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good idea or bad idea - anti-sieze on studs?

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SANdMAN_the

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i'm in the process of rebuilding my head and several of the studs are stuck very securely to the head. time to break out the liquid wrench and heating toarch.

would putting anti-sieze on the new studs be a good idea to prevent this in the future?

Thanks,
john
 
Aerokroil is the best penetrating fluid I have ever seen. It's pretty pricy at around 10 bucks a can but I've not encountered any rusted/frozen fastener that it won't persuade. I think it is ok to put anti-sieze on the studs. I always used a copper based anti-sieze. Hope this helps,
JC
 
The problem with anti-sieze on the studs is that it lowers the coefficient of friction between the stud and the fastening point. If you are mindful of this and don't apply it to both ends of the stud, just the portion that goes into the block, no problem. You can apply it to both ends if you know the reduction in friction and alter the final torque value accordingly.

Yes, motor oil, 3 in 1 oil, even mineral spirits or water will change the coefficient from a truly dry fastener. What the manufacturer intended when he provided the torque numbers, I don't really know, but my guess would be a fastener with, at least, a light coating of lubrication (to prevent excessive rust), but dry to the touch.

I use anti-sieze any time I am connecting dis-similar metals, including stainless into steel and steel into aluminum. I will also use it with similar metals if they are in a corrosive environment, like when the fasteners will get wet. I probably wouldn't use it for the studs into the block, not because it's bad, but because anti-sieze is messy and I don't think the mess is necessary in that case.
 
I use anti-sieze on almost all fasteners that don't get Loctite. I also like Aerokroil. I believe Eastwood started selling it a while back. I still have a spray can of it that's at least 20 years old. If you can't find Aerokroil, PB-Blaster is available at most auto parts stores and it does a good job.

I've never put anti-sieze on head studs in the block, but I do use it on exhaust studs in the head. The ARP web site has a document discussing lubrication on torqued fasteners. It may shed some light on the topic for you.
 
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