If you're serious I'll ask one of my buds who is the marketing director for an entire catalog of our products. Are you really serious? I've tried to get hitched with some of the Nascar, Indy, and Forumula 1 events and didn't even get sand kicked in my face. Guess the field hands don't get any hand-me-downs. Dirty
Got a loctite application question. I have a screw that threads into a carb body that holds a plastic insert in. Is there a Locktite product that will work on or near plastic that won't melt the plastic?
for what it's worth, i have a bottle each of low/med/high lock-tite brand sitting on the shelf..of all three, the low is what i reach for 90% of the time(mind you this is for a my touring bike only) still i'm finding that the low strength is quite adiquate for most my needs. i kinda regret having bought the other two, but then i'm a cheap bastard. d-sanchez a few postings back you mentioned that the low strength stuff was mostly for small faseners. med for med size...etc. wouldn't the contact area of a fastner increase with the increase with the size of the fastner? so that low strength chemical locking agent would have a corrasponding larger break loose number? please forgive if the the wording isn't quite right here. just a question that's come to mind . anyway i do enjoy this thread, and appreciate the wealth of knowledg here.
Anaerobic threadlockers, all brands of them, will stress crack many types of plastic faster than you can spit. Depending on the type of plastic anaerobic chemistries will also dull a shiney plastic surface if the product comes in contact with many types of plastics. Don't use a threadlocker if the fastener threads into a threaded plastic component of some sort. A low strength instant adhesive (super glue) is what you're after. Anaerobic threadlockers, sealants etc. don't melt plastic-they might produce stress cracks though, so use caution, keep the products off of the plastic. If this metal screw is threaded past a non-threaded hole in a piece plastic, then threads into another metal component, you'll be fine-just keep the drips off of the plastic. Dirty
Knowing just enough to be down right dangerous, I reach for the blue threadlocker in either stick or liquid form nearly 100% of the time if I feel the M/C application is even remotely subject to fastener loosening from vibration, thermocycling, or has a potential for corrosion from rust or galvanic corrosion. Hmm, you think with that all encompasing statement I've included just about every single fastener on my bike? I have. The percentage metal to metal contact on a run of the mill threaded fastener remains at around 15 to 20% on everything from machine screws all the way up to 2" and larger threaded fasteners. Granted, I deal with this thing every day during the course of my job with Loctite and know this stuff like the palm of my hand, but here's what I tell folks to help them select a threadlocker: Threadlockers come in 3 main strengths in 3 colors, low/purple, medium/blue, and high/red (aka permenant). Low/Purple is for fasteners you might use a phillips/flat head jewelers screw driver set, small allen wrench, or a 1/4" wratchet for assembly/disassembly. Medium/Blue is used when I'm using 1/4" or 3/8" wratchet, 4mm or larger allen wrenches, or phillips/flathead screwdrivers where there's not much threaded engagement. High/Red is never used on my bike. Some Harley Guys swear by it, but this cat doesn't. Red Threadlockers are considered permenant because you might have to take a blow torch to heat up a fastener which was locked with a red threadlocker, so beware! You've been warned. Dirty
Just wanted to say thanks, Dirty. Everytime I read this thread, I take away something of value. Chris
The red loctite is used on Sportster transmission door screws. Definitely, screws that you dont ever want to come adrift without doing it yourself. Harleys have several fasteners that are buried in places that cause big headaches if they back out. Red loctite seems to be the only peace of mind for such screws/bolts. Often, safety wire and mechanical securing devices including peening of the parts is just not enough.
Howdy, Just a quick question. I have to replace the sight glass on my 640a as its cracked. It the one on the right side ignition cover. The sight glass is fixed with Loctite 648 (i presume as thats what the say to fix it with). Do I need to use heat to remove the sight glass if so how much? Cheers Dan
Dan- Great question. Since the sight glass is already cracked/leaking, go ahead and carefully tap it out the rest of the way-if it's like the waterpump seal, you'll have to push it out from the outside to the inside but remove the ignition cover first. As to using heat- It will help you remove the piece. How much, the party line says for any permenant anaerobic product removal apply 450F for 5 minutes, then remove. Dirty's book of the gospel says heat it up until the first wisp of white smoke is visable. In this case, I'd be wary of heating up that ignition cover. Make darned sure to get the entire groove cleaned out of all crumbs and residue and completely devoid of all oil to ensure the most reliable seal with a residue-free cleaner/degreaser. Since you'll be pushing this new sight glass into a groove, I would apply a continuous bead of 648, 640, 641, (all have similar viscosities, fixture times and gap filling capabilities) IN the actual area where the sight glass will finally come to rest once it is in it's final resting place. Depending on how deep the groove may be, take a toothpick or cotton swab and wet the surface with product to give the sealing surface of the sight glass a slippery surface to slide on as it is pressed into place so as not to damage the seal tip. Wipe off any excessive squeezeout and reassemble. I strongly advise don't add engine oil until after you let the 648 sit undisturbed for a full 24 hours to allow for a full cure. Add oil and commence to smiling after the full cure has been reached. Dig? Dirty
Anybody use T.I. laquer (sp?) on fasteners. We used it in the Army so we could easily tell if a fastener had moved or had been tampered with. Seams like it would be great piece of mind, and spead up your pre trip inspection. BTW does anyone know where you can get it? I had considered using nail polish, but could never decide on a color
I use threadlocker on nearly every single fastener on my bike. And as an added sense of giving me a quick visual confirmation I use a paint pen to to draw a line across the head of major fasteners and a dot on the subcomponent it secures. This way a quick glance at the bike and I can notice if any of the marks come out of registration. If the marks don't line up, the fastener has moved. Dirty
Hey Dirty, Which is better when using the loctite stick... too much or too little? It seems that I'm not coordinated enough to get the amount just right (and am not even 100% sure what just right is ). I put the threads on the edge of the dispensor so there are 4 or so threads in the goo and then rotate the bolt. Seems like half the time nothing sticks and the other half I get globs. Which is the prefered abomination // marc
If you're in my territory, you use an entire tube of QuickStix threadlocker for every single nut and bolt, the remaining portion should be tossed into your oily rag bucket with pomp and circumstance as an offering to the gods of speed. In all other parts of the world the QuickStix product should be advanced to the approximate depth of the thread roots of the fastener, then swiped perpendicular or crossways on the threads so the product gets deposited into the thread roots. The chamfer on the ID of the nut helps to pull the product into the area of threaded engagement. I normally perform this act in several locations normally on opposite sides of the bolt. PM me for the contact info for my two Gearhead Loctite compadre's out in the Bay Area if you want a more local contact for perodic guidance. Dirty
Loctite and permatex. Napa guy says they're the same company. Pretty sure Dirty Sanchez already addressed this. Dammit I hate that I can never find a local shop that sells what I need. this is like the time when I asked for a coolant brand that was good for aluminum systems (like bmw) so I didn't have to buy the expensive special coolant (like bmw) and the "expert" at the parts store smarted off to me and said "aluminum is aluminum and you don't need special coolant." I guess i'm glad to know that there's only 1 kind of aluminum in the world and that permatex and loctite are the same thing. You really get an education at these parts stores.
Loctite and Permatex are not the same company. Loctite and Permatex are not the same company. Loctite and Permatex are not the same company. Did they try to sell you a pipe stretcher? A left-handed skyhook? A bucket of ohms? Just remember there are some people in this world who are destined to bag french fries, dig ditches, become brain surgeons, or sell glue, so be careful who you befriend. Years back, I'd say 10 years or so, Loctite courted and later bought Permatex. Since the world wide interweb is all seeing, and I can't tell what I know about this, I'll just say that we later sold off the Permatex division. Did I mention Permatex and Loctite aren't the same company? Well, they're not. Dirty
My friend, there are certain folks that I've learned to just nod as if they imparted some deep knowledge to me, and then just get the hell out. They know everything. Just ask them and they'll tell ya. Thus was the case with the guy at the parts store. Grainger has a stick of the blue 248 (i think) coming in tomorrow for me. I asked for the 567 and they couldn't "find it in our catalogue sir." I'm a magnet for idiocy and incompetence.
It IS in their red book, and their pn is 5A236-I guess you moved his cheese. 567PST is my workhorse threadsealant. Dirty
