8 replies to this topic

[Big_Adam]

Yo,

In my recent engine strip soon to be rebuild along with the rest of El Gordo I have a question.Many of the nuts and bolts either in the engine or on the car are lock tabbed into place. Like on the flywheel for example.

Now then my question is this, is thread lock (such as loctite) as good? As I got a few hagged lock tabs and a full bottle of loctite.

Got the green loctite if that makes a difference. Found it to be damn strong so far.

[*DJH*]

243 blue oil tolerant loctite is your friend

Edited by DJH MINI MOTORSPORT, 30 July 2007 - 02:38 PM.

[Ethel]

Haven't you got the lock tabs in your gasket set?

[Big_Adam]

Haven't you got the lock tabs in your gasket set?

Well, I never got any in the last set of gaskets I had.

[Sprocket]

All later A+ engines had 80% of the bolts loctited insted of locktabs. The flywheel housing bolts and diff casing bolts (except the four main diff studs which still use lock tabs) are prime example.

Dont use any sort of lock compound on cylinder head studs/ nuts, main bearing/ big end bolts.

Deffo use it if you are fitting the Minispares longer crank pully bolt!!

I fitted no lock tab on the flywheel bolt, but when doing this there is a completely different procedure for fitting it.

As far as im concerned if its not the genuine trademark Loctite, then its no use. It also has to be the correct product for the application.

[dklawson]

As mentioned... no Loctite on components like rod ends or head bolts/studs.

The "green" series Loctite is generally for bearing retainers and fitting cylindrical parts. It's not the best choice for threaded fasteners.

At work we went through some expensive field repairs that eventually resulted in our specifying Loctite-262 on most threaded fasteners 1/4" (6mm) and larger. Loctite-262 is still a removable grade but it differs significantly from their more common (blue) -242/243 products. Once you break a -242 secured bolt free, it's an easy job to spin it the rest of the way out with a wrench. By comparison, -262 requires a fair amount of torque to break free and takes about 80% of the break away torque to remove all the way. It has proven to be a much better choice where vibration is a problem.

[Big_Adam]

...I'm now very confused by my own thread.

I'll have to go find out exactly what locking compound I have.

[*DJH*]

As said in my post, 243 blue oil tolerant loctite is best, we use this all the time on our machines at work and nothing falls off of them.

But as mentioned the green series of loctite is generally used for bearings and high temp applications.

[dklawson]

DJH... I'm not questioning your success with -243 or its ability to withstand oil. I'm only relating what we found at work that -262 requires the constant application of more torque to remove a bolt. That's not to imply anything is wrong with -243.

Sidebar: In two different jobs I have been in contact with the local Loctite field representatives. They both reported that a very common application question is how to "remove" Loctite. The problem is, once it sets, there aren't any safe solvents that break it down. Where applicable, the most common Loctite removal tool is the application of heat.

One Loctite rep went on to tell me about a panic telephone call they received from a guy desperate to know how to remove Loctite. He related how he followed to the letter their instructions on a package of Loctite for bonding the metal rear-view mirror bracket/cleat to the windshield of his car. However, in his zeal, the guy was not paying attention to the final application of the "glue" and bonded the metal part to the OUTSIDE of the windshield instead of inside. The only solution was to replace the windshield.