Question about Loctite Threadlocker Blue 242

[mtbikernate]

I would posit that you shouldn't need to use loctite on the seat clamp of a bicycle. I've always used grease, just to prevent corrosion and make later adjustments easier

Shoot, on my mountain bike, I have to remove the seat entirely to access an air valve for my dropper post. Which is something that needs to be checked and topped off about twice a year.

But then again, I hate those single bolt clamps like in the pic and I'm not surprised you want to use loctite on it. For that application, I wouldn't care how old my loctite was.

Sponsored

 

[OrangeStreak]

Real men use red loctite.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Rick, the blue is supposed to come out with some extra torque without heat...what has been your experience with it?

Blue (either Loctite or Permatex) keeps any bolt from loosening that the average person will encounter, and for fasteners that are intended to be loosened for maintenance or inspection: axle nuts, caliper mounting bolts, etc.
Blue can be broken loose with hand tools or a brrrrapppp with an impact wrench and no heat.
Red is generally used for bolts that are critical and not meant to be loosened: Bridge spans, submarine reactor pumps, etc. Red requires heat to break loose, and depending on the fasteners and mating surfaces, heating may degrade the temper of the parts.
Permatex also makes a purple, which is the weakest, and generally used instead of blue for jewelry size stuff like switchgear. Personally, I use none or blue only.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I used the Blue to lock a thread on the mounting bracket for my bicycle seat and it worked perfectly. Now I discover that I need to do the job again because the seat needs to be re-positioned.

Loctite will not guarantee the results from a tube that has been opened and used before even if it is re-used before the expiration date. I've used this tube only one time and resealed it quickly afterwards and stored it inside. It does not expire until Mar. 2024.

Has anyone had the actual experience of re-using a tube of this a 2nd time before the exp. date and getting good results with a strong bond? Thanks!

Hi Paul,

I have used both Red and Blue on many applications and on my various Racecars as well. Loctite used to visit the Engineering center and give show-N-tell demonstrations. Previous posts have explained the difference between Red and Blue, but to get red to work well you should use Kleen-N-Prime cleaner first. When you cannot thoroughly clean the threads, I use red instead of blue as it will break loose without heat. The mechanism behind Loctite is the hardening in the absence of air, so if the is air around then it stays liquid. Now how much air in a tube...IDK...I use bottles ...

Best,
Phil

 

[Max Crafter]

I use loctite well past its expiry date often
I think the key is storage.
Not hot, not cold, no bright sun etc....the standard things to ensure it doesn't degrade

 

[Dgc333]

Blue (either Loctite or Permatex) ....

FWIW, Permatex was sold to Loctite and Loctite was sold to Henkel. These days the same chemicals are sold under both names.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Hi Paul,

I have used both Red and Blue on many applications and on my various Racecars as well. Loctite used to visit the Engineering center and give show-N-tell demonstrations. Previous posts have explained the difference between Red and Blue, but to get red to work well you should use Kleen-N-Prime cleaner first. When you cannot thoroughly clean the threads, I use red instead of blue as it will break loose without heat. The mechanism behind Loctite is the hardening in the absence of air, so if the is air around then it stays liquid. Now how much air in a tube...IDK...I use bottles ...

Best,
Phil

Thanks Phil!

 

[mtbikernate]

I don't like this single bolt clamp system (difficult to adjust) either and would prefer the double bolt clamp setup as you mentioned. But using the Loctite is a good work-around for the type of post and seat clamp that came on my Dawes Mtn. bike. I tried WD-40 and also grease thinking that I could put more torque on it and get it to bite but didn't work.

After the 1st application of the blue, took the bike out and tested it on the bumpiest roads I could find and also tried it on the trails, and it held great. At least I know that it is safe, and the saddle isn't going anywhere. It was my fault for not getting the saddle in the right position the 1st time around. Hopefully the 2nd time will do the job!

As someone who cares entirely too much about bicycles, I'd be that guy binning the crappy seatpost that doesn't function properly. The two-bolt clamp design (front and back is more secure - I'm not a fan of the sideways two bolt clamps) is common enough these days that you can find pretty inexpensive ones.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

As someone who cares entirely too much about bicycles, I'd be that guy binning the crappy seatpost that doesn't function properly. The two-bolt clamp design (front and back is more secure - I'm not a fan of the sideways two bolt clamps) is common enough these days that you can find pretty inexpensive ones.

As a former bicyclist before this era of modern bicycling, When Margie and I are walking down the multi use path, how many cyclists have maladjusted seats. Even Margie did not get it when we were dating and cycled together...I adjusted her seat angle and height and she said it was like she bought a new bike. To see these current peddlers look like they are sitting in a computer chair and struggling is head shaking... Here they sell high priced bikes...send them out the door and count the cash sale... No real care of fitting the bicycle to the person at all.

Short backstory is that I was hit by cars in the bicycle lane (walkers on the sidewalk) three times. Last one my helmet crashed into the passenger side of this lady's GM Suv. My helmet shatter her side glass and I fell to the pavement. She got out of her POS GM SUV and started yelling at me that I did not yield to her right turn into her subdivision. I called 911 on my cell and the sheriff arrived. She in loud voice told the officer how I did not yield to her turning into her sub. Sheriff ask me if I needed an ambulance, which I declined but with road rash there was some blood. SUV had a door ding and my bike had a bent front rim. Sheriff then started writing his ticket and the lady, make him pay! Sheriff turned to her and said sign here. Your court date is at the bottom of the ticket. She was absolutely astonished. I walked my bent bike home and retired from biking in Green Valley.

Best,
Phil

 

[Motorpsychology]

FWIW, Permatex was sold to Loctite and Loctite was sold to Henkel. These days the same chemicals are sold under both names.

Correct. I had never known that. More to the story here.
I've been buying Permatex Blue for many years because it comes in an actual blue tube. When I was about to by my first tube of thread locker, All I could find in Loctite was red, so I thought, and I bought the Permatex. I figured out later that all Loctite comes in red tubes but there is a little color rectangle on it denoting the strength.

 

[SigOris]

I never had issues with DCMA providing I had a technically sound explanation for what I was doing. It was the folks that just presented a USE-AS-IS nonconformance or REPAIR with out justification that had problems.

Over the years I presented quite a few procedures that DCMA approved as "standard repair" that allowed us to fix things with our presenting to them every time.

We had a shipbuilder approach us with a similar request. When we told them they couldn’t charge to the contract to provide justification since the GOVT didn’t request the alleged “ cost savings “ to the GOVT, they dropped the idea.

 

[Dgc333]

We had a shipbuilder approach us with a similar request. When we told them they couldn’t charge to the contract to provide justification since the GOVT didn’t request the alleged “ cost savings “ to the GOVT, they dropped the idea.

It all depends on the terms of the contract what you can do financially. The bulk of the funding in our contracts was firm fixed price. Within reason the government had no say in how we spent that money as long as we were delivering on budget and on schedule. These contracts also had a provision that cost savings would be shared so it was to the governments best interest to support cost savings activities. Our Navy customers were very focused on cost and schedule so anything you proposed that would improve either they would listen.

All the contracts I was involved with had an engineering services provision where the government had set aside a chunk of money to cover the cost of things they wanted done that was outside the defined deliverables of the contract. We could also request funding from the engineering services provision to investigate and propose cost savings, design improvements and do the necessary requalification.

 

[RAYJAY]

Rick, the blue is supposed to come out with some extra torque without heat...what has been your experience with it?

the blue does not really need heat to remove. if you see the fastner really hard coming out then i would give it a little heat.

and i like the chap stick style lock tight

 

[RAYJAY]

Real men use red loctite.

no real men use the green 680 ......

 

[Max Crafter]

don't mind me, just safetying my bolts

Sponsored