Checking loctite-d fastners

[billtebbutt]

I give each car a very thorough nut and bolt check before every race weekend. But I have never really known what to do about fasteners that have been previously loctite-d. Years ago I started using pink nail polish as a visual check for these fasteners btw. Yet, I've never really been comfortable "not" nut and bolting everything.

I guess my concern is that if I apply any torque to fastener that has previously been loctite-d, then I pretty much fracture the loctite and defeat the purpose of using it in the first place. Maybe just loctite them, mark them with paint, and go worry about something else?

Thoughts?

BT

[Joefisherff]

You can use this that is made for that purpose:

https://www.rshughes.com/p/Loctite-S...xoCyasQAvD_BwE

[Lotus7]

As above, use torque seal indicator paint (various brands available).
For peace of mind during your nut-and-bolt, you can put a wrench on those fasteners but just check them for snug, not full torque.
You'll find the clearly loose ones but not break the loctite.

If you have fasteners you deem critical, only option at each nut-and-bolt is to back them off and retorque them as often as eases your mind

[DaveW]

I only use Loctite on fasteners that don't rely on maintaining clamping force to keep everything preloaded and secure. If you need to keep the clamping force, you have to be able to check if the bolt/screw tension is still present. With Loctite, as said previously, you only know they won't unscrew.

[Lastminuteracin]

What items have any of you found that have backed off and frequently do need to be retorqued? I saw another thread saying cv joints are common.

[DaveW]

What items have any of you found that have backed off and frequently do need to be retorqued? I saw another thread saying cv joints are common.

I have not had issues with CV nuts - I check them regularly, and they're always tight. Things that have occasionally loosened are rodend through-bolts, rodend jam nuts (I use full height nuts to mostly prevent that), shift-linkage joint screws, and other stuff rarely.

[billtebbutt]

What items have any of you found that have backed off and frequently do need to be retorqued? I saw another thread saying cv joints are common.

Well, given enough running time, darn near everything on a FF will come loose . In my experience, I've had to fairly constantly retorque:

- CV joints (well not surprised, they basically are a constant problem)
- Stub axles (until I went to two half height nuts jammed against each other in one case, and loctite in another)
- Wheel nuts (no loctite here to be clear, but you are asking what backs off), after every session they get cooled and retorqued
- Oddly, I have had several instances where the steering rod clevis's have backed out of the upright (RF 90)
- Camber barrel nuts (RF90) despite being safety-wired
- Bolts that hold the rotors to the hats (every weekend they seem to loose a little of the pinch)
- Header bolts
- Any front wheel bearing of a tapered roller design. My Lola 492 seems to need a cinch up on these after every race weekend (not because the locking nut has come loose so much as the assembly has "worn" just a bit more)

I'm sure that there are more, but those are the frequent offenders that come to mind

best
bt