Why LUBRICATE Stainless Steel fasteners?
You may ask yourself why should there be a need to apply lubrication to Stainless Steel Fasteners? After all they are Stainless, they should not need lubrication, they will not corrode. This section of the website attempts to explain why lubrication should be used to prevent two seperate possible issues, the possible results of not doing so and how this need has arisen. The intention is not to try and confuse or over complicate the issues, just attempt to provide some answers to problems that spasmodically can occur when assembling Stainless Steel Fasteners.
FIRSTLY LET US POINT OUT THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT OCCURS REGULARLY, SO DO NOT PANIC, READ ON AND BECOME AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF 'GALLING' . INDEED, IT IS SO INFREQUENT THAT WE RECEIVE LESS THAN 1 INSTANCE PER YEAR, BUT THAT IS 1 CALL OR EMAIL TOO MANY.
THIS PAGE WILL ALSO OFFER INFORMATION ON ANY POSSIBLE REACTION BETWEEN THE STAINLESS FASTENERS AND THE ALLUMINIUM ENGINE CASINGS AND HOW TO BEST AVOID IT HAPPENING TO YOU.
GALLING The problem is often referred to as 'thread galling' or another description used has been 'cold welding', quite simply the two fastener components become unexpectedly locked together as if they had been welded. The nut may in fact not even be fully tightened down onto the male thread, or the male thread will become locked into the tapped area it is being inserted into. The only way to release the items is to saw through the male thread and remove the nut, or in the second scenario saw through the bolt shank and then start the laborious job of drilling the pre-tapped hole out until you can either install a wire insert into the original thread (if there is enough left of it) or drill and re-tap the hole oversize. To help avoid this LUBRICATE your fastenings properly before assembly.
REACTION BETWEEN STAINLESS & ALLUMINIUM Without getting too technical problems can occur betwwen the two metals as they are dissimilar metals and once salt water moisture is involved a reaction can start occuring. The technical terminology is GALVANIC CORROSION