Hi Steve and Peter,

Yesterday there was a discussion in a topic about turbo tie rod installation, and I had a question about the use of loctite.

Could you please check out the discussion in that topic and let me know your opinion on the necessity of using loctite?

Thanks!

 

Celle: I agonized over this issue, but when we started doing conversions using Turbo tierods, we decided to use a couple of drops of Red Loctite on the ball swivel to rack threads. Of course, the threads in the ends of the rack must be spotlessly clean. Even though (if the tierod would get loose somehow) the driver would feel a radical change in the alignment before anything could actually fail, we slept better knowing that the Loctite was in there!
Pete

 

Celle:

I'm with Pete; I scrupulously clean the threads with Locktite's spray cleaner (made specifically for this job) and apply some blue loctite thread locker (#242) so I can take it apart later when I need to.

 

Hi Peter and Steve,

Thanks very much for your replies.

Now the key question to you: should I take everything apart and put some loctite on the threads, or just leave it in there as it is, and have a look should I ever sense serious alignment problems?

PS: Pete, is your new edition of your book already available (in Europe)?

 

Celle: My book is distributed in England by a company called Menoshire. In addition, the publisher sells directly to Europe through their website - RPMAutoBooks.com. Thanks for asking!

Regarding the tierods, I think the whole thing comes down to (1) were you able to actually torque them, or (2) did you wrench tighten them?

Pete

 

Locktite Green is designed to wick into the threads - might be an intermediate option.

If they were good 'n tight, i wouldn't worry about them. Of course, I'd check them after a while on the car, just like I do with every critical fastener.

 

Randy: Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always known and used LocTite green (#640) as a sleeve retainer, not as a thread lock. For threads I've always used Blue as kind of a liquid lock washer, and Red where I thought heavy-duty removal, if necessary, would be OK.
Pete

 

I don't know the #'s -- maybe there is more than one green? It usually says 'wick in' on the tube or card/hang tag...


OK - it is #290

 

Well I'll be... I don't know that number...

Thanks, Randy!
Pete

 

Pete, thanks for the info on your book. I will order it right away.

I wrench tightened the rods as good as I could. I installed them with the car on jack stands, so there wasn't much room to work underneath and certainly not to get hold of the rod end that goes into the steering rack...

I guess I will take Randy's advice, and go on driving it like it is, while checking the connections every now and then to see if they're still in place.

 

check the tightness after a 'while'

go ahead & wick some of that Loctite in there

What I worry about is the 2 big bolts that hold the center support stut on....