Lubricating Stainless Steel nuts / bolts , etc ?

[RichardL]

I, too, saw Muskrat's post about Never Seez. I'm assuminig Never Seez does not simultaneously secure the nut while assuring it's easy to remove. For me, one question in this is whether Loctite satisfies anti-galling needs while also securing the nut. Sorry if the train seems like it's off the track, but I'm trying to come to grips with securing nuts vs. anti-seize. I'm thinking I'm missing some fundamental fact here.

Richard L.

[RichardL]

"Seizing nuts" sounds like a review of a Michael Jackson (RIP) video.

Richard L.

[Seabee]

 

I use never seize and a lock washer, or nylock nuts.

[RDfella]

You'll never get stainless nuts / bolts tight without lubricant. I tend to use copperslip, but grease or any other lubricant would do.

[RichardL]

So far, I'm reading it as anti-seize, not Loctite. I can't go to Nylock nuts, so I guess it might be stainless star washers between nuts and flat washers.  Still curious if wet Loctite is not, in effect, a lubricant during tightening. Appreciate the comments thus far and interested in hearing any more out there.  (Not to be taken as waiting for someone to tell me what I want to hear even if what I want to hear is wrong. 

Richard L.

[Greybeard]

... stainless star washers between nuts and flat washers...

My understanding is that a star or other locking washer should not have a flat washer next to it. Kind of undermines it's porpoise. 🐬

[RichardL]

I think it's more like belt and suspenders. Probably could just hitch it up tight against the flat washer and be done with it. I think the problem with just a star washer would be the thickness of the powder coat. The teeth of the washers might not be tall enough to access the metal behind the coating.

Richard L.

[berger]

I used two 5/16th  whitworth stainless bolts nuts and washers that I borrowed from the acid plant at work to use on my bottom yokes, don't know what grade they are. I put two stainless lock washers on with a bit of copper slip and everything is fine

[Rex]

My understanding is that a star or other locking washer should not have a flat washer next to it. Kind of undermines it's porpoise. 🐬

Problem there is they perform different functions, and it's common in engineering to use both together.

[Greybeard]

When I was a motor mechanic, (this was late 60's to mid 70's) I was astonished to discover that Ford big-end nuts used no lock washers. I was told that Ford would award an employee a bonus if they could show a saving of a few pennies on each vehicle. Did they use a locking fluid? I don't recall using Locktite back then.

[RDfella]

Neil, remember way back when some car engines had a sheet metal nut acting as a locknut to the big end nuts? Usually left them off. Same as cars - eg Aston - that used split pins on the big end nuts. Simply left them out. I don't know of any engine since the 60's that used locking devices of any sort on engine bolts / nuts save plain washers under head bolts and maybe spring washers on ancillaries.
On my motorcycles I use plain washers on the engine mounting bolts, and avoid stainless for two reasons; they're not as strong as HT bolts and, as this thread highlights, are difficult to get tight due to thread binding. Also, whilst I spray frames and tinware with two pack, it's just a thin coat of primer and another thin coat of black cellulose on engine plates, otherwise one struggles to get anything tight (or stay tight) due to thickness of finish - be that powder coat or several coats of primer / two pack. I hardly ever use locktite for anything. When fitting helicoils (to ensure they don't come unwound with the stud / bolt) and maybe as insurance a bush doesn't move in a casting are about the only instances I can think of.

[bikerbob]

I worked with Stainless Steel for over 40 years and the one thing stainless steel hates is streess if you over tighten nuts and bolts by even a small amount it will gall when ypu try to undo them it also hates any kind of vibration it will crack much easier than mild steel. We were told by the experts that whatever grade of stainless that you use for your bolts use a different grade for the nuts this reduces the chance of galling. But working in the food industry we could only ever use 316 grade stainless steel, the company would not try any other grade of stainless even for things that would not come into contact with the product because with most grades you cannot tell just by looking at it what grade itiis.

[Greybeard]

Neil, remember way back when some car engines had a sheet metal nut acting as a locknut to the big end nuts?

I have never seen that. I've seen a double tab washer for big-ends


 

[bikerbob]

The last time I saw that type of lock washer was on my first car back in 1966 it was a1950 Austin A40 Devon that I bought for £25 the engine packed in after 3 weeks and when I stipped it down the previous owner had fitted new big ends but had not bent over the tabs on the lock washers so they came loose and ruined the crankshaft. I bought another A40 car from a mate at work who was going to scrap it  I got it for £5 and built a good car out of the 2 cars. Had that car for a few years toured all over the country in it drove it from NE england down to  relations in Sussex,

[Greybeard]

... the previous owner had fitted new big ends but had not bent over the tabs on the lock washers so they came loose and ruined the crankshaft...

And yet lock washers are not needed these days.

Perhaps they forgot to tighten their nuts. Ooerr missus!

My Austin Seven had split pins in castellated nuts.