadams
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 191
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:47 am Post subject: Re: Fuel thread sealant |
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I used sealube on all my fuel line fittings and in mounting the fuel senders and have had no leaks in 600 hours.
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