[CrazyLittle]

I wrote this for PBNation a while back. It might be useful to somebody here who's never seen it. If you have any suggestions please feel free to suggest them.

I keep seeing recommendations to "Use loctite" and rebuttles, "Don't use loctite, use x/y/z!" Both statements are stupid and wrong, because Loctite is just a brand, not a product, and they make products for just about everything we need in paintball. Here's the deal - I'm going to list FOUR loctite products every gunsmith & DIY Fixer-upper should have, and when to use them... from safest to break-your-shit-est. Where possible I will also list the Permatex equivalent.

GROUP 1 - THREAD SEALANTS / AIR CONNECTION SEALANT / LEAK STOPPERS:

Loctite #567 PST: Thread Sealant
(Permatex #59214 High Temperature Thread Sealant with Teflon)



Use this stuff on every threaded air connection, like macroline fittings or air gauges. Use it wherever you would have used Teflon tape. It's cleaner, wipes off easily, and will never rust or seize. How to use it properly: BEFORE screwing in the fitting, run a small bead of Loctite Thread Sealant halfway around the 2nd and 3rd threads on the end of the fitting. When you screw it in, the paste should smooth out around the whole thing and seal nicely. Wipe up any excess with a kleenex. The joint should be ready to use in about 30 seconds.


Loctite #545: Thread Sealant Hydraulic/Pneumatic Sealant (Loctite PURPLE)
(Permatex #54540 Pneumatic/Hydraulic Sealant)



This stuff is a GLUE. It will hold your threads in place, so if you have a fitting that keeps coming loose and leaks air, this is the stuff for you. You might use this to mount the LPR on a autococker, so that even though the gun shakes, it will never leak air, and never come loose. It's still only going to hold wrench-tight, so you can remove it with a little bit of muscle. Keep in mind that when you seal a joint with #545, you need to let cure overnight before gassing up. Trying to test leaks while this stuff is wet will just blow all the sealant glue out of your joints.



GROUP 2 - THREAD LOCKERS / SCREW GLUE

Loctite #242: Threadlocker Medium Strength (Loctite BLUE)
OR
Loctite #243: Threadlocker Medium Strength, Oil Resistant
(Permatex #24200 Medium Strength Threadlocker BLUE)



This is the all purpose stuff that people should be using if they have a screw that comes loose from the vibration of the marker. Use it to keep autococker cocking rods from coming loose, or trigger frame screws, etc. It's strong enough to keep things from coming loose, but will give fairly easily when you twist at it with a tool. How to use it properly: BEFORE screwing in the bolt, place a medium sized drop of Loctite Blue on the threads just before the end of the bolt. Screw it in as normal. It should look like this:



Loctite #262: Threadlocker High Strength (Loctite RED)
or
Loctite #271: Threadlocker High Strength (Loctite RED)
(Permatex #27100 High Strength Threadlocker RED)



This is the stuff that's going to get you in trouble. It's stronger than any other glue, and using it on your threads makes a PERMANENT bond. You have to put about 600 lbs of force on the screw to get it off, or take a blowtorch and heat it to about 300 degrees before it will give. Chances are you're going to break your marker before getting the screw out again. Use this stuff SPARINGLY. There's only a small selection of places I would use this, and that's for the screws which take a lot of force - like T-stocks or ASA mounting screws, and drop-forwards/cradles. Use as little as possible, and if you can, avoid using it.

Here's what some of the packaging looks like up close:

This post has been edited by CrazyLittle: 15 April 2011 - 09:36 AM

[**armor**]

Nice Post. I see a sticky in your future

[Hunter_D]

**armor**, on Feb 2 2009, 07:53 PM, said:

Nice Post. I see a sticky in your future

He is a mod he controls the future

[CrazyLittle]

I'm not going to sticky my own thread

[Kitty]

Have more confidence in what you write.
Its a great thread.

Stickied.

[CRU_Paintball]

awesome thread, great info, thanks CrazyLittle.

-CRU

[zop1o]

isnt there also green loctite that is absolutly permanent and will never come of ever? short of a plasma torch?

[CrazyLittle]

zop1o, on Feb 5 2009, 08:29 PM, said:

isnt there also green loctite that is absolutly permanent and will never come of ever? short of a plasma torch?

Yeah I didn't mention green loctite because it's a really bad idea to use on a paintball gun. It's not super-strong. It's really only the same strength as red loctite. The difference is that green loctite is a wicking product. It is designed to seep into the cracks and crevices of an already tightened screw. So say you're working on your car, and you need to tighten down a bolt on the engine - but it would work itself loose later? Well - screw it in, add some green loctite to it, and then tighten to spec. With red loctite you would have to unscrew the bolt first, and then put the loctite on before you screw in the bolt.

*edit* Speaking of which, this is what green loctite did to a Palmer's Micro Rock:

This post has been edited by CrazyLittle: 06 February 2009 - 06:20 PM

[cpman]

Nice post, I've always been looking for something like this.

[velocity1221]

i also have a few bottles of a yellow loctite, but its basically super glue, would never use it on anything for paintball, but just letting everyone know. its just in a tiny bottle. If i find it i can throw up a pic later.

[paintballjla]

so is purple the same strength as blue but also ahs thread sealing or is it stronger than blue

[Maj Tom]

Charts I found a while back:
[attachment=1397:Book1.pdf]
[attachment=1398:tl_info.pdf]

This post has been edited by Maj Tom: 18 February 2009 - 09:17 AM

[2.0]

That's a brilliant post. Thanks for that. I've never really had to use loctite, i've just used teflon tape on fittings. It has be be changed relatively often but it's cheap and easy to remove.

[CrazyLittle]

paintballjla, on Feb 18 2009, 05:48 AM, said:

so is purple the same strength as blue but also ahs thread sealing or is it stronger than blue

Loctite 567-PST should not seize, so beyond whatever torque the threads require, you should always be able to undo a 567'd thread with hand tools.

The other three products are thread lockers. They glue the threads in place, and require some amount of force to undo after its dried:
The breaking force for Loctite 545 Purple after 24-hours cured is 20 inch-lbs (2 ft-lbs)
The breaking force for Loctite 242 Blue after 24-hours cured is 70-150 inch-lbs (12 ft-lbs)
The breaking force for Loctite 271 Red aftyer 24-hours cured is 150-300 inch-lbs (25 ft-lbs)

2.0, on Feb 18 2009, 06:48 AM, said:

That's a brilliant post. Thanks for that. I've never really had to use loctite, i've just used teflon tape on fittings. It has be be changed relatively often but it's cheap and easy to remove.

The problem with teflon tape is that every time you unscrew the fitting, tiny threads of teflon get cut loose, and can travel down the internals of your gun. If a single thread stops on top of a regulator seat, you now have a leaking/spiking regulator.

This post has been edited by CrazyLittle: 10 March 2010 - 05:55 PM

[Newman513]

I was always scared to use loctite, I'm reliuising those fears a bit now/ thanks!

[jmorgan211]

hey what about red loctite 266 i see you didn't have any information on that??

[CrazyLittle]

jmorgan211, on Mar 3 2009, 02:57 PM, said:

hey what about red loctite 266 i see you didn't have any information on that??

266 is similar to 271 Red. The most common one that I find when shopping at auto parts stores is Permatex Red or Loctite 271/272, so that's why I listed them.

[protoballer63]

well i think my feedneck might be loctited cuz i cant get it off no matter what i do ive tried mikes tip but it didnt work i cld get it to move at all theres some yellowish stuff sticking out from the crack between the gun and the feedneck could that be loctite? its either that or some dried paint

[bmoney83]

sometimes my CF 68/45 tank "bottle" unscrews as i take it off my gun...to loctite it in place would i use the red loctite on the bottle to secure it in place?

[Chubs]

bmoney83, on 22 July 2010 - 12:18 PM, said:

sometimes my CF 68/45 tank "bottle" unscrews as i take it off my gun...to loctite it in place would i use the red loctite on the bottle to secure it in place?

Yes. Red or blue will work.