Should I use blue locktite ?

[bikelee]

I took my rear wheel off to change a tire. I did all of the recommended wheel off services. Just have a question. Took the six button head bolts out of the wheel to service the cush drive. The plate that engages the rubber cushions came out without messing with any bearings. Looks like whoever worked on the wheel last lubed the plate well. It slid right off. Everything looked good  including the rubber cushions. They look like new. I think they were recently replaced just before i got the bike last year. My question is should I put the six screws back in the with blue locktite, anti seize paste or nothing. When I took 2 of them out, I had to whack them with an allen key but they came out cleanly. I looked at them closely and saw some grey stuff was not sure if it was corrosion or old locktite. Obviously I want to be able to get them easily next time but I also do not want them to back out. Any help would be great.  Thanks !!

 

 

Leon

[sp838]

Run a tap through the threads with some WD-40 to chase out any corrosion, gunk etc. Spray some contact cleaner (PJ1 is the best) in there and blow the threads out with compressed air to remove any little bits of metal, corrosion, and to de-grease. Re-install the bolts with blue loctite. Torque using appropriate torque for the fastener size and material. Oftentimes the torque specified in the manual is wrong. Do not over-torque.

 

Here is a good torque chart:

 

https://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Torque-Tension%20Chart%20for%20Metric%20Fasteners.pdf

[Bjorn]

One or two small drop will do the trick. You can always use heat to break the anaerobic bond.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The torque chart is nice but how to identify odd bolts like the button head screws.

 

I was taught to tighten till they strip then back em off a bit 

 

Seriously, would anyone use a torque wrench on those?

The only bolts I would torque would be like the bearing caps or perhaps head bolts.

 

Locktite blue sounds like a good idea.

[sp838]

"how to identify odd bolts like the button head screws."

 

use new hardware.

 

I only torque stuff that is critical to safety.

[mo-biker]

On frequently accessed fixings I use copper grease and on others I use a smear of liquid gasket on the theory that once it sets its waterproof and will also prevent nuts and bolts from wandering. It has worked for 20plus years. But I could be wrong.

[jwh20]

Run a tap through the threads with some WD-40 to chase out any corrosion, gunk etc. Spray some contact cleaner (PJ1 is the best) in there and blow the threads out with compressed air to remove any little bits of metal, corrosion, and to de-grease. Re-install the bolts with blue loctite. Torque using appropriate torque for the fastener size and material. Oftentimes the torque specified in the manual is wrong. Do not over-torque.

 

Here is a good torque chart:

 

https://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Torque-Tension%20Chart%20for%20Metric%20Fasteners.pdf

Good idea to clean the threads out but it's so very easy (don't ask me how I know!!) to cut new threads with a tap especially with soft Guzzi Aluminum!  Thread-chasers to a better job and make it much more difficult to bugger-up the threads.

[Kiwi_Roy]

More than half the threads in my rocker covers have been stripped due to over torqueing by a previous owner.

The torque chart doesn't consider that the bolts might be threaded into soft Aluminium not metal of a similar strength to the bolt.

The stainless steel inserts make a better than original job IMHO, I've been tempted to do the rest the same way.

[The Monkey]

Put them in with a little grease on em. That's probably why it came apart so easily in the first place.

Loctite? Doesn't belong there. Keep aluminium and any fastener entering it lubed not locked.

[Bjorn]

Put them in with a little grease on em. That's probably why it came apart so easily in the first place.

Loctite? Doesn't belong there. Keep aluminium and any fastener entering it lubed not locked.

 

Applying any kind of lubrication to thread will only ensure you transfer more of the tightening torque towards clamping force. If threads are dry, you loose torque due to the friction. 

 

So while getting a higher clamping force due to lube, this wont help against all factors loosening bolts, such as relaxation of the base material.

 

If you apply a few drops of locktite or any other chemical locking agent, dont use it in combination with oil or lube. Besides, the locking agents will also reduce friction during assembly, and yield higher clamping forces.

[The Monkey]

That's true and good advice Bjorn

 

Looking at the application and the fastener though I would not use Loctite nor leave the threads dry. The fact he had to whack the allen key to loosen the fastener and found grey material on that fastener demonstrates the activity between two dissimilar metals. The tendency is to lock rather than back off. Alloys are great for weight and cooling but even with a cadmium plate fastener the reaction of two metals eventually results in freezing or seizing as you may know it, the Alloy thread being the victim.

 

If vibration were a concern or the weight of the fastener in relation to its bite or hold surface were excessive then yes I could see Loctite being used. Neither are in play here. Mine was stock and assembled dry I assume, 5 yrs after the bike came out of Mandello it took heat and an impact driver to free those little fasteners. I used grease on reassembly and I have been back in there twice to lube the rotational bearing surface and its only ever required a palm ratchet to disassemble the unit since I have been in it. The fasteners haven't backed off- why would they? they lie close to the centre of the (relatively) slowly rotating, balanced mass of the rear wheel. 

 

Torque spec sheets are valuable no doubt, more so when material is new, but when tightening small hardware be it 2, 4 or 6mm then experience will get the job done effectively, no damage.  I do marvel at how tightly these bikes are assembled, makes me think they were just looking at spec sheets when assembling, When was the last time you had your torque wrench calibrated?

 

That's my 2 cents, hope it helps

Cheers