[Larry DeCamp]

I have read comments about stainless screws freezing and breaking. Is there a magic juice to put on the screws for use in rivnuts ?

 

[bjdecker]

Boelube

 

[Mike S]

Beeswax.

Get a wax toilet ring at the hardware store. Lifetime supply.

 

[BoydBirchler]

Likely caused by over tightening, I have been using stainless for over 40 years (on removable panels) and haven't noticed a problem,

 

[Ironflight]

BoeLube user here because I haven;t used up the sticks I bought years ago….but Beeswax works well too.

That said, this year at Airventure I visited B&B and bought several hundred (of each size and type) of cad-plated steel screws to start replacing the stainless I have been using for years, simply becasue I am tired of stripped heads and galled threads. Not goign to go through all the airplanes and replace everything at once, but as the SS screws wear out, I’ll be back to using what Van’s provided in the first place…..

 

[jliltd]

I loathe stainless hardware and swap it out for cad plated steel whenever the chance arrives. Meanwhile, you can lubricate stainless threads with parrafin wax like you find in Hobby stores. Probably in the Lobby. Just sayin'. It is good to have parrafin around the hangar anyway in case you want to change bungees on a classic aircraft. You rub it all over the bungess so they don't bind during installation.

 

[Taltruda]

Another fan of cad plated steel screws. The stainless ones seize, gall and strip too easy. They cam out the driver head and also snap off too easily.

 

[rv8ch]

Stainless steel torx with a bit of something on the threads works great - I've never had one gall or strip. Mostly I use ACF-50, but have also used some stuff the boat guys use to stop galling and corrosion - can't recall the name.

FCMXS0808 - 8-32 x 1/2 T15 - 100 Degree Flat Head 6 Lobe Drive Machine Screws - Stainless - Micro Fasteners

 

[Weefle]

Copper coat works fine on stainless as well.

 

[jliltd]

Another lesser issue with stainless hardware is it is non-magnetic. That's great for remote magnetometer installations or for areas near a whiskey compass. But it is terrible if you drop a screw into the bowels of the fuselage. With cad steel parts a magnet on a stick makes quick work of retrieving the itinerant fastener. If the wayward screw, nut or washer is stainless things like floorboards or seats might have to be removed in order to see and fish out the hardware. Loose hardware in an aircraft is a big no no and if so much as a washer or cotter pin drops into the abyss I deem the aircraft unflyable until the item is found. The threat of locking up part of the primary control system is too grave to ignore.

 

[plehrke]

BoeLube user here because I haven;t used up the sticks I bought years ago….but Beeswax works well too.

That said, this year at Airventure I visited B&B and bought several hundred (of each size and type) of cad-plated steel screws to start replacing the stainless I have been using for years, simply becasue I am tired of stripped heads and galled threads. Not goign to go through all the airplanes and replace everything at once, but as the SS screws wear out, I’ll be back to using what Van’s provided in the first place…..

Same here. After 18 years I decided to shorten my condition inspection time by trying to eliminate the added time every year dealing with a couple stripped or galled SS screws.

 

[RNB]

I know I can just go look at the plans, but what are the common screws to have on hand? Source?
I've noticed some heads getting worn on wheel pants and fairings so far, going through the plans and ordering extras is on my to do list.