What?

[ga.prime]

I was replacing a few rusted bolts on my sprayer with brand new stainless steel bolts. I was putting the one in the pic on and had just gotten it finger tight. Put the wrench on it and couldn't tighten any further so I tried to back it off. It wouldn't back off or go forward. I had to get it off with bolt cutters. Any ideas what happened here?

 

[skyhightree1]

messed up threads is my guess...factory defect

 

[Isomade]

It's so dang hot the nut melted to the bolt before you could get your wrench.

 

[Bigfoot]

Betya its made in china. I can tell a Chinese nail as soon as I hit it with a hammer.

 

[highgrit]

It's called galling. If the nut or bolt gets hot your done. Stainless Steel, Aluminum and Titanium are known to be bad for it. Air tools make it worse, and Never-sezz or any other anti-seez products will keep it from happening most of the time.

 

[ga.prime]

Ok, I'm going with too hot! Got a replacement today and spun the nut up and down the bolt to make sure everything was working right before I left the store.

 

[lavacarancher]

High Grit is spot on. Galling is the culprit. Seen it hundreds of times in the oil patch. Using bolt and nut of the same alloy will cause it every time. He is also right about the use of an anti-galling lubricant like Never-Seize or similar product. By the way, ordinary lubricant may not solve the problem for you.

 

[Balin' Wire]

Never-Sieze is good stuff but not really needed if there is no heat around. Try good old fashioned Milk of Magnesia. The magnesium will stop the gaulling and it's a lot cheaper. I use both depending what the service is.

 

[dun]

Never-Sieze is good stuff but not really needed if there is no heat around. Try good old fashioned Milk of Magnesia. The magnesium will stop the gaulling and it's a lot cheaper. I use both depending what the service is.

You're the first person I've heard (other then me) that does that. My old bullet casting machines had 4 6 inch long by 1/2 inch diameter heat elements in the bottom of the pot, they were a snug but not tight fit. Without anything or using regular antiseize they would get stuck/frozen and would have to be drilled out. With MOM I would let it dry then slide them in. When they needed changing just pulling on the wires they would slide right out.

 

[xbred]

now wait a minute... you are tightening a nut on a bolt with your fingers, you stop with your fingers and then begin with a wrench and the nut was seized. Wouldn't go forward or backward with a wrench. and this is because of heat? ambient air? don't believe it...

 

[lavacarancher]

Don't think heat is a factor unless it is generated because of friction. Galling does not occur until you reach some pressure (torque), not finger tight. Galling is caused by the transfer of metal from one surface to the other and that only happens when the metals are similar and under reasonably high torque pressure. When I was working we used to copper plate one of the threads to prevent galling. It worked on new joints but after taking them apart and re-torquing a couple of time the copper would wear off and we were back to galling. And when you gall a 30', 9 1/2" Inconel downhole instrument and have to cut the joints apart and re-weld new threads on you've got a doctor bill. We're talking about a 100,000 lb/ft of torque, not finger tight.

Never heard of Milk of Magnesium as an anti-galling compound but then I'm not a chemist. Saw a demonstration once of an anti-galling compound that was a yellow paste and after the gentleman beat the threads of a 3/4" SST bolt with a hammer he applied some of his anti-galling compound on the threads and ran a nut down on the bolt and back off with a box end wrench - easily. Then he licked the stuff off his fingers. So MOM? Why not. I believe it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to set the record straight.

 

[B&M Farms]

Stainless steel will seize with a lot less torque than carbon steel. And it does create more friction and heat when threading or cutting threads. Part of the problem is cutting good threads on stainless because it is a softer metal. I have ran a lot of stainless screw pipe through the years and used anti seize for thread dope. You better have your dimensions right because if you have to take it apart your probably going to have trouble.

Swagelock Silver Goop is the best anti seize I ever used for stainless or other alloys.

 

[greybeard]

Don't think heat is a factor unless it is generated because of friction. Galling does not occur until you reach some pressure (torque), not finger tight. Galling is caused by the transfer of metal from one surface to the other and that only happens when the metals are similar and under reasonably high torque pressure. When I was working we used to copper plate one of the threads to prevent galling. It worked on new joints but after taking them apart and re-torquing a couple of time the copper would wear off and we were back to galling. And when you gall a 30', 9 1/2" Inconel downhole instrument and have to cut the joints apart and re-weld new threads on you've got a doctor bill. We're talking about a 100,000 lb/ft of torque, not finger tight.

Never heard of Milk of Magnesium as an anti-galling compound but then I'm not a chemist. Saw a demonstration once of an anti-galling compound that was a yellow paste and after the gentleman beat the threads of a 3/4" SST bolt with a hammer he applied some of his anti-galling compound on the threads and ran a nut down on the bolt and back off with a box end wrench - easily. Then he licked the stuff off his fingers. So MOM? Why not. I believe it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to set the record straight.

wooly booger

 

[ga.prime]

Might could sub Haley's M-O for the Milk of Magnesia.