Water pipe nut, olive and adapter

[jagnut66]

Hi, 

I just bought a new return pipe, nut and olive from Wins. 

The stainless pipe took a bit of persuading to get it to sit and the right angle for the rear bracket to line up with the stud but otherwise I was very happy with my purchase and its price.

What did bother me was that on a dry run the nut took a bit of fiddling to get it at the right angle to screw into the (original) adapter on the back of the water pump. And, when it did, it was a bit 'tight'.

You've guessed it.....

When it came to screwing the nut in and tightening it up properly it was a sod to get in and to then tighten.

After which it leaked when I filled the rad and no amount of extra tightening (a little at a time) would get it to seal.

Feeling 'slightly miffed' I undid it all. 

The stainless pipe is fine and will go again. The olive looks good too, apart from a small section of burring on one (part of an) edge, which a touch with a file will get rid of. It certainly isn't crushed.

The thread on the nut though is another matter......

So I've ordered a new nut, olive and an adapter from Wins (happy with them).

When they arrive my next 'dry run' will take a little longer, to make sure everything will go together nicely before I commit.

My question is this: Should I add some PTFE tape or Boss White to the thread of the nut, or even the thread of the new adapter before I screw it all together?

What do others on here do?

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Pete Lewis]

boss white is a good old fashioned solution

you can coat  the adaptor thread to pump

you never coat the pipe nut    its the olive being compressed that does the seal  the pipe nut is on the sealed side of the nut so sealing is pointless just seal the olive 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

I had the same problem on one of mine with a stainless pipe, the bracket was wrong. I fitted mine to the pump housing, got it into roughly the correct place, tightened it all up so that it didn't leak, then adapted the bracket to fit - I think it ended up with a slot, rather than a hole. I felt it was more important to stop leaks first, then worry about clamping it to the engine.

[jagnut66]

19 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

boss white is a good old fashioned solution

you can coat  the adaptor thread to pump

you never coat the pipe nut    its the olive being compressed that does the seal  the pipe nut is on the sealed side of the nut so sealing is pointless just seal the olive 

Pete

Thanks Pete.

[jagnut66]

1 minute ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I felt it was more important to stop leaks first, then worry about clamping it to the engine.

Good Point Colin.

Best wishes,

Mike.