This got me thinking, what are you guys using for your engine rebuilds etc to lock threads
Chris.
Thread Lock, what do you use?
Thread Lock, what do you use?
I went around 6 different motor factors and shops today looking for "Loctite 2400" thread lock, none of them had any in stock. I have been using Loctite for years and it's never let me down, so I was more than reluctant to change to a different make that most had. So in the end my wife ordered a plastic bottle of the 2400 online.
This got me thinking, what are you guys using for your engine rebuilds etc to lock threads
Chris.
This got me thinking, what are you guys using for your engine rebuilds etc to lock threads
Chris.
Re: Thread Lock, what do you use?
There are loads of different formulae of Loctite, and each has different characteristics. Some "lock" tighter than others, so only use the stronger ones if you rarely, if ever, want to undo the fastening again.
Others have resistances to heat or fluids- some won't work with exposure to oil or petrol.
Just be careful about which one you buy, and check which situations it's used for.
And a general comment- locking fluids don't work very well on threads which previously had grease or oil in them, so, to get the full effect, you have to clean both parts of the thread properly before applying. You might need to run a tap down blind holes to make sure they're clean, but a squirt of brake cleaner generally does the job well enough. (And always make sure any blind hole is free of grease before winding a fixing in, or the threaded part can act as a hydraulic ram and break the casting it is going into).
Lastly, beware over- tightening, if using a torque wrench. Locking fluids can reduce the required torque setting, so don't blindly keep going when a fixing feels tight enough just to get to the torque setting. Same with oily/greasy threads, especially where the fixings has a low torque setting requirement- oil drain plugs are a typical culprit, it's easy to crack the sump if you literally " crack on" to the torque setting recommended when re-using a crush washer.
Much better to use a smear of silicone gasket there, and on the larger lh side plug on the alternator case.
Personally, I rarely use any, but then I get spanners in my bikes more often than most, so check bolts more frequently. Lockwiring makes more sense to me on vulnerable external fixings like caliper bolts and rear sprocket nuts.
On VTR's it's only the cam sprocket to cam bolts that I would definitely use Loctite on, and if course, it has to be an oil resistant type. But new Honda bolts are cheap and come with a solid thread lock already applied, if you want to err on the side of caution.
Others have resistances to heat or fluids- some won't work with exposure to oil or petrol.
Just be careful about which one you buy, and check which situations it's used for.
And a general comment- locking fluids don't work very well on threads which previously had grease or oil in them, so, to get the full effect, you have to clean both parts of the thread properly before applying. You might need to run a tap down blind holes to make sure they're clean, but a squirt of brake cleaner generally does the job well enough. (And always make sure any blind hole is free of grease before winding a fixing in, or the threaded part can act as a hydraulic ram and break the casting it is going into).
Lastly, beware over- tightening, if using a torque wrench. Locking fluids can reduce the required torque setting, so don't blindly keep going when a fixing feels tight enough just to get to the torque setting. Same with oily/greasy threads, especially where the fixings has a low torque setting requirement- oil drain plugs are a typical culprit, it's easy to crack the sump if you literally " crack on" to the torque setting recommended when re-using a crush washer.
Much better to use a smear of silicone gasket there, and on the larger lh side plug on the alternator case.
Personally, I rarely use any, but then I get spanners in my bikes more often than most, so check bolts more frequently. Lockwiring makes more sense to me on vulnerable external fixings like caliper bolts and rear sprocket nuts.
On VTR's it's only the cam sprocket to cam bolts that I would definitely use Loctite on, and if course, it has to be an oil resistant type. But new Honda bolts are cheap and come with a solid thread lock already applied, if you want to err on the side of caution.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Re: Thread Lock, what do you use?
Many thanks Tony for your infinite wisdom and informative reply 
Your way of thinking is actually very much on my wave length. I had a reasonable number of old British bike's when I first started out riding motorbikes. Due to how much some of them vibrated, a check on accessible nuts and bolts to make sure they were still done up tight was a regular thing if you wanted to keep them lol, which is something I have carried through on all my bikes, like yourself.
I don't use a torque wrench that much either due to what you mention about getting a false torque figure, plus over the years of working on bikes, or cars for that matter you get a feel of how tight a nut or bolt needs to be. As for using a thread lock, I like to use it on I.E. the horizontal bolt that holds the cam chain guide in position on the VTR engine, you wouldn't want that bolt coming out.
As for the different strengths of Thread Lock. The Loctite 2400 thread lock is a medium strength which means normal tools can remove nuts or bolts where this has been applied. It's suitable for I.E. cam chain guide side bolts. It used to be Loctite 243 but they have changed the number to 2400. The Loctite 2400 is suitable to use on threads that are not 100% clean of oil.
https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/uk/en/ ... 24000.html
I appreciate all the other tips, some I was aware of, and others I wasn't.
Cheers,
Chris.
PS. The make of Thread Lock I kept seeing when I was searching for the brand "Loctite" locally was "Granville". I was really wondering if anyone had been using this make and if so what they thought of it.
Your way of thinking is actually very much on my wave length. I had a reasonable number of old British bike's when I first started out riding motorbikes. Due to how much some of them vibrated, a check on accessible nuts and bolts to make sure they were still done up tight was a regular thing if you wanted to keep them lol, which is something I have carried through on all my bikes, like yourself.
I don't use a torque wrench that much either due to what you mention about getting a false torque figure, plus over the years of working on bikes, or cars for that matter you get a feel of how tight a nut or bolt needs to be. As for using a thread lock, I like to use it on I.E. the horizontal bolt that holds the cam chain guide in position on the VTR engine, you wouldn't want that bolt coming out.
As for the different strengths of Thread Lock. The Loctite 2400 thread lock is a medium strength which means normal tools can remove nuts or bolts where this has been applied. It's suitable for I.E. cam chain guide side bolts. It used to be Loctite 243 but they have changed the number to 2400. The Loctite 2400 is suitable to use on threads that are not 100% clean of oil.
https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/uk/en/ ... 24000.html
I appreciate all the other tips, some I was aware of, and others I wasn't.
Cheers,
Chris.
PS. The make of Thread Lock I kept seeing when I was searching for the brand "Loctite" locally was "Granville". I was really wondering if anyone had been using this make
and if so what they thought of it.-
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