[Obliterous]

About a year ago, I started experimenting with copper plating many of the bolts, screws and studs Under the hood of My 2nd gen LX. Basically, whenever I took something apart, the nuts bolts screw and studs got copper plated before re-assembly. So far, this has resulted in a MAJOR drop in the number of seized or broken bolts and studs and has also resulted in an interesting addition of color to the under-hood environment, especially if I polish the plating. Steel bolts into the head or block tend to be REAL hard to deal with, as do any bolts or nuts on the exhaust system.


My questions are thus: Has anyone else experimented with plating or other methods for preventing corrosion on the nuts & bolts? and what were your results?

 

[denisond3]

Anytime I put a bolt into an aluminum threaded hole, I put some antisieze compound on it (its silicone and nickel based) or else I put a threadlocker compound on it. I do it for many holes in the steel-iron block too, though the head bolts just get oiled; after I have cleaned out the holes with a tap. The head bolts are new each time of course.
If I find I cant remove a bolt from the engine head or tranny case - I may drill it out, rather than either twist it off, or have it rip the threads out of the aluminum. The bad part about this is that sometimes you have to take an engine out in order to be able to drill out such a bolt, and to fit in a helicoil insert. For example, the small but long studs that hold the timing belt cover on, and the little bolts that hold the thermostat housing to the side of the head.

 

[97DragScort]

did you build your own plateing apparatus or did you buy 1? If you built it, would you share your how-to here?

 

[Obliterous]

I built my plating apparatus out of random bits I had laying around. Been thinking about rebuilding it, actually.


I'll take some pics and post a how-to.

 

[GregF422]

This isn't too far off from the idea of cad plating. Cadmium has a natural lubricating effect and dramatically reduces galvanic corrosion with alumium (like steel can cause when it's in contact with alumimum)

I generally just use a good dose of anti-sieze