Lubricating Stainless Steel nuts / bolts , etc ?

[Stephen Foster]

What is the best product for the lubrication during assembly of Stainless Steel nuts /Bolts , etc please .
Is Loctite suited for the above ? Sounds counter productive ?

Hope Someone can advise please before I start reassembly soon .

Regards,
Steve ..

[Goldy]

Personally I don't think you can beat the good old fashioned copper grease, but I am sure you will get many different opinions.

[bsa-bill]

I bought some stuff from Halfords once that was to prevent galling, to use on stainless spokes it did the job but then set semi solid and made adjustment of spokes very difficult.
I now just use a bit of copper slip as Goldie does, I do believe there is a similar product made from aluminium

[Goldy]

Another one is graphite grease, we used loads of it when I was an engineering apprentice and it was one of the apprentices jobs to mix it from a recipe of graphite powder and some type of oil. Now you can get graphite grease anti seize.

[muskrat]

 I use a product called Bostik Never.Seez original. Since I got my can some 10 years ago they have added a few more variants.
Cheers

[bonny]

I had the misfortune to work for some years in a company that made stain steel sewage treatment machinery , what i found was if the male threads on a fastener had any knocks where the metal spreads , when a nut is engaged it will seize. A thread file or v-shaped needle file is great for cleaning the threads up. The female threads are obviously better protected. I second the use of copper grease, cheap and available.     

[Beezageezauk]

Hi Steve,

I also use Copperslip and recently removed my A10 engine.  All the nuts and bolts are stainless steel and were treated with copperslip when I put it in the frame over 12 years ago.  It came apart as if it had been built up only weeks previously.

Beezageezauk. 

[Brian]

There are lots of different brand anti sieze compounds, it doesnt really matter which one you use. What is important is that you use a anti sieze of some kind. Never ever ever assemble stainless without something on the threads.

For those that make their own stainless parts it helps if you use different grades if you are making something that goes together. As an example if you were making a rear axle assembly where the axle screws into the stub axle make the stub from 304 and the axle from 316. Different grades dont gall or "pick up" as easily.

I make all my own fasteners from stainless and wouldnt use anything else but I had some disasters early on before I learned how to work with the stuff.

[Jules]

Years ago I bought a tube of "Silver Goop" (still have it, you need very little) that was recommended for assy of SS fittings, it worked a treat with no galling when assembling or disassembling..........

[BSA_54A10]

Copper slip on the nuts & bolts but have gone to Nickel slip for plugs ( higher temperature ).

[Stephen Foster]

Thanks all !
Am I safe in using "Copaslip! for the assorted nuts/bolts , etc & "Loctite" where security is required ?

Steve ..

[chaterlea25]

Hi Stephen,
Loctite requires grease and oil free threads to work on, use brake cleaner or thinners to clean them,
I have only had a very occasional problem with galling, but when it strikes its a B**tard
I normally use "nutloc" or similar on stainless engine/frame bolts studs, stainless into alloy or steel on the engine/ gearbox etc I lube
HTH
John O R

[Stephen Foster]

Thank You John .

[RichardL]

There are lots of different brand anti sieze compounds, it doesnt really matter which one you use. What is important is that you use a anti sieze of some kind. Never ever ever assemble stainless without something on the threads.

Talk about reaching into the past, Brian posted this in 2012.

I have Barleycorn stainless for my engine mounting studs. Barleycorn ships with flat washers, I assume because there is expectation that spring or star washers don't really work well and that some kind of locking compound will be used on the threads. Here, Brian recommends (or insists upon) anti-seize of some kind. I'm having a hard time reckoning the apparent contradiction in using anti-seize where Loctite (or the like) might be the only nut security at the fitting.  Your thoughts appreciated.

Richard L.

Edited, a bit.

[RoyC]

I use a product called Bostik Never.Seez original. Since I got my can some 10 years ago they have added a few more variants.
Cheers

 

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