I felt weird not knowing what locktite to use and where. Now all my questions and the questions I didn't know I had are answered. Thanks for an awesome explanation!
"Hi! Im some rando internet dude in a garage ... so lets talk about history, science and anaerobic thread locking sealants". Im sold Honestly clicked on this video expecting some dude to say "use the blue one, it tastes nice". Never expected a master class in science history. Colour me impressed.
@@PetesGarage You are very welcome. Its brilliant that you give people the information that they need, and throw in some entertaining background education too.
I’ll mostly agree with your statement about not needing Loctite when working on a car. The engineer generally determines a torque spec to provide a particular amount of tension which also causes high friction between the threads and thus locks the bolt in tight. However, I have found that adding it to any pass through bolts on the exterior may significantly improve serviceability (think exhaust studs and bolts).
Great video! One thing you didn't mention is that loctite can help keep a nut from rusting onto a bolt as bad. I've used it for that on a lot of farm equipment parts that I don't want to use anti seize on
Great info. I just put a water pump in a Grand Prix 3.8l engine, went to buy thread sealant for the water pump bolt threads but all they had at the auto parts store was thread locker/sealant. The thread locker was blue so I used it, but all I really wanted was the sealant. Thanks Pete for another great video.
You are right about tourk being the primary fastener but the best reason is if a bolt or nut does come loose it will keep it from coming completely off and getting into moving parts and causing complete destruction of whatever it happens to be in. The best tip i heard from this is using the alcohol to make it draw down into the threads. Great video thanks.
WOW that was a brilliant explanation of the differences in loctite and their applications, so thank you very much Pete 👍🏼 especially the wicking top tip 😊
Pete you are a walking book of knowledge. Been using lock title for years ( red or blue ) in the aircraft industry but never knew the particulars about it. Great idea to change it to wicking. How many times do we put a fastener together and say damn forgot the locktite. Thanks buddy for sharing your knowledge Artie 😊
Good informative vid Pete. One important tip that you may not have mentioned is to shake your loctite tube before applying. I come from the Harley world and have been using Permatex Blue threadlocker, which can be used in all applications calling for a Blue. This way i don't have to get separate Blues from Loctite (242/243.) Bummer that all this stuff expires after a year. When Red is called for, we use the 262 because our bolts are under 3/4", and the H-D service manual specifically calls for 262.
"Superglues" (cyanoacrylate adhesives) are not cured by the anaerobic process, and therefore not affected by the absence of air (or more accurately, oxygen).
yeah the fact that they cure in an "anaerobic environment" just means they dont need oxygen to cure, like polyurethane/window weld. they rely on the catalytic surface effect of metals, just like how a catalytic converter works in a car to clean nox/sox. because aluminum is so much more reactive than most other metals, it near instantly forms a nonconducting oxide surface on top which makes cure times significantly longer for fasteners that are going into aluminum. lock tight might never set up if you used an aluminum fastener in an aluminum thread. for the people wondering how you clean a bolt off so you can reapply locktite, thats a mute point. oils are bad and should be cleaned coz they can prevent the metal surface reaction, but old locktite is itself catalytically active so as long as its not covered in oil, it will continue to polyimerize the epoxy. think of the surface as the activating agent for a 1 part epoxy which is basically what locktite is
Great explanation, the clarification of anaerobic is spot on. The way to think of it is that traditional adhesives uses oxygen to create the chemical reaction to harden, loctite can harden without oxygen.
Awesome Pete! Thanks! Glad you gave a little mention to the thread sealer too. I'm in the camp of using thread sealer when putting anything threaded into a passage that has oil or coolant on the other side, rather than a thread locker. Like the just replaced oil sending unit on my 1996 Jeep. The new one came with some red stuff on the threads, no idea if that was a sealer or a locker. I used Permatex white thread sealer. BTW, the failed one that came out (aftermarket part installed about 16 years ago) had no signs of any sealer or locker visible, and no sign of oil leaking past threads either.
The thread sealer works great! More and more OEM's are providing fasteners with some kinds of sealer or locking patch on the threads. It's probably not a good idea to put anything on top of the factory applied stuff. I can't imagine any manufacturer using thread sealers in 1996.
@@PetesGarage Add no more? Oops, maybe next time :) The failed sending unit was installed around 2002/2004 ish Walmart broke off the factory original while changing my oil, cost them about $145 to replace it. I used the white Permatex that doesn't harden. BTW, I would not use the home plumbing thread sealer on an engine. Maybe superstition on my part, but I am sticking with it.
Thanks for this video Pete... I had no idea it had a shelf life of 1 year! There goes a one time used application of Blue gel locktite from my tool chest!
You can extend the life considerably by putting it in the freezer...due to low humidity. For safety related hardware I always make sure I use stuff that's not expired.
Thanks for sharing the history as well. Had no clue locktite and superglue were older than me. Great info. A video explaining how engineers on an engine determine the torque requirements is something I've always wondered about.
It's older than me too.....lol. Determining torque is not that difficult. There are standard charts and tables for almost every fastener and material. Do a web search for Recommended Torque Charts and you'll see tons on them. It's all based on the material, thread engagement area, and desired clamp load.
Recently replaced Cummins ISX-15 camshaft which does not use a key . It has a tapered shaft which has a final torque of 109 ft. lbs . Used Loctite 609 (green )after cleaning oil residue from camshaft and gear . Use ether or Brake Klean to remove oil residue before assembly . Great Information ! 7/2022
Ive used the green loctite retaining compound as well... i think it was 680... used it on a spun pinion bearing and it worked. Not a super legit thing to do but sometimes thats how it goes. Good tip on the wicking loctite.
I needed to find out about Loctite. Luckily RU-vid recommended this. Excellent explanations that even those with zero knowledge will understand. The best explanation there is out in RU-vid Land.
I use Loctite to prevent loosening from vibration but also to prevent rust locked bolts. It prevent rust on the thread... trust me, It saved me tons of time while reparing my suspension and brakes
3:03 I have occasionally had suspension parts come back out, despite proper torque. This is why I loctite suspension parts before I torque them to final specifications. I have seen OEM shock bolts with blue stuff on a few threads, so I suspect that some suspension components were treated with Loctite at the factory. 4:25 I prefer the Loctite tape so much, I don't even buy liquid Loctite if I can avoid it. I did not know that Permatex threadlocker used the same color codes as Loctite. That is a good thing to know, since I often have to go where there is Permatex brand goods, but no Loctite/Henkel brand goods.
Suspension parts are good spots for Loctite. You will get some OEM bolts with Loctite patches on them. Permatex kinda jumped on the Loctite bandwagon. No need to confuse everyone with different colors.
Solid info as always. I didn't know about the expiration date or wicking Loctite. On the topic of Loctite, if you are working on a Harley especially an older single cam Harley almost every bolt should get at least Blue Loctite and driveline stuff Red. I recently bought a 98 Road King with a 113 Evo and the previous owner/ builder did not use any that I can see and the bike is literally falling apart as it goes down the street.
I get many questions about Loctite so I thought I'd share with everyone. Yeah, that Harley problem is just bad engineering. Imagine owning a Harley before Loctite was available.
Nice video, I have been using 3M TL71, which I guess is the same application of Loctite 271. I always think, better safe than sorry with thread lockers
Really useful info, and loved the tip on making your own wicking loctite. Any advice on how to (or whether it’s advisable to) clean dirty threads prior to applying loctite?
Pete, as always, great video. Like the tip with the alcohol. In aerospace, they use bolts/nuts with holes and tie them with wire for the secondary fastening. Pricey, but cheaper than a plane falling out of the sky...lol. I actually have a David Brown tractor that uses wire on the bolts for the timing gears. Are certain penetrating oils better at breaking Loctite than others or is heat your only option?
Thanks Troy, there are quite a few secondary retention methods, maybe I'll do a video on them. I use PB Blaster, works pretty well. Acetone can dissolve Loctite.
Good info Pete, love your channel. Never heard about mixing 242 with Isopropyl before... One thing you never touched on, that I have always been curious about. If using loctite, does it change the value of your primary retention [torque]? As it is viscous, you would think that the torque values should be lower. Thoughts?
Thanks Dan, it's not the viscosity that changes the torque, it's the lubricity. The answer is YES, Loctite will act as a lubricant so adjust accordingly
@@PetesGarage Is there a general rule of thumb? What I've been doing is that if a torque range is specified, I will use the lower spec. I agree with what you are saying about the secondary fastener retention, but working in aircraft maintenance where there is usually always a secondary retention requirement, I use it quite a bit more than when you say it should be used [high vibration].
Very informative. Just a question. Im using a 8.8 grade bolt and nut to my motorcycles exaust pipe, which will be the best to use for the nut not to loosen?
I've moved away from using red Loctite whatsoever. I use blue only on clutches. Even then, it's a maintenance hassle. The way I look at it, the joints should always be a good solid slip-critical fit. In fact, next time I do my clutch, I'm going to switch to a more open bellhousing.
Thank you Pete, i had an issue that i didn't know about... I never knew some people used locktite for manual transmission and some other parts. If you also find time, can you update your description as to where you found some of this information?
Informative video, actually! I've just been trying to discover how different gel Loctite (or Permatex) is from its liquid counterparts. Usually, in regards to curing time.
I have a 70 HP Tractor that has side frames bolted to each side of the engine. Front end loaders are bolted to the side frame. The vibration of the loader caused the fasteners (5/8" bolts) attaching the side frames to the engine to loosen. To prevent this Red Loctite 271 was applied to the 5/8" bolts screwed into the engine block. A necessary service at this point requires the side frames to be removed from the engine. Needless to say it will be difficult if not impossible to heat the engine block to 500 deg. F to loosen the Loctite. If the bolt is heated enough for the Loctite to release will it reseal itself after the bolt cools down. Concerned that if trying to remove the bolt while still heated to 500 deg. it will be more prone twisting and failing before removal.
They should make a faster removal spray that works against rust since they are so good at securing fasteners. Something that dissolves loctite and rust and penetrates threw
I use 290 for a different purpose, to prevent erosion of the parent metal around the valve seats on Myers’s high pressure water pumps. Anywhere where the 290 wick onto doesn’t get eroded by the high volume or pressure of the water, yet the non coated 290 parent metal will erode. Something so simple saves these pumps from being thrown aways.
Is is possible to remove LOCTITE 243 residue from painted surface? I used Loctite 243 for the screws to attach black painted bar ends weights to the handlebars of my motorcycle. Unfortunately, I had some Loctite residue on my hands during assembly, which left some ugly fingerprints on the shiny black paint of the new bar end weights. Is it possible to remove the loctite residue from the bar end weights somehow without damaging the paint? Maybe with chemicals, heat or buffing?
Hi, can Loctite 510 be used to mate motorcycle crankcase halves made of aluminium alloy, without a primer activator? I bought 510 since 518 was not available. Thank you.
I ALWAYS use loctite followed by a lockwasher and a jam nut then i bring it all home with a tack weld. once that is done i can sit back and realize i assembled the thing backwards and or incorrectly. ( >.
Can I use this on wall mounted bath taps. Compression has failed with ptfe, so I have too smash up a tile get to the back will this do the job looking for recommendation on which one I should go for.
Why do most of the 2oz bottles only have .34 FL Oz in them. I’ve had people tell me that if they fill the bottle up, it will remove the air from the bottle and the thread locker will harden in the bottle. But then I’ve also read that there has to be active metal with the absence of air for it to harden, in which case it wouldn’t harden in the bottle even if it was full. I’m just trying to figure out why my bottles are only 1/4 to 1/3 full when I buy them. It seems a little misleading.
I think both things are true. It will harden or "set" in the absence of air (oxygen) but the metal acts as a catalyst (speeding up the reaction), without changing the reaction. That's why different metals have different cure times.
Working on a compressor and some of the fittings seem to be fastened with a thread lock adhesive. Damn near impossible to remove with hand tools only. Do thread lock compounds also provide a seal as well as prevent easy removal?
Looking for a product that will do what Teflon can't: fill gaps in poorly machined threads in air tools; it's the female inlet port of an air grinder that is at fault. Permanent connections. Thanks.
I didn't use Loctite on the bolts of automatic converter got loose and it struck the startmotor had to replace it.Cracked the Housing Expensive Mistake!
The go-to machine shop here on the island of Oahu in Hawaii keeps letting me down. After a mysterious slight reduction in the diameter of a crankshaft surface - one that's intended to receive a tapered-roller bearing by press-fit, small enough after they did SOMETHING to it, that both old and new bearings can be slipped on by hand - the owner agreed to bed my new roller-bearing with a bedding compound (because he refused to cover the hours it would have taken for them to build up the shaft with metal). The crank came back to me with my new bearing almost 1/32 shy of being up against the shoulder, where it should have been smacked home (this could have been done even with fingers alone before the compound was applied). The bearing will be preloaded by a standard shimming trial-and-error method, and I tend not to trust the bedding compound against such loading (it was only supposed to keep the inner race from spinning on the crankshaft, but now it's going to see two potential failure modes.) Anyway - is there any way in hell to get the bearing off now without destroying it? Google tells me max tolerable heat for most such bearings would be 200C, while the bedding compound won't fail until it gets to...what, 250C? There's no place to get a puller on the inner race - only the caged bearings, which will definitely destroy it. What about lower heat for a longer period, eg I put it in the oven at 190C... until baked golden brown?
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge ! I would like to know if ethanol would do the trick to make a wicking threadlocker or if i absolutely need IPA?
I have a handgun with an front sight that's off center with green locktight. I understand heat will melt ot but this particular sight has a polymer bead and I'm afraid to melt it. Is there anything that will soften it without melting the rest of the sight?
I have a power steering pump long bolt. The female has part of the inside stripped, just slighty, but enough for it not to lock it. I know they have a thread repair kit, but would any of these work instead?
