Silicone gel vs Dieletric Grease?

[Honcho]

I am reassembling my valve covers annd I want to put dielectric grease on and around the coil stems to seal them against the spark plugs. Problem is i can't find dielectric grease anywhere. I have some silicone gel "pool lube" that LarryB uses to fit hoses. Will that work just as well, or should I try and find the grease?

 

[ftuhy]

I have been using Dow Corning 4 Compound, "a silicon dielectric designed to meet MIL G-8660B, Amend.3" on everything rubber on my cars for the last 40 years. That includes using on the NSX coil packs for the last 12 years, with excellent results, including no moisture in the spark plug wells.

Note that I think the first letter is a "G", but its a little hard to read on this 20 year-old 5.3 OZ tube.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a tube of the pool stuff Larry uses so I don't know if its a good dielectric.

BTW, we used the Dow Corning stuff at Bell Labs in high voltage electrical circuits that had to survive 20 to 40 years in the outside environment without maintenance. Its -57C to 204C operating range is good enough for all my cars. :biggrin:

 

[comtec]

I wouldn't use the pool lube. You can get jetlube silicone compound DM at Grainger and the autoparts stores used to have permatex.

 

[Honcho]

I have been using Dow Corning 4 Compound, "a silicon dielectric designed to meet MIL G-8660B, Amend.3" on everything rubber on my cars for the last 40 years. That includes using on the NSX coil packs for the last 12 years, with excellent results, including no moisture in the spark plug wells.

Note that I think the first letter is a "G", but its a little hard to read on this 20 year-old 5.3 OZ tube.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a tube of the pool stuff Larry uses so I don't know if its a good dielectric.

BTW, we used the Dow Corning stuff at Bell Labs in high voltage electrical circuits that had to survive 20 to 40 years in the outside environment without maintenance. Its -57C to 204C operating range is good enough for all my cars. :biggrin:

Frank, any idea where to buy this stuff?

 

[comtec]

Frank, any idea where to buy this stuff?

McMaster-Carr, excellent company!

 

[d.n]

Local autoparts store doesn't have the CRC cans? I found mine near the CRC brake / TB cleaner / etc. The dispenser works well for this application

[EDIT] CRC is the brand, if that wasn't clear

 

[Honcho]

Dow Corning 4 ordered! Thanks everyone!

 

[nigel]

DC-4 is a standard in the aviation industry for decades for o-rings and most anything rubber..

Cheers
nigel

 

[LJSB]

You should be able to get dieletric grease at Autozone, NAPA even ACE hardware.

LarryB refers to using pool lube to put coolant hoses on, not coils to seal spark plugs to the electrode. I have used a little bit but you really should not need it. Dry, clean and tight is fine and what most OEM do.