Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (January 2012, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:26:46 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Aluminum to brass thread galling
Comments: To: John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAH+nQ0HvsHDLPq1YfMQGOZhxV-GeXJeouPuxhtVTAM+7gVoQbQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Loctite is a great product. It provides lubrication during assembly then sets up hard.

Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.stir-plate.com www.towercooler.com www.kegkits.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of John Bange Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 8:59 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Aluminum to brass thread galling

Last week I finally finished getting my '90 automatic non-GL work van back on the road. One of the things I added was a SmallCar transmission cooler. The kit uses NPT taper threaded to barbed fittings to attach the hoses to the Mesa-type cooler. Lacking any particular instructions, I opted to use teflon tape to seal them. The first one threaded in easily. The second one, not so good. About two turns into it, the torque required to turn it went WAY up. Attempts to reverse and get it out only jammed it up tighter. Eventually, a big pipe wrench an d a bench vise separated the two. Apparently the threading of one or the other was not wholly kosher and the teflon tape was not very helpful lubricant and the aluminum of the Mesa cooler meeting the brass from the barbed fitting combined for some pretty good galling.

My solution was to use copper-based anti-seize compund, and it worked pretty well. I removed the other fitting and discarded its shredded teflon tape with copper anti-seize as well. In the end, it worked out just OK. The ungalled side is sealed just fine, but I suspect there's an out of spec threading issue on the other and it oozes ATF just enough to make a slight mess, though not enough to leave so much as a drop on the driveway (an improvement over the old leaky VW heat exchanger at least).

So now that I've wasted everyone's time and you're all looking at your watches saying "cool story, bro", I come to my question: What's the best thread sealant to use in a situation like this? Anyone have a suggestion for something I might use to seal up the threads on the galled, buggered, leaky side? ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 2109/4771 - Release Date: 01/27/12


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.