teflon tape?

[stonestacker]

Hey guys what is the best thing to use on hydraulic line threads?
teflon tape, plumers putty, or do they have a speacial sealer?thanks

 

[Tim S.]

Teflon Tape or any paste type pipe dope, plumbers putty Isn't designed as a thread sealent.

 

[panhead9]

I would not use teflon tape as small pieces tend to break off and get into the system Use either Leak loc pipe dope or Block pipe dope both are very messy wont come off your cloths but work excellent

 

[Tim S.]

What would a boilermaker know about teflon tape. :jawdrop:

 

[AKRover]

Most hydraulic fittings do not require thread sealant. What type of fitting is it?

 

[thenorth]

use teflon, only on the threads.......
works as it should.........
do not put it over the end,

 

[cabinman]

teflon

Hey guys what is the best thing to use on hydraulic line threads?
teflon tape, plumers putty, or do they have a speacial sealer?thanks

I only use liquid teflon 3m is the best, Eric

 

[gtstang462002]

Most hydraulic fittings do not require thread sealant. What type of fitting is it?

+1

 

[stonestacker]

It is a tapered pipe thread!

 

[gtstang462002]

It is a tapered pipe thread!

I prefer the 37 degree fittings but where I have to use the pipe thread I use the teflon tape on the lower half of the threads only.

 

[thenorth]

think about a three boom hydraulic jumbo (rock drilling)..lots of hoses between the booms and the valves.............
hoses get damaged and need to be changed very often... this equates to wear on the threads ( on the cld and valve ) teflon will absorbe this wear factor, therebye, less oil leaks....
it does wok, saving you changing the cld or valve fittings............

 

[user 19670]

I spent many a year maintaining chemical metering pumps. What I learned about teflon tape while there might surprise you.
- Teflon tape is not recommended for chemical metering pumps, hydraulic systems or shower bar assemblies. Once strings of this tape come free and work their way down the line they accumulate and plug in places where you cannot unplug either physically or chemically. Reading the service manual reveals a specific warning against using teflon tape.
This stuff can create blockages in spool valves and flow controls. It can also cause things like relief valves and other variations of ball-check valves to malfunction due to keeping the ball from contacting the seat.

- Teflon tape does NOT seal threads!
How could I make such a provocative statement? Teflon tape is for use on pipes with tapered NPT (national pipe thread). The more the connection is pulled up the tighter the taper jams in the female fitting.
It is actually the taper itself that provides the seal.
Before there was such a thing as teflon tape you would pull up the pipe tight with a pipe wrench and leave it alone for awhile to cool off and get loose and then you would return to final tighten the joint. You see, pulling the tapered thread tight creats heat and the heat makes the connection 'feel' a lot tighter than it really is when cooled.
The teflon tape, since it is made out of slippery teflon, only lubricates the threads so heat buildup is kept to a minimum so you can tighten it all the way up with your first attempt.

I have had this proved to me in a classroom situation that teflon tape will not seal leaking threads and the pressure was a lot less than the average log splitter can muster. We were challenged to tighten the fittings enough to stop the leak or to re-tape the thread. Nobody could stop the leak with teflon tape on the threads.
That same leaking connection was taken apart and the tape removed and then LocTite 565 was applied and the joint re-tightened and it didn't leak.

Liquid teflon is a whole other animal and that is what is fast becoming the accepted standard in industrial applications. Pro Dope is the one that I use most times.

 

[thenorth]

very true Gordie.......
my use was on underground equipment, with JIC. not NPT threads

 

[cabinman]

I spent many a year maintaining chemical metering pumps. What I learned about teflon tape while there might surprise you.
- Teflon tape is not recommended for chemical metering pumps, hydraulic systems or shower bar assemblies. Once strings of this tape come free and work their way down the line they accumulate and plug in places where you cannot unplug either physically or chemically. Reading the service manual reveals a specific warning against using teflon tape.
This stuff can create blockages in spool valves and flow controls. It can also cause things like relief valves and other variations of ball-check valves to malfunction due to keeping the ball from contacting the seat.

- Teflon tape does NOT seal threads!
How could I make such a provocative statement? Teflon tape is for use on pipes with tapered NPT (national pipe thread). The more the connection is pulled up the tighter the taper jams in the female fitting.
It is actually the taper itself that provides the seal.
Before there was such a thing as teflon tape you would pull up the pipe tight with a pipe wrench and leave it alone for awhile to cool off and get loose and then you would return to final tighten the joint. You see, pulling the tapered thread tight creats heat and the heat makes the connection 'feel' a lot tighter than it really is when cooled.
The teflon tape, since it is made out of slippery teflon, only lubricates the threads so heat buildup is kept to a minimum so you can tighten it all the way up with your first attempt.

I have had this proved to me in a classroom situation that teflon tape will not seal leaking threads and the pressure was a lot less than the average log splitter can muster. We were challenged to tighten the fittings enough to stop the leak or to re-tape the thread. Nobody could stop the leak with teflon tape on the threads.
That same leaking connection was taken apart and the tape removed and then LocTite 565 was applied and the joint re-tightened and it didn't leak.

Liquid teflon is a whole other animal and that is what is fast becoming the accepted standard in industrial applications. Pro Dope is the one that I use most times.

Well said gordie thats why I dont use it, The liquid teflon is a God send, And thats all I use,....Eric

 

[SWI Don]

I'll recommend the loctite curing thread sealant. The stuff I used worked best if you heated up the joint after application to cure it. I just parked a halogen lamp close by to get the parts warmed up.

Don

 

[triptester]

Straight threads ,flare ,or compression fittings require no lubricant or sealant in fact on these fittings lubricants and sealants may cause leaks. On tapered pipe threads if the threads are perfect no lube or sealant is needed. Unfortunately perfect threads are rare. Good threads require only a pipe dope lube, for the rest sealants may be needed. The problem with sealants is the the same as Teflon tape if improperly applied the sealant can enter the system where it can cause blockage.

The anaerobic or curing type sealants can be a disaster if future repairs are needed the fittings can be extremely difficult remove without distortion.

 

[wkpoor]

I agree Teflon tape is risky but mainly with untrained person applying. As an A&P we were taught in school how to properly apply it and it is approved for use on aircraft. Its the person who doesn't pay attention to what he or she is doing and improper installation that gets people into trouble with it.

 

[Tim S.]

For Goodness sakes If this application is for a log splitter any type of pipe thread lubricant will be fine. If the fittings are flared or compression you do not need any pipe dope. If you are working in a chemical plant or nuclear power plant where there are sensitive metering controls such as rosemount instrumentation devices where critical readings are going back to a control room for differential pressure readings then most plants require some type of liquid pipe dope on the threads. As long as you don't wrap the tape over or partially over the opening of pipe or fitting you should be fine.