Sealant for Throttle Body elbow connections? (ICV, Vacuum Hoses)

[IAmGary]

I'm cleaning my ICV (with Electrical Parts Cleaner) and my Throttle Body (with TB Cleaner) today. The ICV connects to the throttle body with a hose and a little metal elbow pipe as do the vacuum hoses on the other side. They appear to be held in place merely by the snugness of fit and vacuum pressure but they wiggle loose so easily it seems like something should be applied.

Should I apply some kind of sealant or grease to these connectors?

[cormier]

I usually coat everything in RTV, not sure if it's recommended though

[CarsSuck]

RTV won't stand up to the heat. It was recommended to me to use JBWeld on them. I had used some type of permatex, but it didn't last long. The JBWeld is holding up great. Obviously you'll need to clean the shit out of the holes and the fittings. I removed the TB and replaced the gasket on the manifold.

The one regret i have is not taking the time to find a way to seal the butterfly shaft, as they have a tendency to leak a bit.

[jlevie]

The best fix for this is to clean the bore and nipple with lacquer thinner or acetone and use JBWeld. Use the regular JBWeld (not the quick set) and allow the epoxy to cure over night. Just make sure that the elbows are correctly positioned, which is best done with the throttle body mounted on the intake and the hoses connected.

[IAmGary]

Thanks all for the great advice - I totally believe that JBWeld would be the superior solution but I got cold feet and went with RTV because I intend on taking this all apart within 6 months to replace the TB and manifold with powder coated versions.

My TB has two vacuum hoses that come off the right-hand side and I couldn't get one of these fully back in place, it sticks out about 2mm. So far no CEL, braking or clutch issues so I assume that it's not a problem and things are sealed tight enough. I'll do things differently (disconnect ALL the clamps, hoses and connect elbows with JBWeld before connecting hoses and clamps) in 6 months assuming I don't have any more problems.

My e30 is idling nicely now and every time I open the hood I don't have to look at all the gunk that was covering the throttle body.