Dry, Lubed, or sealed.

[Reg]

There may be other alternatives, but these were the ones that came up in conversation today.
I guess I've known for a while that SOME folk believe quite passionately that nuts and bolts should be torqued "clean and dry", while others believe just as passionately that a dab of grease allows about another half turn for the same torque and that has to be "good", since the bolt is then under more tension with less dry wear on the threads.
Then there are the sealant enthusiasts, who's position seems to mainly be a) resistance to vibration loosening b) corrosion blocking.

So, what do you all use/do when assembling equipment ?
and do you have "exceptions" to your general rule ?
Do you follow manufacturer's directions ? (without question ?)
Do you have a different rule for things that will be immersed in oil ?

 

[Soundguy]

most of the manuals I use express torque values based on clean dry threads.. so.. that's what I use.

my exceptions?

a may add thread locker green after assembly.

studs that go into water jackets get thread pucky.

Usually htere is a range of torque given for a fastener. If I add any thread pucky to it, I use the lower range of the value.

soundguy

 

[Ford tractor]

Mostly with locktite or never-seize. Never "lube" (don't consider never-seize to be that). Either I want the fastener to stay fastened or I want to be able to get it off in 5, 10, 20 or more years.

 

[tym233me]

never-seize is your best friend on all nuts and bolts !!

 

[Soundguy]

I like never seize on splined hubs too.. like steering wheels especially!

soundguy

 

[oldballs]

Most of the stuff that I work on (small engines/equip) etc, it doesn't make a whole **** of a lot of differance. Although, I've got five torque wrenches, I use them less and less. It seems that I've calibarated my "feel" to the right torque.:thumbsup: But some things are more delicate. I go dry on most stuff. Some factory manuals say to use anti-seize on aluminum head/spark plugs , and others say "don't". The wheel lugs on the F-250 call for 150-165 ft lbs. Heck, that's more than I weigh, so I use the big torque wrench on those dry threads. Now if there's one (anything) that has proven to wiggle loose, I use the blue loctite. Otherwise following the OE guide is helpful. But, gosh, my degree is in philosophy....so what's that 2 cents worth?

 

[KUBOTA OWNER]

After I finished a 2yr course in diesel mechanics and working on everything from airplanes to the larges cat. dozers and graders. I asked an older tech how tight I should tighten something, and he said (tight is tight)? --- and it
din't make much sense at the time. But after working on everthing except the space shuttle for the last 40 years it does make sense. You get a good feel after a while and can tell if something is going to strip off or not come loose.
Always like some lube on the threads light oil if the threads are small, grease if large threads. I now am the manager of a shop and find myself telling the younger techs. --tight is tight!!!

 

[Soundguy]

I've heard it another way from an old machinist..

IE.. tighten it to just before it shears or strips..

soundguy

 

[jdfire]

tighten it to just before it shears or strips..

soundguy

I guess if it shears or strips, you just need to back it off a quarter turn.

 

[Chilly807]

Some of the guys I work with have "torque issues" too. I can generally tell who worked on something last by how tight everything is. If my eyes bulge and I start to swear loosening something, it's mechanic "A", if it's normal it's the other two.

If someone asks me how tight something should be ( we get apprentices asking that question once in a while), I just tell 'em "Tight enough that it's not going to come loose... if you strip it, you're fixing it, not me !"

Sean