What do you use to remove cured Loctite from screw threads???

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What do you use to remove cured Loctite from screw threads???

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:33:12 PM EDT

Because I have a couple of screws sitting in a jar of Acetone, and it doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing to the thread lock!

Is there a solvent out there that will soften/dissolve old Loctite?

Thanks.

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:34:28 PM EDT

[#1]

BLOWTORCH BABY!

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:40:10 PM EDT

[#2]

Ever heard of a thread chaser????????

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:41:39 PM EDT

[#3]

heat and wire brush.

or a wire brush on a drill

Posted: 8/12/2005 8:44:23 PM EDT

[#4]

Bench grinder works well.

Posted: 8/12/2005 9:19:12 PM EDT

[#5]

Chase the threads with a sharp knife blade.

I hunted around and found this on a knife site:

Chisel #79040 is a solvent product that Loctite sells specifically for removing their thread locking adhesives. It's a somewhat hazardous material and I've never seen it offered for retail, consumer sales. Methylene chloride, the major active ingredient in Chisel #79040, is available for retail purchase at automotive supply, painting, and home center stores. It's a nasty solvent chemical, so be careful using it. Follow all the labeled cautions and directions. Wear eye protection that completely seals around your eyes; common glasses aren't good enough because the chemical and splash around the sides. Wear gloves. And work outdoors or in some other well-ventilated area. Be especially careful with methylene chloride on any balisong that has exotic insert materials or that has painted or coated handles. Even blade coatings could be attacked by this stuff.

Posted: 8/12/2005 9:20:29 PM EDT

[#6]

Tap and die.

Posted: 8/12/2005 9:23:28 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Tap and die.

I'm a believer in the double tap and die.
But I dunno if that belief works so well when cleaning threads.......

Posted: 8/12/2005 9:30:51 PM EDT

[#8]

A wire wheel.

AB

Posted: 8/12/2005 9:38:35 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Tap and die.

Posted: 8/12/2005 10:46:58 PM EDT

[#10]

I've always had excellent results with ordinary lacquer thinner or acetone.

These break the Locktite down and the residue brushed off with a tooth brush.

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:02:46 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
A wire wheel.

AB

Love the wire wheel
And, I clean all the gasket surfaces I can on it too
if you don't have one, or think it is too dangerous for bolts
try a steel wire brush

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:06:16 PM EDT

[#12]

Paint stripper works to soften it. Apply and let soak. Most have methyl chloride (aka dichloromethane).

Another useable solvent is 100% DEET insect repellent.

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:09:14 PM EDT

[#13]

I haven't tried it yet, but I've been told Easy-Off oven cleaner works well.

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:11:02 PM EDT

[#14]

brake clean

that's what I've used for years when preparing race motor fasteners for reassembly

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:12:50 PM EDT

[#15]

When i needed to remove a screw that was loctited on, i touched the screw head with a soldering iron, heated the loctite and ruined it pretty much instantly. Came right out. If its a metal screw, melt/burn it off w/ a lighter or small butane torch.

Posted: 8/12/2005 11:17:28 PM EDT

[#16]

Wire wheel, mine is on a bench grinder, has worked 100% of the time.

Posted: 8/13/2005 8:08:36 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Wire wheel, mine is on a bench grinder, has worked 100% of the time.

That's what I'm talking about.

AB

Posted: 8/13/2005 8:16:10 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Wire wheel, mine is on a bench grinder, has worked 100% of the time.

That's what I'm talking about.

AB

You can remove anything with this setup. Skin, fingernails, gloves, it is pretty non-selective.

Posted: 8/14/2005 9:46:31 AM EDT

[#19]

unless the bolt has never been torqued, or is a really hard to find bolt why bother.
bolts are not really intended for re-use.
If the situation is criticalas in the bolt holds a control arm for the front-end of your car,don't be cheap.....replace the bolt.
if it just holds the handle for your lawnmower and the locktite stops it from vibrating out by all means be a cheapazz

My dad has a heart attack when I work on my track car, Bolts come off...dropped to the floor and
swept into a pile and are tosed in the trash

loketited bolts can be scared clean with a razor blade, I let som sit once when a project got slowed way down..motormount didn't fit and had to do some fabricating

Posted: 8/14/2005 10:06:32 AM EDT

[#20]

"carding brushes" are wire brushes used for cleaning out the grooves in files. They can be had at any decent hardware store and do the job quite well.

Posted: 8/14/2005 10:06:39 AM EDT

[#21]

just use a heat gun, melt that crap off

Posted: 8/14/2005 10:14:24 AM EDT

[#22]

For those worried about using a wire wheel in a grinder, hold the head of the bolt with vise-grips and wear those Mechanix gloves. It's also the easiet way to get teflon off of pipe threads.

For cleaning threads (NOT cutting new ones), this set is nice.

Sears

Throwing away a bolt with good threads is criminal, unless you work at Fastenal and can get replacements for free.

Posted: 8/14/2005 10:14:55 AM EDT

[#23]

Heat wrench

Posted: 8/14/2005 10:15:54 AM EDT

[#24]

A pocket lighter and wrench...

Posted: 8/14/2005 1:10:36 PM EDT

[#25]

I'll re-use a few, like body panel bolts
NEVER re-use flywheel,rod,crank,ring gear or suspention bolt

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What do you use to remove cured Loctite from screw threads???

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