Hot Water Tank Gas Leak

Recently changed thermocoupler on 50g Rheem HW heater. Apparently I bent pilot line during change. Will teflon tape do the job? Leak is on the outside connection next to temp. settings. Thanks in Advance

Those are very fine aluminum threads in the connection to the gas valve.

I've never made a repair to a gas valve using teflon tape in that fashion; those are flared connections that bury out in a machined ground joint application.

If those threads are stripped, time for a new gas valve. I believe a Robertshaw gas valve is around $50.

Use some soapy leak detector solution to pinpoint the leak. You might need to replace the aluminum pilot gas tube, or put a new fitting on it. It is not the kind of fitting where any teflon tape is involved. That would just make it worse.