Gunsmithing: Cleaner B4 loctite: Brakeclean or Stating Fluid

[Humphrey Bogart]

I used to restore old cars and have red & blue Loctite on hand.

I need to replace extractor, spring and 'Frankenbolt' on Kel-Tec PF-9.

If it were a car part I'd hit it with Brake clean, blow it dry and use Blue Loctite.

I'm guessing Starting Fluid might be a better cleaner for a handgun....but would Brake clean

muck up my parkerized slide?

Thanks.

[67camaro]

Brake cleaner will do nothing to parkerizing. Just remove any oil you have on it. Lube properly afterwords.

[onebohemian]

Any degreaser is fine. Dont overuse the blue loctite on the frankenbolt either. You dont want it to get onto the firing pin, or into its channel. That would be tough to clean out.

[gyrfalcon]

I believe the correct or factory thread-locker to use would be purple locktite.

[Humphrey Bogart]

I believe the correct or factory thread-locker to use would be purple locktite.

I have red, I'm out of blue Purple? that comes from mixing them?

My guess is that it's halfway between the two.

The Frankenbolt from Kel-Tec comes with a smear of something on it....I'll be doing this again so I'll have to find something that works.

[gyrfalcon]

My guess is that it's halfway between the two.

Purple is the weakest for fine screws. I'm not sure why they picked that color. Blue would be a better choice than Red or mixing them.

[Pinnacle]

I am not so sure that mixing colors would give the result that you are looking for - I could be wrong, but I might want to consider ordering some new loctite of the proper color so that you dont have an issue later.

It would be my guess that Red would be bad - mixing with blue is not going to give youa lesser hold. Red is like Tig welder in a tube. Try BLACK sometime - that is just about permanent.

[JJ]

Use blue. Plenty if holding strength, and if you need to remove it later, a little heat will open in up for you.

[Humphrey Bogart]

I'm familiar w/ Blue....nice little 'snap' when you unscrew it.

[cobb]

I'm familiar w/ Blue....nice little 'snap' when you unscrew it.

If I know that a screw is Loctite with blue, I like to put a screwdriver blade or allen wrench on that screw and tap a couple times with a hammer. Seems to help loosen the Loctite when trying to back out. If not, next step is heat and I prefer boiling water to protect a finish.

[mattxd]

there are many oil tolerant loctie formulation available. at work we very rarely need to clean out RP or oil prior to installing fasteners. And only use Red if you never want to take it apart without a torch, Blue works just fine for most threads.

[Humphrey Bogart]

there are many oil tolerant loctie formulation available. at work we very rarely need to clean out RP or oil prior to installing fasteners. And only use Red if you never want to take it apart without a torch, Blue works just fine for most threads.

Oil-tolerant...that's interesting...I'll most likely get my next tube at Menards or Home Depot ...I should probalby take a look at Fleet Farm in that's really an 'Implement store' (and I can pick up some cheap ammo at the same time.