Remove thread sealant from a bolt

[Jeeper]

What is everyone's preferred method for removing thread sealant and/or thread locker from the threads of a bolt? Figure I should clean the bolts up before putting new sealant on the bolts before putting them in. Doing a water pump BTW.

 

[KnurledNut]

try paint stripper

 

[transittech]

Wire wheel on a grinder.

 

[metaleltr]

Use some sort of solvent-acetone, brake clean, lacquer thinner. Then remove any remaining sealant with a wire brush.

 

[Bar Ditch]

Wire wheel on a bench grinder. Just make you use vice grips to hold the head.

 

[CWP1616L]

I use a small right angle pick.

 

[greasemonkey44]

a wire wheel works very well

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

cheapest way is wire brush.

 

[Jrican]

Thread file.

 

[redwrench60]

Wire wheel on a bench grinder. Just make you use vice grips to hold the head.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Bkf350SD]

Wire wheel on a bench grinder. Just make you use vice grips to hold the head.

X3... Fastest and easiest way i have found.

 

[thightower]

Vice grips and a wire wheel on a bench grinder. A good tap and die set works good also. Like my Dad used to say, poor people have poor ways. Thats why I have a decent tap and die set.

 

[kossuth]

What is everyone's preferred method for removing thread sealant and/or thread locker from the threads of a bolt? Figure I should clean the bolts up before putting new sealant on the bolts before putting them in. Doing a water pump BTW.

Honestly, all I've ever done is just run a die over them real quick and a tap into the cylinder head/block and be done with it. Never had any problems other than my tap and die set has become pretty large.

 

[dirtydogintex]

bench vise wire wheel for bolts
and bottoming tap for block blind holes followed by healthy blasts of air if they appear to be full of 'junk.'

I've lost more stuff trying to hold it w/vise grips, pliers, the like
than
when using fingers only.... and yes I still have all of'em!! */me knocks on wood*

 

[PowerGenGuy]

Wire wheel!

 

[luvit]

.
pocket knife around the threads.. done.
.

 

[87Pomona]

Wire wheel on a bench grinder would be the fastest, easiest way.

If you dont have a bench grinder then I wire brush will do.

 

[trbomax]

Run a chaseing die over it. NEVER wire wheel a threaded fastener. It burnishes the sharp edge off the threads and seriously reduces holding power.Not to mention that the burnished threads will deform the female threads that its tightened into and thats the last thing you want on an engine block.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

Run a chaseing die over it. NEVER wire wheel a threaded fastener. It burnishes the sharp edge off the threads and seriously reduces holding power.

make sense, I read this somewhere also too.

 

[skiingman]

Run a chaseing die over it. NEVER wire wheel a threaded fastener. It burnishes the sharp edge off the threads and seriously reduces holding power.Not to mention that the burnished threads will deform the female threads that its tightened into and thats the last thing you want on an engine block.

Quality fasteners don't have sharp threads. A soft wire wheel definitely won't break edges on hardened steel. Removing a little sealant
...not polishing it for ten minutes.

 

[trbomax]

Quality fasteners don't have sharp threads. A soft wire wheel definitely won't break edges on hardened steel. Removing a little sealant
...not polishing it for ten minutes.

First off,where you getting hardened steel bolts ? Second,a soft wire wheel wont clean off sealant or locker residue.Third,a while back when I was in engineering school we did a good bit of study and trials on thread fit and fasteners,and that was one of the conclusions.Lastly, find me ONE professional engine builder that will wire brush bolts and then install them.Haveing done it,I can tell you that the only time I ever pulled the threads out of a block deck was when useing brush cleaned bolts and after a few episodes of haveing to helicoil block decks I started doing it the way I learned to in the first place.So you can do anything you want,but that dont make it right.

edit) a threaded fastener pulls up and locks on only 2 threads and on the top 50% of the thread.There is no pull up in the root area of a threaded fastener.If the top 50% of the thread is deformed,burnished,roundened or what ever,the lock up and holding power is severly diminished.

 

[garfunkle24]

First off,where you getting hardened steel bolts ? Second,a soft wire wheel wont clean off sealant or locker residue.Third,a while back when I was in engineering school we did a good bit of study and trials on thread fit and fasteners,and that was one of the conclusions.Lastly, find me ONE professional engine builder that will wire brush bolts and then install them.Haveing done it,I can tell you that the only time I ever pulled the threads out of a block deck was when useing brush cleaned bolts and after a few episodes of haveing to helicoil block decks I started doing it the way I learned to in the first place.So you can do anything you want,but that dont make it right.

edit) a threaded fastener pulls up and locks on only 2 threads and on the top 50% of the thread.There is no pull up in the root area of a threaded fastener.If the top 50% of the thread is deformed,burnished,roundened or what ever,the lock up and holding power is severly diminished.

Have a source?

Doesn't seem realistic to me. I know how much material a wire wheel removes and even on a 1/4 - 20 screw it would be a tiny amount proportionally to thread depth. You didn't even address the fact that even if your point were true, it would become increasingly negligible the greater the hardware size.

Also as stated above, a quality bolt with rolled threads doesn't have any "ridge" or "burr" to take off and if it did it wouldn't effect thread strength anyway. The strength of a knife is not in it's cutting edge.

 

[SO/PW newbie]

Not to mention you are taking the plating or protective coating off the bolt using a wire wheel.

 

[trbomax]

You guys can do or believe anything you want. I dont need a "source" to prove to anyone what I know works or doesnt. Now,I will give you that when I went to school it was '62-'68, and things were different.But that not withstanding,you just go ahead and brush the hell out of them,just keep the helicoils handy!

 

[CWP1616L]

Some of that thread sealant is like a hard plastic; a wire brush has no effect on it. I gotta break it off with a pick.

 

[dirtydogintex]

Some of that thread sealant is like a hard plastic; a wire brush has no effect on it. I gotta break it off with a pick.

Is it black.... as in Permatex No 1?

 

[KnurledNut]

(ughhhh.......refer back to post #2)

 

[greasemonkey44]

Have a source?

Doesn't seem realistic to me. I know how much material a wire wheel removes and even on a 1/4 - 20 screw it would be a tiny amount proportionally to thread depth. You didn't even address the fact that even if your point were true, it would become increasingly negligible the greater the hardware size.

Also as stated above, a quality bolt with rolled threads doesn't have any "ridge" or "burr" to take off and if it did it wouldn't effect thread strength anyway. The strength of a knife is not in it's cutting edge.

2nded
well put

 

[redwrench60]

Good lord, it aint rocket surgery. Don't burn the damn bolt up on the wire wheel, just remove the crud or threadlocker with light pressure. It won't hurt grade 8 bolts, I do it all the time and I don't have to wear out the Heli-coils. If you have doubts or it's a critical application use new bolts.

 

[RCRGarage]

First off,where you getting hardened steel bolts ? Second,a soft wire wheel wont clean off sealant or locker residue.Third,a while back when I was in engineering school we did a good bit of study and trials on thread fit and fasteners,and that was one of the conclusions.Lastly, find me ONE professional engine builder that will wire brush bolts and then install them.Haveing done it,I can tell you that the only time I ever pulled the threads out of a block deck was when useing brush cleaned bolts and after a few episodes of haveing to helicoil block decks I started doing it the way I learned to in the first place.So you can do anything you want,but that dont make it right.

edit) a threaded fastener pulls up and locks on only 2 threads and on the top 50% of the thread.There is no pull up in the root area of a threaded fastener.If the top 50% of the thread is deformed,burnished,roundened or what ever,the lock up and holding power is severly diminished.

*cough* *cough* BS *cough* *cough*

I use a pick if reusing the hardware.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

nobody uses a flame?

 

[redwrench60]

nobody uses a flame?

But the sky will fall, rivers will flow backwards, dogs and cats living together......

 

[csargents1546]

But the sky will fall, rivers will flow backwards, dogs and cats living together......

 

[Dieselbutterfly]

does it really need to be removed

 

[atomicpunk]

Wire wheel in a bench grinder, also good for removing teflon thread sealant on hydraulic and pnuematic fittings.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

What is everyone's preferred method for removing thread sealant and/or thread locker from the threads of a bolt? Figure I should clean the bolts up before putting new sealant on the bolts before putting them in. Doing a water pump BTW.

The easiest way is to put them in a can of Chem-dip for a half hour or so, rinse them off and be done with it. Anything that doesn't come off on its own will come off with a light hand brushing. Load them up with fresh anti-sieze and you're good to go.

I HAVE seen minor thread deformation from wire wheeling bolts. Probably not enough to affect strength too much, but enough to slightly damage the mating threads in cast iron or aluminum.

 

[Tig Master]

Here is an engine re builder association that knows the do's and dont's of engine rebuilding.Good information not some random thoughts or this the way we always do it syndrome,which in many cases 50 years of bad habits.Good source of info many archives of great info that many back yarder's aren't aware of.The wire brush posted question is put to rest,as it should be.

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article/105791/ten_head_bolt_installation_tips.aspx

T

 

[Southern]

Anyone saying anything other than wire wheel for cleaning threads is making me giggle.

 

[sberry]

Is this a commercial job or a hobby? I would do what I had to, I lightly wheel some bolts, if they came out super clean and went in to a nut or blind hole spray them with any penetrant and put back in if the feel and fit was good and clean. How perfect does it got to be?
90 % of the worlds dasteners are not installed correctly, most worksome of thenm not suffecient and about the number one reason is lack of lube, it either seizes or doesnt fully tighten due to the torque needing to overcome thread friction.

Yesterday my guy finds a loose alt, can tell someone worked on this at some point but he tried to tighten it, still loose, I can hear the nut screach, duh, put some spray on it, run it off/on, now takes about 1/4 the effort withut stripping to get it twice as tight. I dee experienced mechanics installing dry bolts. That 50% is with a clean new bolt, well brush it makes it 48%, who cares, still aint no good if the mechganic did not install it tight.

You want to know how they ever came up with wheel bolt dry thread torque? That because 95% of the world is too bdumb to put a little light oil on the bolts. This thinking is not new, look at old Snappy torque wrench book with known values, always clean threads with light oil.

How does themechanic get a rusted fastener off, sometimes he workks oil in to it vs grabbing and twisting till seizure, half the broken damaged bolts maybe 3/4 of them would never occured had a better "mechanic" vs "tech" been working on it in the first place, same for a helicoil, its a rare day I end up with a boogered hole and I have done my fair share. I had a guy work for me, broke about one bolt in 5 years. He new we were not in too big hurry to solve the problem and not breaking something was 10 times as easy as fixing a screw up.

 

[sberry]

Wire wheel in a bench grinder, also good for removing teflon thread sealant on hydraulic and pnuematic fittings.

Also makes them smooth twist together easily.