Anti-seize and thread lockers

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

Jon in Dallas [MPBTGlim@domain.elided] asks about when to use anti-seize and
when to use thread lockers.

Part 1: Use anti-seize for something you know you will be taking off
again someday.  I use it on spark plugs (I also use a torque wrench on
plugs), on lug nuts/bolts, and on suspension members; the last
application is mainly for its rust-preventative properties, as
suspension bolts see a lot of moisture, dirt and hard use.  You will
also want to torque these down to the proper setting, using the
"lubricated" torque value if available.

It's worth it.  A few weekends ago I was replacing the brake shoes on my
wife's Audi (hence the reference to "lug bolts" :-).  As I loosened the
bolts that hold the wheel in place, I thanked myself for having used
anti-seize last year when I flushed the hydraulic system and had all
four wheels off the car.  A year's worth of driving, including a very
wet (for California) winter, hadn't made anything stick; they were
tight, but they came loose with the right application of leverage.

Part 2: Use thread-lockers for things that you want to "glue" shut --
connecting rod bolts, for example, or flywheel bolts.  Most thread
lockers are made to come apart either with sufficient torque, or with
heat, or both.  I personally have only used thread-lockers on engine
internals, but that may be circumstantial; there are no doubt other
applications for them that I simply haven't encountered.

- --Scott

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