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Preapplied Threadlocker?

paulsomlo

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Like the stuff they preapply to flywheel bolts - where can I get some in small quantities? I've struck out - loctite doesn't make it in DIY size, nor anyone else it seems. It's for automotive use, I've got some fasteners where I can't adequately clean out the female threads, flywheel bolts and other fasteners going into places where there's a supply of oil.
 
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tom86951

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Search and read-up on ‘micro-encapsulated’ bolts. It’s just thread locker that gets activated when threaded into a hole as little beads of chemicals suspended in the material break to activate its glue effect. It’s primary benefit is for mass production. If you give an assembly worker a micro-encapsulated bolt, he doesn’t have to stop to apply goo to the bolt, there’s no mess, every bolt gets the same amount, torque specs can be calibrated to it, nothing can contaminate the goo, etc. etc.

That said, thread locker is not an alternative to cleaning out a hole. Use brake cleaner and a chasing tap for that. You can also make a cleaning tap by cutting grooves down the length of a bolt that fits in the hole. Gunk and debris will collect in the groove if everything is wet with brake cleaner or other good solvent.

McMaster Carr sells thread-locking bolts, which are like nylon lock-nuts with a patch of nylon fused to the threads.
 
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paulsomlo

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ND Industries

Their VC-3 product is the only preapplied threadlocker I found, that's available in small quantities. I spoke to them last week, unfortunately the temp range tops out at 165 deg F on the product, at which point, it starts to soften. I'm thinking that may be risky for bolts that will be exposed to the crankcase. It is, however, the only sealant I found that's not anaerobic and doesn't rely on surface cleanliness.

All the other products available in small quantities are anaerobic sealants, which means cleaning up the bolt holes, which I was hoping not to have to deal with, since these are through holes on the end of the crankshaft, which is still in the vehicle.

516 Vibra Seal would do the job, but I've already been in touch with Loctite - smallest size is something like 33 ounces. It's a water based sealer that dries before application, probably insensitive to surface conditions. But not marketed towards DIY.

I normally wouldn't labor over something like this, but I've got the vehicle apart, chasing an oil leak. That entails removing exhaust, driveshaft, transmission, clutch and flywheel. Working alone on my back, with the vehicle on jack stands, I only want to do this once.
 

sz0k30

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I'll bet that thousands & thousand of guys have had to deal with the same conditions & used whatever they had without giving it a second thought.
 

M6erfan

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That said, thread locker is not an alternative to cleaning out a hole. Use brake cleaner and a chasing tap for that. You can also make a cleaning tap by cutting grooves down the length of a bolt that fits in the hole. Gunk and debris will collect in the groove if everything is wet with brake cleaner or other good solvent.


Good advice there ^^^.

Contact cleaner and an air needle works wonders. I spend a lot of time chasing and cleaning every threaded hole when I'm doing a restoration
 
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2ndGearRubber

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Right-Stuff RTV works quite well for flywheel bolts which see oil exposure. My car in my garage has it on the treads currently. Plenty of vibration resistance, obviously oil tight. Torque at normal spec, allow to dry.
 
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paulsomlo

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I'll bet that thousands & thousand of guys have had to deal with the same conditions & used whatever they had without giving it a second thought.
And that's probably a safe bet. I could just buy eight new flywheel bolts (precoated) at $3 each, which would hurt, especially if I need to tear into it again.

I've been chasing oil leaks on this vehicle for probably a decade now - rear seal, oil filter housing, timing cover, valve cover, etc., and I'd just like to have a car that stays nice and dry underneath, once and for all.
 
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paulsomlo

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Good advice there ^^^.

Contact cleaner and an air needle works wonders. I spend a lot of time chasing and cleaning every threaded hole when I'm doing a restoration

This is the back of the crankshaft, still on the vehicle - need to be a bit careful as far as debris.
 

matt_i

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Just blast out your bolt hole with brake cleaner.

So some gets in the oil, its a high vapor pressure solvent and will just evaporate with any kind of medium heat.

If you want to, you can always change oil at the end.

I've always used red or blue from the bottle. Engines and transmissions are firmly locked together.
 
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paulsomlo

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I took an old flywheel bolt, used a cutoff wheel on a dremel to make a groove lengthwise, as suggested. I used acetone as a solvent, and it removed any debris in the threads, but the threads were still oily. I wasn't really comfortable spraying brake cleaner while lying under the vehicle, figured I'd end up bathing in it. So, I drilled a blind hole in the bolt and inserted a piece of pipe cleaner bent in an L shape, with the pipe cleaner laying in the groove. Applied the acetone to the pipe cleaner and threaded the bolt into each hole, replacing the pipe cleaner with new each time. Holes are now nice and clean, I'll clean up the fasteners and use blue loctite.

Thanks all!
 

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1cargarage

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+1 for VC-3. Vibra-Tite is awesome

49CE95_AS01


Also +1 for brake cleaner or spray parts cleaner in the threaded hole.

71fs-B4DxdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


I've cut the looped end off of tube brushes and chucked them in a drill to clean out large bolt holes with great success in combination with the spray cleaner.
 
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