Oil Tank Lines Question.

[Broken Bear]

Hey all,

I have been working on my 47 FL and I thought I would add an external Panhead style oil filter to my oil tank. In adding new oil lines or replacing old ones do you seal the connections with pipe dope or some sort of Teflon tape where the lines enter the engine or oil tank?

Thanks, John

[41craig]

John; I have never used a sealer and my oil lines and fittings and they never leaked in over 45 years. I'm not sure with aftermarket lines or fittings. If the tapers on the fittings and oil line fittings are made as original, then you should not need any sealer.
Craig

[Rubone]

If you use the factory type fittings most are rubber compression seal and require no sealer. Factory fittings rarely leak unless damaged, aftermarket are a crap shoot. Factory filter kit on my '47 has been there for 30 years with no issues.

[aumick10]

Hey all,

I have been working on my 47 FL and I thought I would add an external Panhead style oil filter to my oil tank. In adding new oil lines or replacing old ones do you seal the connections with pipe dope or some sort of Teflon tape where the lines enter the engine or oil tank?

Thanks, John

I always use a small spot of Teflon paste to the NPT threads where they thread into the oil tank and motor.
No sealant on the taper where the oil lines mate to the fittings.

[Broken Bear]

I thank you all for the responses. I believe my leak is related to the return line fitting at the engine and I have drained the oil tank to inspect the lines further. I am curious about the Teflon paste being used where the connectors thread into the case. I removed one of the factory fittings to install the needed adapter fitting and when I did it appeared it had some type of thread sealant on it. The bike had 15,888 original miles on it when I picked it up in 05 so I doubt any fittings where touched beforehand. I had the motor and trans gone through about a year after I got it. Working 2 jobs and health issues related to military service has kept this project on the back burner until I retired a few years back. You'll probably see more idiotic questions from me from time to time so I hope you'll bear with me?

Thanks again, John

[aumick10]

Some manufacturers put a small amount of a sealant on the tapered thread during manufacture. I think this is a Loctitie hydraulic sealant, but not sure. These don't usually need and additional sealant.
The tapered threads get larger in diameter as they are screwed in. It is possible to get a bit heavy handed and actually split the hole they are going into.
Usually two turns after hand tight is getting close to as tight as they need to be.

[Broken Bear]

Some manufacturers put a small amount of a sealant on the tapered thread during manufacture. I think this is a Loctitie hydraulic sealant, but not sure. These don't usually need and additional sealant.
The tapered threads get larger in diameter as they are screwed in. It is possible to get a bit heavy handed and actually split the hole they are going into.
Usually two turns after hand tight is getting close to as tight as they need to be.

Thanks aumick10, I will delve into this later on in the week and report what I find. I will be picking up some Teflon paste when I am on the road tomorrow.

[Lyle Manheimer]

I worked in the Power Industry for many years, lots of piping. We were taught that any type of Teflon was a thread lubricant and not a sealant. There are many brands of sealant on the market for use with gas and oil, some are hardening and some are non hardening. I have always used the non hardening type as disassembly is easier. Sorry I have no recommendations. I would caution the use of Teflon due to it's lubricating properties and could allow for over tightening on a tapered thread. Ideally a tapered thread should seal without sealant but we are dealing with something that has been apart many times over the years and threads are sure to be worn. I would go with a product called a sealant not Teflon.