Stainless Steel Bolts

[carteaco]

Why do stainless bolts gauld the threads when I tighten and loosen them? Is it the grade of stainless? If so, what grade should they be? Do I need to lube the threads with anit-seaze before tightening?

[rivergames]

Stainles on Stainless ALWAYS use anti sieze

[FC-Pilot]

Stainles on Stainless ALWAYS use anti sieze

Yep!

Paul

[RiverRacer]

"ALWAYS" lube the threads with stainless to stainless, I use Moly grease works great, I hate the mess with ainti-slieze!..:D

[hm66Howard]

"ALWAYS" lube the threads with stainless to stainless, I use Moly grease works great, I hate the mess with ainti-slieze!..:DI hear you on that. It seems like no sooner do you look at the bottle and next thing, it's everywhere! :rolleyes:

[Terrible toy]

Another thing about stainless bolts is that they are not very strong. Most you buy are around grade 2 equivalent. Unless you have access to special aircraft quality SS bolts don't use them in any high load applications. ARP has some 304 SS bolts that are close to grade 8. Speaking from experience here.:o

[pwderman]

Another thing about stainless bolts is that they are not very strong. Most you buy are around grade 2 equivalent. Unless you have access to special aircraft quality SS bolts don't use them in any high load applications. ARP has some 304 SS bolts that are close to grade 8. Speaking from experience here.:o

Totaly Stainless is another source for quality stainless they are geared more to resto and car guys but they'll have what you need. I'm sure there others.

Bill I can relate to the experience part..:o sure opened my eyes..:eek:

[canam10]

Another thing about stainless bolts is that they are not very strong. Most you buy are around grade 2 equivalent. Unless you have access to special aircraft quality SS bolts don't use them in any high load applications. ARP has some 304 SS bolts that are close to grade 8. Speaking from experience here.:o

I remember many years back in St. Timothee we all went into the first turn wide open (as usual) and Terry Frahs dropped a chine hitting the water so hard he sheared all the bolts holding the engine in and sent it through the side of the hull totally destroying the boat. At the time we were told stainless did not have very good shear strenght. After that All the pretty bolts came out of mine. The next year in St. Tim I did the same thing and the year after that also.( I guess I didn't learn anything from the year before) but everything stayed togeather and the boat survivred to race again.

[RiverRacer]

One place I never use stainless in is the 4 corner mounting of the motor, strictkly grade 8 for that!...

[Nattylightmike]

I work on fire trucks and deal a lot with stainless. If you want good quality stainless bolts get them from Lawson Hardware www.lawsonproducts.com
They are a little expensive but worth the extra $.

[RiverRacer]

Lawson has good stuff, I bought a drill bit set from them back in the late 70's and they're still doing the job, except for the ones I fkd up of course, LOL.. :D

[gfinishline]

I purchased my stainless from "M&M" fasteners co.(Van Nuys) , or "Non-Ferrous" fastener co. (Chino) in California. I asked for "spec sheets" on all orders. The stainless that I sold was either 304 or 18-8 and they were all grade 5, on the Rockwell hardness scale. If Frahs "sheared" 4 or 5 stainless bolts, "his head would have flown off". He may have "torn them out of the wood, but not sheared them off". I used "WD40" for fitting and "Loc-Tite" for finishing, and mounting work. Similar metals always 'gaul' when forced together. NEVER use air or power tools when working with stainless fasteners, just 'take your time" on installations. Consider all of the questions that motor mounting has, when choosing to "use 4 bolts or 6", SPREADING OUT THE LOAD is the foremost aim in doing MOTOR RAILS AND MOUNTS. It's your call.

[canam10]

I purchased my stainless from "M&M" fasteners co.(Van Nuys) If Frahs "sheared" 4 or 5 stainless bolts, "his head would have flown off". He may have "torn them out of the wood, but not sheared them off". .


It would have been 78 or 79. When what was left of the hull was put on the trailer the engine area was as clean as could be. Looked just like someone unbolted the engine. Stringers were perfect I had pictures at one time but that was 30 years ago and Terry did get to spend a little time in the Hospital in Quebec. I'm quit sure they sheared off or Terry forgot to install them.

[gfinishline]

Overtightening will stretch the bolts and they will 'tear apart', but "shear" multiple bolts held in wood? Yes, 1000lbs of motor and hardware slammed down with 8 or 9 "G's" of force will do damage! But ALL THE BOLTS FAIL, and the wood is UNTOUCHED? These are the reasons "motor rails are used to SPREAD THE STRESS out along the length of the stringers", not just for LOOKS. If the rails had only 4 bolts per side, they would have 'bent and pulled thru', but long rails with 6-8-10 bolts per side would have torn up the stringers. "Grade 5 is grade 5 and Grade wood is just wood" (back up plates or not)