VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Water temperature sensor

My sensor was leaking where it threads into the head--I used teflon tape which stopped the leak but now I'm wondering if it will hold up to the heat that will be generated. My question, should I have used gasket sealer in stead?

We use Teflon tape everyday where I work.( Nuclear Plant) The D.O.E. standards are pretty strict. It's good to 500 degrees F. We use it on steam and boilers,etc. Don't worry about the tape, if your engine sees 500 degrees F you are in BIG trouble..grin

Teflon tape is as good as paste type sealants where there is no electric connection needed.
A lot of plumbers use it especially when reusing an old threaded fitting.
Tony

One more point. You can get the teflon RIBBON in different widths. Also, we use a teflon STICK to use where you can barely reach a tread and it works well too. Teflon is used in many applications such as pipe gaskets and O-rings. It puts off a poisonous gas if it gets extemely hot, but that's not what you need to worry about. Teflon is used as a liner on chemical piping and even as a flange on glass pipe. It's a great product. It's called a tape but it really is a ribbon. The only way you can screw it up is by applying it backwards on the tread. If you do that it will unwind itself as you screw it in. Pull it deep into the treads. Good Luck.

If the leak is from between the adaptor and head tape or sealer could be used as it is a pipe thread. If the leak is from between the adaptor and the nut on the line tape or sealer will not work because it is not pipe thread. There is sealing "seat" that forms the seal and not the threads.

Good catch Gene, I should have added that I used pipe joint compound (putty) with Teflon between the adapter/nut because water was weeping from that area as well.

Thanks for everyone's help--looks like my leaking problem is fixed!