Splitter leak

handirifle · Aug 1, 2016

I had an old thread on this but cannot find it. I posted before about it leaking around the filter, and I FINALLY got around to cleaning it and testing to see exactly what was leaking. Turns out it's leaking at the threads of the inlet side of the filter housing. I used a galvanized street EL for this, and originally pipe dope on the threads. I pulled the fittings, and saw the male threads (where the leak is) have some slight nicks in them, so I tried it with teflon tape. That stopped the leak....for a while, but not it is seeping again.

I will replace the street el with brass fittings, but I wanted to ask you folks what you recommend to seal the threads with? I assume the hyd fluid is eating the teflon tape. I have other fittings on there that I used the pipe dope on and they are not leaking, so should I just get brass fittings and use pipe dope?

Thanks

aczlan · Aug 1, 2016

I use Oatey's "Great White" PTFE paste on my hydraulic fittings and it does well.

Aaron Z

handirifle · Aug 2, 2016

OK thanks, I will look for that when I get my brass fittings.

mrmikey · Aug 2, 2016

Galvanized around hydraulics is bad, pieces come off and contaminate the oil.
If the filter housing is aluminum in contact with the zinc, their could be corrosion caused by dissimilar metals, aka galvanic corrosion. Zinc and aluminum are quite far apart on the scale so it would be quite fast.......Mike

handirifle · Aug 2, 2016

Shoot, OK will have to inventory and see how many parts I need to replace. Thanks for the heads up.

LD1 · Aug 2, 2016

Ditto, no galvanized.

Oil eating teflon tape isnt the issue, the tape holds up fine. The issue is the little threads/pieces that come off when threading a fitting on, those can wreak havoc on control valves and such ina hydraulic system.

For a PTFE paste, I like jet-lube brand. But for hydraulics....I stick with loctite 545

handirifle · Aug 2, 2016

Humm well I hope nothing bad happens before I replace the parts. Thanks for the education.

handirifle · Aug 2, 2016

LOL I just noticed using it today, there is a tiny pinhole leak on the top of the big end plate (ram end) that is seeping. When I get my fittings I will try to weld it shut. Hopefully I can hit it hard and hot enough to seal the pin hole before overheating anything inside. The plate is at least 1/2" thick so it should absorb a lot of heat before getting too hot, hopefully by then it will be sealed and I can cool it with water. There is also a hose starting to leak, but I knew those would be going, so that is no surprise.

Since this thing was kinda rigged together before by PO the hoses are mostly on top, and I was thinking it would be a cleaner look to route them under the cylinder. If I do this it will mean breaking loose a few fittings and re-doping them to turn them 180 deg. Do you guys foresee any big issues with doing this? I will do it one hose and associated fittings, at a time, as they start to leak.

handirifle · Aug 2, 2016

I looked close and I see I have 3 90 deg street el's, and 2 reducer fittings, 1 1/2-1 1/4 and 1 1/4-3/4" that are all galvanized, so will have to be replaced. These are all on low pressure return side. If brass or steel fittings are cost prohibitive, will black iron fittings work? Any problems with black iron?

I got the galvanized figuring I would not have to deal with them rusting, but it seems that's the least of my worries now!