Gas line felts

[George Mills]

I’ve always installed these packing felts dry and alls been good.

I’m doing up one now and the overnight dribble leaks are driving me (and moreso the missus) nuts. So magic question…have I been doing these all wrong for decades and maybe they should be soaked? Maybe softened with Vaseline? Whatever?

(I know they make neoprene items, but I’d like to best the felt ones before throwing up my hands in defeat)

Thanks…I can’t imagine soaking/coating would hurt, but thought to check)

[DanTreace]

Felts used in other places on the Ford need to be rubbed and filled in with grease, makes their application best in those spots.

You could do that at the fuel line pack nut. Even with the threads of both the elbow and pack nut super good, have found that a dry felt won’t compress too well, leaving the pack nut toward the end of the elbow.

Since using neoprene gas line 5/8” sections, for decades, never any leaks, plus the friction of the neoprene hose keeps this packing on the line, so you can see the end of the fuel line enter the elbow, always have a 1/4” or so of fuel line stuck into the elbow snout.
If Henry had neoprene back then, he would have used it for packing too

[RajoRacer]

Soak them good with oil to the point of full saturation - install, tighten then wipe off the excess drips.

[Scott_Conger]

Soap......

[got10carz]

Scott, if you use soap, do you get bubbles out the tailpipe?

[MichaelPawelek]

Give the suggestions a try and write back in for the benefit of the group…

[George Mills]

Thanks for all the input.

I figured out the one end later this morning...previous owner had somehow cobbled fittings to look good...output of potato was rethreaded...a plug bush was used as an over sleeve with 1/4 NPT as the exposed end without a counterbore for the pipe line. Go Figure. The long compression nut was somehow rethreaded to 1/4 NPT...and then the whole thing buttoned up...me thinks it sealed, until the frame flexed, and it was never a tight seal to begin with.

Think I'm going to try soap first...see how that does....

Thanks all for taking the time to read and reply...

[TXGOAT2]

A true soap, like Ivory or Zote, is probably period correct and will do a good job. Gasoline will wash oil out. Real soap resists gasoline. Paraffin might also be good, although solvents in modern "gasoline" might affect it. Ethanol might affect soap. People used to rub a bar of soap over pinholes in a leaky gas tank. It usually worked to stop the leak.

[RajoRacer]

Fels-Naptha is a period correct soap and "oiling" the felt just aids in compression - it's a seal - how will gas wash out the seal ?