Stainless steel hardware

orange150

orange150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Fairfax City, VA
I wanted to call this “talk to me about my nuts”.

Stainless fasteners for engine components, yay or nay?

I may have misplaced every fastener for the oil pan and valve covers, and the fasteners for the timing cover and water pump are 60% rust from my AMC engine. The only fastener set to buy from the typical AMC places are all SS, but of course everyone gets all upitty about SS galling up and what not.
Or I’m just going to go to my local Ace to buy everything out of the bolt bins.
 
If they are threaded into aluminum or cast, the female threads will strip 1st anyway. Stainless would prevent galvanic corrosion of the threads. I’m for it unless you’re talking head studs or con rod bolts etc, those need to be specific grades for strength

I got a kit for an ls on eBay for like $99 with all the accessory and cover bolts in stainless.
 
Stainless is great for things that aren't in high tension or sheer and need a graded strength. All that carbon is brittle. All the applications you're talking about should be fine.
 
Shreddinlettuce said:
If they are threaded into aluminum or cast, the female threads will strip 1st anyway. Stainless would prevent galvanic corrosion of the threads. I’m for it unless you’re talking head studs or con rod bolts etc, those need to be specific grades for strength

I got a kit for an ls on eBay for like $99 with all the accessory and cover bolts in stainless.
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Not being a prick.....but I disagree completely with this statement. Check the grade. I've sheared many fasteners in aluminum and delt with all sorts of messed up threads using stainless steel hardware. In my opinion the pitting and overall corrosion is worse using some stainless alloys in aluminum.

And another's
Screenshot_20240415-221756.png
opinion besides my own..

I would use a very good grade of anti seize if using stainless steel or any other fastener for that matter.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Not being a prick.....but I disagree completely with this statement. Check the grade. I've sheared many fasteners in aluminum and delt with all sorts of messed up threads using stainless steel hardware. In my opinion the pitting and overall corrosion is worse using some stainless alloys in aluminum.

And another'sView attachment 415984 opinion besides my own..

I would use a very good grade of anti seize if using stainless steel or any other fastener for that matter.
Click to expand...
Just put titanium washers in between them :D
But technically even that can have galvanic reaction. Cheapskate? ok, zinc then.

The truth is though, stainless is still better than a more traditional iron/steel allow because the lower iron content. The real problem is heat, which accelerates oxidation. iron oxide = rust. A layer of antiseize definitely helps.
Ooooh... copper or brass washers. They'll oxidizse themselves but that wil lactually protect the AL.
 
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I use silver antisense or loctite depending on whether the part will be loaded in application. Anything that’s just a cover got antisense. Pulleys power steering bracket etc got blue loctite shouldn’t be any room for corrosion
 
RatLabGuy said:
Just put titanium washers in between them :D
But technically even that can have galvanic reaction. Cheapskate? ok, zinc then.

The truth is though, stainless is still better than a more traditional iron/steel allow because the lower iron content. The real problem is heat, which accelerates oxidation. iron oxide = rust. A layer of antiseize definitely helps.
Ooooh... copper or brass washers. They'll oxidizse themselves but that wil lactually protect the AL.
Click to expand...
The washer does nothing for the thread contact patch.

See also: dissimilar metals
 
Ron said:
The washer does nothing for the thread contact patch.

See also: dissimilar metals
Click to expand...
100% correct.
Best solution really is antiseize, whose job is to be that barrier.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Just put titanium washers in between them :D
But technically even that can have galvanic reaction. Cheapskate? ok, zinc then.

The truth is though, stainless is still better than a more traditional iron/steel allow because the lower iron content. The real problem is heat, which accelerates oxidation. iron oxide = rust. A layer of antiseize definitely helps.
Ooooh... copper or brass washers. They'll oxidizse themselves but that wil lactually protect the AL.
Click to expand...
Yes. On another related Stainless steel issue. Less ductility. Breaks easier.......damn harder. I have worked on food grade stuff when its ALL stainless. What a bitch when it all galls into a huge mess and the parent material is part of a million dollar food processing unit and......well you get the idea.

It's personal preference like all things.
 
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