# Loctite Question



## bluwolf (Oct 19, 2009)

Does Loctite go bad after awhile?

Mike


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## alpg88 (Oct 19, 2009)

what exactly do you mean, go bad,?? where?? applied?? than not that i noticed, in the tube??? it might dry up. thou i have not seen that either.


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## bluwolf (Oct 19, 2009)

Yeah, I guess I could be a little more specific, huh? Sorry about that. What I meant was, sitting in the bottle. It's been sitting for quite awhile and out in the shop where it's hot and humid (southwwest Florida) a good portion of the year. 

Mike


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## precisionworks (Oct 19, 2009)

Henkel, makers of LocTite, says one year. I know some of mine is older than dirt & still works, but it gets thicker over time.

http://www.loctite.co.th/tht/content_data/Loctite_Shelf_Life.pdf


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## Powdersummit (Oct 19, 2009)

At one shop I worked we stored all of our loctite in the refrigerator. Don't know if it helped or not. 

Carl


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## Torque1st (Oct 19, 2009)

The shelf life of most things that rely on some sort of chemical reaction to work can be improved by storing in the cold. There are exceptions due to moisture etc.

I have Loctite that is 10 years old stored at room temperature and it is still OK.


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## darkzero (Oct 19, 2009)

I've got lots of generic blue thread lock tubes that I threw into my tool chest from all the camber kits I've installed when working at the shop. Been sitting for more than 5 years sealed. I tried using one the other day (had to shake it up as it "seperated") & it didn't seem to work at all.

I've got some red Loctite brand thread lock that is just as old & still seems to work fine but it's really thick now.


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## bluwolf (Oct 20, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> Henkel, makers of LocTite, says one year. I know some of mine is older than dirt & still works, but it gets thicker over time.
> 
> http://www.loctite.co.th/tht/content_data/Loctite_Shelf_Life.pdf


 
Okay, stupid question, how do you know it's still working?



Powdersummit said:


> At one shop I worked we stored all of our loctite in the refrigerator. Don't know if it helped or not.
> 
> Carl


 
That's where I keep my Cyanoacrylate glue. Supposedly it helps. I don't know. But if I knew this little set of Loctite was gonna be around this long I probably would have refrigerated it too.

Mike


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## KC2IXE (Oct 20, 2009)

I have 20+ YO locktite that is still good

Back when, there was no expiration date on loctite. Sometime in the 1980s (don't remember the exact year), the Military insisted that ALL chemicals be marked with an expiration date. Loctite came in to talk to us at the plant I worked at and explained "No, the stuff stays good as long as it's liquid, but the Mil insists that we put an expiration date on it". The company had 2 months to use/dispose of all non expiration dated loctite, so they basically said "take it home" - I got a 1/2 pint or so bottle of "blue" - still using it


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## bluwolf (Oct 20, 2009)

KC2IXE said:


> I have 20+ YO locktite that is still good
> 
> Back when, there was no expiration date on loctite. Sometime in the 1980s (don't remember the exact year), the Military insisted that ALL chemicals be marked with an expiration date. Loctite came in to talk to us at the plant I worked at and explained "No, the stuff stays good as long as it's liquid, but the Mil insists that we put an expiration date on it". The company had 2 months to use/dispose of all non expiration dated loctite, so they basically said "take it home" - I got a 1/2 pint or so bottle of "blue" - still using it


 
Thanks for that. I appreciate it. I need to use some of the weak stuff for small threads on some of my pens. I wanted to know if it was even gonna work.

Mike


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## StrikerDown (Oct 20, 2009)

I have a bottle of the red stuff (requires dynamite to separate). It is at least 20 years old and has had a hard life in the garage getting real hot in the summer. Still works well. 

Just don't squeeze the air out of the bottle or tube! It is an anaerobic compound... the absence of air causes it to set up.


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## SCEMan (Oct 21, 2009)

I agree. I just used some 10 year old red Loctite to secure the rear sight on my Sig Trailside and it's now rock solid.


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## Milling_And_Grinding (Oct 21, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> I have a bottle of the red stuff (requires dynamite to separate). It is at least 20 years old and has had a hard life in the garage getting real hot in the summer. Still works well.
> 
> Just don't squeeze the air out of the bottle or tube! It is an anaerobic compound... the absence of air causes it to set up.


 
Ah! You learn something new every day. I never really did know how such products "knew" to set. :thinking:


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