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Old 08-05-2013, 07:58   #1
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Stainless bolts seize up

In the process of rebedding my deck hardware, I was making an effort to get the old sealant off the bolts. I put a stop nut (the one's with the nylon insert) in a vise and began to drive each bolt thru the nut and back out, thereby knocking most of the old sealant off the threads. This generated some heat and several of the nuts seized onto the bolts, cauing me to quickly abort. I cannot get the nuts to budge. This seems like a good opportunity to learn something about the nature of stainless steel. Does anyone understand what is going on here?
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Old 08-05-2013, 08:08   #2
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Stainless steel threads galls easily. What you've done is cold weld the nuts and bolts together! Next time use a wire brush on an electric drill to clean things up.
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Old 08-05-2013, 08:34   #3
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

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Originally Posted by sestina View Post
Stainless steel threads galls easily. ...
Although this is true, usually galling occurs under tension in the fastener. In the OP's case it sounds more like treads are just jammed up with sealant.

I would find a solvent that softens the sealant (maybe acetone) and drop the bolt/nuts in a sealed jar of the stuff overnight. Try to loosen the next day. If that don't work better find some new fasteners.
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Old 08-05-2013, 08:49   #4
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Probably better to use a plain nut and try that.... but the wire wheel works great!
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:00   #5
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

4 future reference my ss bolt guy gave me a tip . try to use different grade stainless for the bolts and the nuts . use 304 bolts but use 316 stainless steel nuts I do this and rarely have a problem
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:01   #6
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

are you sure you're using the right nut?
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:05   #7
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Stainless nuts on stainless bolts require the use of anti-seize. I don't know which type is best, but I have used both the copper and the silver colored types with good results.
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:06   #8
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Stainless Steel Thread galling (sometimes called Cold Welding) seems to be the most prevalent with fasteners made of stainless steel with dissimilar thread finishes. The nut usually has a rough cut tapped thread and the bolt usually has a smooth rolled thread. Also SS has a self-generate oxide surface film for corrosion protection. During fastener tightening, as pressure builds between the contacting and sliding thread surfaces, protective oxides are broken, possibly wiped off, and interface metal high points shear or lock together. This cumulative clogging-shearing-locking action causes increasing adhesion. In the extreme, galling leads to seizing - the actual freezing together of the threads. If tightening is continued, the fastener can be twisted off or its threads ripped out.

Four suggestions for dealing with Stainless Steel Thread galling.

1. No reversal of motion as the heat will build up and any loose chips or burrs will roll into a ball and lock.

2. Slowing down the installation RPM speed will frequently reduce, or sometimes solve completely, the problem. As the installation RPM increases, the heat generated during tightening increases. As the heat increases, so does the tendency for the occurrence of thread galling.

3. Lubricating the internal and/or external threads frequently eliminates thread galling. The suggested lubricants should contain substantial amounts of molybdenum disulfide (moly), graphite, mica, or talc. Some proprietary, extreme pressure waxes may also be effective. Lubricants can be applied at the point of assembly or pre-applied.
A few anti-galling lubricants are Permaslik¨ RAC product or Everlube¨ 620C.

4. Using different stainless alloy grades for the bolt and the nut reduces galling. The key here is the mating of materials having different hardness’s. If one of the components is 316 and the other is 304 they're less likely to gall than if they're both of the same alloy grade. This is because different alloys work-harden at different rates.
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:09   #9
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

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Originally Posted by john540 View Post
Stainless nuts on stainless bolts require the use of anti-seize. I don't know which type is best, but I have used both the copper and the silver colored types with good results.

I sure would appreciate some more detail, since until i read this thread i thought i was safe with a drill and a screw or a bolt. Wouldn't mixing 304 and 316 amount to different metals used together? How does that prevent siezing? What is "anti-sieze," and would it interfere with the bolt's holding power (allow the nut to loosen and come off?)

There are a lot of things I can't do on my boat but I hate to think this is one of them!
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:11   #10
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cotemar View Post
Stainless Steel Thread galling (sometimes called Cold Welding) seems to be the most prevalent with fasteners made of stainless steel with dissimilar thread finishes. The nut usually has a rough cut tapped thread and the bolt usually has a smooth rolled thread. Also SS has a self-generate oxide surface film for corrosion protection. During fastener tightening, as pressure builds between the contacting and sliding thread surfaces, protective oxides are broken, possibly wiped off, and interface metal high points shear or lock together. This cumulative clogging-shearing-locking action causes increasing adhesion. In the extreme, galling leads to seizing - the actual freezing together of the threads. If tightening is continued, the fastener can be twisted off or its threads ripped out.

Four suggestions for dealing with Stainless Steel Thread galling.

1. No reversal of motion as the heat will build up and any loose chips or burrs will roll into a ball and lock.

2. Slowing down the installation RPM speed will frequently reduce, or sometimes solve completely, the problem. As the installation RPM increases, the heat generated during tightening increases. As the heat increases, so does the tendency for the occurrence of thread galling.

3. Lubricating the internal and/or external threads frequently eliminates thread galling. The suggested lubricants should contain substantial amounts of molybdenum disulfide (moly), graphite, mica, or talc. Some proprietary, extreme pressure waxes may also be effective. Lubricants can be applied at the point of assembly or pre-applied.
A few anti-galling lubricants are Permaslik¨ RAC product or Everlube¨ 620C.

4. Using different stainless alloy grades for the bolt and the nut reduces galling. The key here is the mating of materials having different hardness’s. If one of the components is 316 and the other is 304 they're less likely to gall than if they're both of the same alloy grade. This is because different alloys work-harden at different rates.

GOOD LORD I had no idea a bolt and a nut could be so complicated! This place is a wonder and a marvel. Thank you for that.
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:13   #11
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Thanks for the thoughts. I am inclined to believe I cold welded them together and I cannot budge them with good tools. Also I had already knoked most of the sealant off with a wire brush. I find it interesting to learn about metals this way. Good thing it happened where I can just run to the hardware store rather than somewhere surrounded by water.
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:25   #12
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

LOL.

Just wait until you start drilling Stainless Steel.
Their is another set of rules to follow for that.
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:32   #13
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

I've never used anti seize or mixed alloys. Occassionally they seize up... even when new. This is likely due to poor machining in the first place. if one turns hard... toss it and the bolt in the trash and start over! For some reason it seems I've had the most problem with Nyloks seizing... not sure why.... In my early boating i used nyloks everywhere, then I discovered that I might have to remove them again for some reason etc... what a PITA especially if they are hard to reach! I mostly use regular nuts and lock washers now,
*they are easy to spin on and all you have to do is tighten the last little bit.
*They also have a tendency to hold themselves once finger tight so holding the nut is not required.
*They are cheaper.
*They are what's used on engines etc in vibration environments.
Once when I rebuilt/painted etc the engine/shaft coupling I thought it was a great idea to put Nyloks on the bolts holding the coupler! They came loose within a month! Threw them away once retrieved form the bilge and put the old rusty nuts/bolts that had been in there 15 years back in!
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:34   #14
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Old 08-05-2013, 09:40   #15
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Re: Stainless bolts seize up

Hopefully some one with more expertise than me can expound on this, but I have been told never to use a mild steel wire wheel to clean up SS. It will imbed tiny bits of mild steel into the SS and cause pitting or surface rust. In the case of a bolt, it would probably go un noticed since it would most likely be out of sight. It seems to make sense to me, but may or may not be true. Does anybody know? _____Grant.
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