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Joe500 · 03-05-2009, 19:50

I recently replaced my fresh water pump on my 1987 Beneteau. The boat has some very strange fittings on the fresh water hoses that I tried to use, but one of them leaks. It seems to leak no matter how much plumbing tape I add. When I took the fitting to West Marine, they told me they had never seen anything like it. It has a big number 16 on it, perhaps made in France. I'm attaching some photos. On one of the photos, you can see, on the right side, the standard inlet for a Jabso water pump (it's the one with the plumbing tape on it.) On the left side is my Beneteau fitting. The Jabso part screws into the Benteau fitting but it leaks. The Beneteau fitting then screws into another fitting on my freshwater hose coming from the tank (Note the threads on the left side--the hose has a large fitting that goes on top of that, the diameter there is probably over an inch)

This same arrangement worked for the pump outlet and doesn't leak, so maybe the threads have worn out on this one.

Can anyone identify this fitting and tell me where to get another one? Alternatively, is there some kind of glue I can put in the threads instead of the plumbing tape that would form a water tight seal? I much appreciate the help.

scotte · 03-05-2009, 21:31

Looks to me like the fitting on the left is like a hose fitting where it needs a washer.

[EDIT] Or is it in between the two fittings that leak? Sorry, that wasn't clear to me. If it's the two fittings together that leak, then my guess is the right fitting is NPT and left fitting isn't - or something along those lines... Any more details about what's different that caused it to leak all of a sudden?

GeoPowers · 03-05-2009, 22:08

For a quick fix, you might want to try the pink "plumbing tape". You can usually find it near the regular stuff in hardware stores, the difference being the pink tape is thicker and made to account for minor imperfections in the threading, wear, etc. Good luck!

**GordMay** · 04-05-2009, 03:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

For a quick fix, you might want to try the pink "plumbing tape". You can usually find it near the regular stuff in hardware stores, the difference being the pink tape is thicker and made to account for minor imperfections in the threading, wear, etc. Good luck!

Not always.

PTFE “Teflon” plumbing tape is available in a variety of thicknesses (2 - 7 mil) and densities (0.37 g/cm3 - 1.2 g/cm3).
Coloured thread seal tape is not necessarily different from the natural white tape, and the colour is not a reliable* indication of thickness nor density.
Colour is most often used to colour code pipelines (ie: yellow for natural gas, green (oil-free for med.) for oxygen, etc.).

* Some manufacturers do have reliable thickness/density to colour standards. Check their specs.

Sometimes adding a good quality thread compound (pipe dope) on top of the PTFE thread sealing tape helps seal joints even better.

**Hud3** · 04-05-2009, 04:12

I'd just look for something to replace it with. Is it a reduction fitting? "16" may mean 16 mm, which is nominally equivalent to 5/8", which I assume would be the I.D. of the hose.

Joe500 · 04-05-2009, 05:06

Thanks for all the responses. Scotte, the leak is between the two fittings shown. I added so much white tape to the Jabsco fitting that I had to use a wrench to screw it in. Gord, do you think a thicker tape would be different from many layers of white tape? I'll definitely buy the thread compound. I don't know why the other one doesn't leak--the plumbing tape seemed to solve the problem on that one. I didn't see a washer inside of the fitting but I can look again. The West Marine guy also noticed that the inside threads on the Beneteau fitting are unusual in that they are broken every half turn. Does that mean anything? The biggest problem is that I have to fill my water tanks everytime to test this and then empty them to remove the fitting and not make a mess, which is a pain because I keep my boat on a mooring.

svHyLyte · 04-05-2009, 05:55

The threads on the old Beneteau's are European (metric) and will not seat a US fitting properly. You can buy an adapter at most plumbing supply stores although WM was also carrying adapters some time ago. If you can't find the adapters, adding a 0-Ring to the inner fitting may do the trick.

Good luck...

s/v HyLyte

speedoo · 04-05-2009, 08:04

If you have not already done so, Joe, try calling Beneteau USA in South Carolina. Try customer service at 843-629-5320 (old #, but should still be good). They are usually very helpful.

GeoPowers · 04-05-2009, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordMay

Not always.

PTFE “Teflon” plumbing tape is available in a variety of thicknesses (2 - 7 mil) and densities (0.37 g/cm3 - 1.2 g/cm3).
Coloured thread seal tape is not necessarily different from the natural white tape, and the colour is not a reliable* indication of thickness nor density.
Colour is most often used to colour code pipelines (ie: yellow for natural gas, green (oil-free for med.) for oxygen, etc.).

* Some manufacturers do have reliable thickness/density to colour standards. Check their specs.

Sometimes adding a good quality thread compound (pipe dope) on top of the PTFE thread sealing tape helps seal joints even better.

Umm....I don't recommend using both teflon tape and plummer's/pipe dope for any application. Generally, you want to use pipe dope on metal applications, and tape on plastic or mixed applications. Using both could be overkill and could (according to some) interfere with the sealing properties of the other.

I will throw you a small bone and agree that manufacturers color variations have different meanings, but if you go to a hardware store to the plumbing section and look under the plumbing repair section you won't go wrong with the "pink tape".

SouthernComfort · 04-05-2009, 19:36

Call Beneteau USA. They should hook you up.

Better to live with a weeping slow leak till a new part comes in then "bubba'ing" the thing. Hell have them overnight the parts to make it right.

Joe500 · 04-05-2009, 19:45

I called Beneteau. They said it's called a "plastoon" fitting which is no longer made. I imagine it's metric as it fits onto a rigid black hose that they said was 11.5mm. That may explain why my pump inlet doesn't screw tighly into the fitting as well. Beneteau recommending cutting off the old fittings, warming the hose with a heat gun, inserting a 1/2 inch barb fitting into the hose, and then sealing with a clamp. I bought something called TFE paste today at the hardware store, which I imagine is the dope you all were talking about. I thought I'd try that first.

ggray · 04-05-2009, 19:51

A few years back I found a thread sealer made by Permatex (or Locktite maybe ). Had Teflon in it, and set up after a period of time, like overnight.
If you can't find a better replacement, maybe that would help.

**s/v Jedi** · 04-05-2009, 23:04

Yep, 16 mm metric thread. Seems you worked it out by now, but let me tell you a good trick I learned from a fellow cruiser:

Teflon tape: many different qualities, some even rated for diesel fittings which is completely against anything I ever read. I was having a lot of trouble with leaks until Don on Piper showed me the way (Don was a "piper" in nuclear plants so when he talks about this, I listen ;-) Throw away the teflon tape and the teflon thread sealants and buy Permatex gasket maker no 1 and number 2. I always forget which is which, but one is black and the other is brown. The brown one is hard setting and the black stays soft. If you have fittings that fit well, use the black Permatex as thread sealant. You can easily undo them. If you have a bad fit or want to connect the fittings without worries about leaking and without ever taking them apart, use the brown Permatex. I never had a single leak after that. Give them some time to dry before putting (water) pressure on.

When I redid my diesel fuel system, I wanted something better for the manifolds I made. I downloaded a Permatex application chart and that listed the gasket makers described above as very good general thread sealants so it turned out not to be strange at all. For the diesel fittings, I selected the Permatex high temperature thread sealant and now, 2 years later, the manifolds are dry as a bone with no trace of diesel so it's well worth the money (it's not cheap and only for metal fittings).

You apply these sealants directly from the tube to the male fitting. Keep the last couple of threads clear of the sealant so you don't get any inside the line. Only fill up the threads and only a single 3/4 turn around so you get just a 1/4" wide bead.

cheers,
Nick.