Favorite thread locker?

[Rick Spivey]

Just a question, do you suppose a new plastic pulley would have the same play in the splines? If it is cheap enough a new pulley might help a lot....

[Crimson Tim]

one small aspect , make sure the blue "locktight" type thread locker is a fairly fresh tube , and shake before using . i use them on my electric lamps . i had an old tube (6-7 years old ) and almost empty . the lamp i used it on unscrewed in the wind and fell to the ground at my clients house . fortunately it fell on an azalea bush . didnt even break the glass .coppersmythe...........................................

I wondered about that. I haven’t used this particular product before, and I was surprised how runny it was. My first impression was that it had separated, but kneeding the tube and successive uses have all yielded the same consistency. It did turn gummy, so I figured it was doing what it was supposed to. It was freshly purchased, but there’s no telling how long it sat around at the store.

Any play whatsoever in the splines will translate to loosening of the fastener as the drum agitates back and forth. Loctite makes a product (I believe it's their bearing mount stuff - comes in several flavors) that is made to take up play in mating parts. I'd try some of that between the splines and the pulley to remove any backlash. I don't know how good it will work since the pulley is plastic, but might be worth a try.

I was thinking about that possibility, too. I was trying to figure out a way to use epoxy without making an awful mess or affixing it too permanently. Good to know there is a product specifically for that.


Fwiw, this is a front loader, not a top loader. It starts and stops obviously, but I’m not aware of it changing direction (though the other one we had did. It had a primary direction, then occasional reversals. This one doesn’t have a glass door, so I haven’t noticed if it does it does the same. ).

[Crimson Tim]

Just a question, do you suppose a new plastic pulley would have the same play in the splines? If it is cheap enough a new pulley might help a lot....

I have replaced the pulley once when the splines did get badly beaten up.
This current pulley still looks good. There is some play, but I think no more than when I first got it (new, not used, to make sure there was no chance of receiving bad splines. )

[Don McCombs]

Gotta ask this question. What brand washer is it?

[Crimson Tim]

Gotta ask this question. What brand washer is it?

Older Maytag Neptune. Made in Iowa, but who knows when. I would probably move it on down the road instead of continuing to mess with it, except that:
- It’s a front loader, but the drum is tipped slightly upwards, so access with a questionable back is easier, but it is gentler on the clothes than a top loader.
- It is relatively simple and parts seem to be abundant, though not always cheap
- When it works, it cleans really well. Even on nasty, heavy stuff like horse blankets.

[Crimson Tim]

I drilled out the broken bolt. It did not go well. I could not get the drill bit to catch, and the largest left-handed bit that I had was 1/4” which still left too much meat on the 3/8” bolt. Couldn’t get it to collapse or rotate or anything else, so I had to drill it a couple places and at a couple angles before it would let go. This of course did not leave the shaft threads unscathed.
Surprisingly, I was easily able to screw the bolt into the threads that were remaining. Seems secure but only got about 5/8” engagement before it bottomed out. The hole itself is about an inch deep. I would have preferred more engagement than that, especially since the threads are damaged now.
The working plan at this point is to epoxy a longer bolt into the hole, install a castle nut, drill the bolt for the cotter pin, and then cut off the excess bolt. I really shouldn’t have to torque this down much. Just make it good and snug and let the cotter pin keep it from loosening. Therefore, the thread engagement is probably sufficient. The fact that the threads are damaged now actually means the epoxy will get a better grip on them.
I was thinking I should tap the threads deeper, which would require a run into town to purchase said taps, though it’s not like I won’t need them for 100 other things anyway. Maybe I should save myself the trip and just grind some threads off the end of the bolt so that it will extend further into the hole, and just let the additional epoxy contact area hold it. That should be quick and easy.
Hope to get that done tomorrow.

[Don McCombs]

Good luck with it.

[Crimson Tim]

Too many things to do. Opted not to bother with making any changes to any threads. Just thoroughly slathered the bolt with JB Weld, inserted as far as it would go and let it cure several days.
Seems like it’s good and strong, though. I could not tighten the nut all the way easily due to a little epoxy that seeped up the threads. After cleaning that off, I snugged it down and drilled my cotter pin hole. My regular set of bits is probably 10 years old and all the small ones have broken during some past project or other after serving me well, so I figured why not just use the left-handed set to drill the through hole, too? Well, it worked, but I have to admit, these Harbor Freight bits are very flexible and weak. I broke one drilling out the old bolt, and a second one drilling the through hole. Not impressed.

In any case, got it done. Got it snug. Got it wired. Seems secure. Will let it run for a bit as it is, and if there are no issues, I will cut off the extra length of bolt. It’s kind of a hazard right now, except that it’s up against the wall.