Loctite primer?

[engineer40]

I've had good luck with the various strength levels of Loctite over the years. I'm not new to using the products.

Recently I had Loctit'ed something and it wiggled loose. I cleaned all of the threads the best I could with cotton cloth rags and small copper brushes. My goal was to ensure good metal to metal contact.

I re-Loctit'ed and it did eventually come lose again. I'm already using blue strength and don't want to go up to Red.

Is the Loctite primer good stuff? It's expensive for the amount you get. Loctite uses numbers to signify strength; is there a specific number I should look for with their primer?

Thanks!

 

[shortgrass]

Try degreasing with acetone or denatured alcohol before applying Loc-Tite. Oil or other lub will act as a release agent.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I've had good luck with the various strength levels of Loctite over the years. I'm not new to using the products.

Recently I had Loctit'ed something and it wiggled loose. I cleaned all of the threads the best I could with cotton cloth rags and small copper brushes. My goal was to ensure good metal to metal contact.

I re-Loctit'ed and it did eventually come lose again. I'm already using blue strength and don't want to go up to Red.

Is the Loctite primer good stuff? It's expensive for the amount you get. Loctite uses numbers to signify strength; is there a specific number I should look for with their primer?

Thanks!

I doubt Loctite Primer will help much. It's made to clean and slightly accelerate the curing process. With small screws you don't want much more than .005" clearance in the pitch diameter. Plus stainless steel often is a pain with any thread locker. Some cleaning solvents might also be an issue. Still if the tapped holes are over sized and maybe even in a tapered bore; you may be whipping a dead horse with Loctite. I'd try something thicker, and maybe even in a jell form. Loctite is anaerobic, and will not readily cure without loss of air. Loose threads maybe the real issue. You might want to bite the bullet and buy some high grade screws from somebody like Premier (Super Tanium), or Karr & Allen. The rest are substandard compared with these.
gary

 

[engineer40]

Try degreasing with acetone or denatured alcohol before applying Loc-Tite. Oil or other lub will act as a release agent.

If I sprayed a little brake cleaner on a rag and/or pipe cleaner; would that work also? I already have some of that in the garage.

Thanks!

 

[engineer40]

I doubt Loctite Primer will help much. It's made to clean and slightly accelerate the curing process. With small screws you don't want much more than .005" clearance in the pitch diameter. Plus stainless steel often is a pain with any thread locker. Some cleaning solvents might also be an issue. Still if the tapped holes are over sized and maybe even in a tapered bore; you may be whipping a dead horse with Loctite. I'd try something thicker, and maybe even in a jell form. Loctite is anaerobic, and will not readily cure without loss of air. Loose threads maybe the real issue. You might want to bite the bullet and buy some high grade screws from somebody like Premier (Super Tanium), or Karr & Allen. The rest are substandard compared with these.
gary

Very good suggestions Gary! I will check into the better quality screws.

I use Loctite simply because I've been using it since I was 10 working on my 3 1/2 horsepower minibike. Do you have a suggestion for a jell type thread locker that is not anaerobic?

 

[acloco]

Hmmm....

I am NOT a fan of Loctite in 99.9% of the applications it is used for. Why? If the fastener or attaching method is not doing the job, then the problem needs fixed, not glued in place.


What are you using Loctite on?


Brake cleaner has an additive that stays behind after the applicator has evaporated. As suggested, use one of the alternatives.

 

[engineer40]

Hmmm....

I am NOT a fan of Loctite in 99.9% of the applications it is used for. Why? If the fastener or attaching method is not doing the job, then the problem needs fixed, not glued in place.

What are you using Loctite on?

Brake cleaner has an additive that stays behind after the applicator has evaporated. As suggested, use one of the alternatives.

I appreciate your feedback.

I've never considered Loctite to be glue. But it works well in scenarios where using a lock washer (or similar) isn't feasible.

Saying that thread lockers are of no use 99.9% of the time I think is a little overboard. Most everything mechanical in the world that vibrates, jars back and forth, or moves in an aggressive manner has some kind of lock washer/lock device that keeps the bolts/screws from coming out. I guess I just don't see how firearms are different.

However, I do agree that most of the time using high quality screws that are torqued in the correct sequence; you shouldn't need Loctite.

Thanks.

 

[SidecarFlip]

If I sprayed a little brake cleaner on a rag and/or pipe cleaner; would that work also? I already have some of that in the garage.

Thanks!

Thats what I use, not just on firearms but on machine asseblies. Stuff is wicked on your epidermis though.

I believe I hae a quart of Carbon Tet sitting on the shelf somewhere....lol

I have a 250 ML bottle of blue but I prefer the high strength 70 series.

I've also found that DDEC (Detroit Diesel) anerobic gaslet maker makes excellent thread locker but you may not be able to get that.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Very good suggestions Gary! I will check into the better quality screws.

I use Loctite simply because I've been using it since I was 10 working on my 3 1/2 horsepower minibike. Do you have a suggestion for a jell type thread locker that is not anaerobic?

FS454 comes to mind, but that would be like using red Loctite. The stuff is similar to Black Max, and that's some bad ***** stuff. There are others that maybe better. Even Vibratite ought to work. I suspect the female threads are oversized.
gary

 

[FEENIX]

Most everything mechanical in the world that vibrates, jars back and forth, or moves in an aggressive manner has some kind of lock washer/lock device that keeps the bolts/screws from coming out. I guess I just don't see how firearms are different.

However, I do agree that most of the time using high quality screws that are torqued in the correct sequence; you shouldn't need Loctite.

I know exactly what you mean, I spent my 1st 10 years in my USAF career in the flight line working F-4s and A-10s and we used lots high torque screws and safety wiring on bolts, cannon plugs, etc ...



I had a similar situation with shotgun where I used teflon tape on the thread, wave washer instead of lock washer, and a dab of loctite on the head of the screw. Not sure if this will also work in your particular case but a 2-pence for your thought and consideration.

Cheers!

 

[engineer40]

I suspect the female threads are oversized.

"...that's what he said..."

 

[FEENIX]

"...that's what he said..."

That makes it a loose - loss situation.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I know exactly what you mean, I spent my 1st 10 years in my USAF career in the flight line working F-4s and A-10s and we used lots high torque screws and safety wiring on bolts, cannon plugs, etc ...

How to safety wire in a two-bolt pattern. - YouTube

I had a similar situation with shotgun where I used teflon tape on the thread, wave washer instead of lock washer, and a dab of loctite on the head of the screw. Not sure if this will also work in your particular case but a 2-pence for your thought and consideration.

Cheers!

saw that photo, and laughed! About a week ago I found one of my safety wire pliers and a roll of .025" stainless wire. At one time I even had a home made set of fixtures to drill that .032" hole in the bolt heads. I've probably drill a thousand holes in them over the years. Yet the aps I used wire on were minimal.

The real issue with torqueing bolts and making them hold is kind of a moot point. For the most part none are good, and marginal at best. Why? Lack of the helix angle in machining the threads. The use of Loctite aids in torqueing bolts contrary to popular belief, but so does Never Seize with Nickle, oil, and white grease. They all tend to help lubricate the threads when in contact. You will also note that I left Loctite Anti Seize on purpose. Never Seize is by far the best.

All the better bolt manufacturers will tell you right up front (Supertanium, Karr, Allen, and Unbrako) to never use a split lock washer. Yet we still use them from time to time. I rarely did. I used almost nothing but hardened flat washers. With sevier use aps we almost always reverted to studs and castle nuts with wire. The studs were usually 4140 or 4150 custom turned for the ap.
gary

 

[LoneTraveler]

Pure Acetone is the cleaner I have used for years before you try to Lock-Tite something. When I worked in the Light Bulb industry Acetone was kept in 55 gal. drums in the factory. We used it to clean before putting many parts together. Today I go to Wal-Mart in the finger nail section they have pure Acetone. Cleaning is first. Some so called cleaners leave a film when used. Make sure the female part of the connection has dried completely before putting the unit together.