Red Locktite Removal

[jet3534]

I don't see a gun question forum section from the main menu so I am posting this here to try to get a quick response.

A while back I used Red Locktite to secure the 4 screws on the top of my Mossberg Shockwave after taking them off to mount a rail and then later removing the rail and reinstalling the screws. The locktite was a stupid thing to do. Today I started to remove the screws to mount a Crimson Thread sidesaddle laser, but the red locktite prevented removal. It's like the screws are welded in place. I am a little reluctant to take a torch to the receiver. So I guess I will try some brake cleaner first. This sort of thing makes me have to fight off the urge to go the brute force route, but I have found brute force and gunsmithing are a bad combination. Any suggestions?

[alismith]

Not sure about this at all, but I wonder if that super glue remover stuff would do any good on this?

[Gunreference1]

You might try this -

Steve

[jet3534]

You might try this -

Steve

I ordered it from Amazon. Thanks. Worth a try.

[jet3534]

Not sure about this at all, but I wonder if that super glue remover stuff would do any good on this?

Thanks. It may be worth a try.

[Oswald Bastable]

Acetone would likely do it.

[Nobeard]

If you can get to the back of the screw, try using a soldering iron with a fine tip.
Made the red loc-tite mistake too and that saved my ass.
Also - wouldn't heat up the head of the screw. If that strips out...well, you're screwed.

[308]

Torch. Red loctite needs some heat to loosen up.

[Krupski]

I don't see a gun question forum section from the main menu so I am posting this here to try to get a quick response.

A while back I used Red Locktite to secure the 4 screws on the top of my Mossberg Shockwave after taking them off to mount a rail and then later removing the rail and reinstalling the screws. The locktite was a stupid thing to do. Today I started to remove the screws to mount a Crimson Thread sidesaddle laser, but the red locktite prevented removal. It's like the screws are welded in place. I am a little reluctant to take a torch to the receiver. So I guess I will try some brake cleaner first. This sort of thing makes me have to fight off the urge to go the brute force route, but I have found brute force and gunsmithing are a bad combination. Any suggestions?

Loctite Red can only be defeated by heat. Solvents will not work. At all. Usually, a screw will shear off the head before the Loctite lets go. You can use a propane torch to remove the screws. The heat required is nowhere near enough to ruin a barrel heat treat. You should concentrate the heat on the screw. This causes the screw to both expand (damaging the Loctite) and also the screw to Loctite to threads heat resistance paths protect the metal that the screws are in. So, do this:

1. Apply some heat to one screw at a time. Direct flame for about 10 seconds. Add heat SLOWLY and CAREFULLY!
2. Try to "wiggle" the screw back and forth a little bit.
3. If it won't budge, repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Eventually, the screw will turn a few degrees back and forth.
5. The barrel will smoke because of the lube oil. Don't worry.
6. When the screw starts to get looser, unscrew it all the way (while it's hot).
7. Do the other screws the same way. Subsequent screws should need less heating because the parts are already hot.
8. Don't overheat the metal. If it STOPS smoking, it's getting too hot. STOP!
9. When all screws are out, let the parts air cool. Do not dunk them in water.
10. Use a sharp tap to "chase" the threads to clean out residual Loctite. Do it by hand. Do not cross thread or cut new threads. You only want to clean out the leftover pink residue.
11. When done, IMMEDIATELY re-oil the parts. The heat burned off the old oil and the parts will rust very quickly if not re-oiled. Be sure to get oil everywhere. Slobber it on, then use a clean rag to remove the excess.

Easy-peasy! Good luck.

P.S. Loctite was not a "stupid thing to do". It was the right thing to do.

[paulo]

Loctite Red can only be defeated by heat. Solvents will not work. At all. Usually, a screw will shear off the head before the Loctite lets go. You can use a propane torch to remove the screws. The heat required is nowhere near enough to ruin a barrel heat treat. You should concentrate the heat on the screw. This causes the screw to both expand (damaging the Loctite) and also the screw to Loctite to threads heat resistance paths protect the metal that the screws are in. So, do this:

1. Apply some heat to one screw at a time. Direct flame for about 10 seconds. Add heat SLOWLY and CAREFULLY!
2. Try to "wiggle" the screw back and forth a little bit.
3. If it won't budge, repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Eventually, the screw will turn a few degrees back and forth.
5. The barrel will smoke because of the lube oil. Don't worry.
6. When the screw starts to get looser, unscrew it all the way (while it's hot).
7. Do the other screws the same way. Subsequent screws should need less heating because the parts are already hot.
8. Don't overheat the metal. If it STOPS smoking, it's getting too hot. STOP!
9. When all screws are out, let the parts air cool. Do not dunk them in water.
10. Use a sharp tap to "chase" the threads to clean out residual Loctite. Do it by hand. Do not cross thread or cut new threads. You only want to clean out the leftover pink residue.
11. When done, IMMEDIATELY re-oil the parts. The heat burned off the old oil and the parts will rust very quickly if not re-oiled. Be sure to get oil everywhere. Slobber it on, then use a clean rag to remove the excess.

Easy-peasy! Good luck.

P.S. Loctite was not a "stupid thing to do". It was the right thing to do.

This^^^^^^^^^^

[jet3534]

Loctite Red can only be defeated by heat. Solvents will not work. At all. Usually, a screw will shear off the head before the Loctite lets go. You can use a propane torch to remove the screws. The heat required is nowhere near enough to ruin a barrel heat treat. You should concentrate the heat on the screw. This causes the screw to both expand (damaging the Loctite) and also the screw to Loctite to threads heat resistance paths protect the metal that the screws are in. So, do this:

1. Apply some heat to one screw at a time. Direct flame for about 10 seconds. Add heat SLOWLY and CAREFULLY!
2. Try to "wiggle" the screw back and forth a little bit.
3. If it won't budge, repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Eventually, the screw will turn a few degrees back and forth.
5. The barrel will smoke because of the lube oil. Don't worry.
6. When the screw starts to get looser, unscrew it all the way (while it's hot).
7. Do the other screws the same way. Subsequent screws should need less heating because the parts are already hot.
8. Don't overheat the metal. If it STOPS smoking, it's getting too hot. STOP!
9. When all screws are out, let the parts air cool. Do not dunk them in water.
10. Use a sharp tap to "chase" the threads to clean out residual Loctite. Do it by hand. Do not cross thread or cut new threads. You only want to clean out the leftover pink residue.
11. When done, IMMEDIATELY re-oil the parts. The heat burned off the old oil and the parts will rust very quickly if not re-oiled. Be sure to get oil everywhere. Slobber it on, then use a clean rag to remove the excess.

Easy-peasy! Good luck.

P.S. Loctite was not a "stupid thing to do". It was the right thing to do.

Well CRC brake cleaner did not work. The torch approach worked for 2 out of 4 screws. The head partially broke off the other two. So the next step will a screw extractor which I ordered from Amazon. Good advice on chasing the threads. My intent is to install a Crimson Trace Sidesaddle laser using and buggered up threads will be a problem. If I can at least get the stripped screws flush with the receiver I am thinking I can mount the laser with only two screws and the CT replacement trigger pin.

[paulo]

Be sure to chase the threads with a tap.

[kuntryboy]

i took a locktite field course some years ago and was given a notebook binder full of info. if you get back to a re-sealing point, you might check out removable locktite 242 blue or adjustable locktite 222 purple. check with your distributor as some numbers change.