Best way to prevent bolts from rusting?

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Originally Posted by vavavroom
Maybe coat the fasteners with boiled linseed oil, let cure, install, brush once more with linseed oil to touch up where you chipped the coating during installation. Not sure how a cured linseed oil coating affects required torque. I have used this method successfully on lower engine cover fasteners that tend to rust like crazy. I'm talking about clip-on nuts and screws.


Thanks for the suggestion. Even if it works, I'm searching for a readily available solution.
 
One reason I like to use OE fasteners even with aftermarket parts is that the OE fasteners tend to have better corrosion protection, be it plating or a coating. Linseed oil is widely available at hardware stores. Since it polymerizes when it dries, it creates an excellent "plastic" barrier. It probably also functions as a thread locking compound. To be tested, of course.
 
If these bolts are the only part of the car with significant rust, it's likely they weren't properly plated / coated by the supplier.
 
Stainless steel bolts can gall and need antiseize even if they aren't in a corrosive environment. I'm not sure if introducing a galvanic couple, which would force the threaded hole to anodically corrode would be a prudent solution.

Just use antiseize. It's a fastener for a crossmember, not for something like the exhaust.
 
Originally Posted by vavavroom
One reason I like to use OE fasteners even with aftermarket parts is that the OE fasteners tend to have better corrosion protection, be it plating or a coating. Linseed oil is widely available at hardware stores. Since it polymerizes when it dries, it creates an excellent "plastic" barrier. It probably also functions as a thread locking compound. To be tested, of course.


Probably this one was not very resistant to corrosion. Is linseed oil ready for use? When I read boiled, I though that this was something the buyer had to do. Furthermore, will the coating survive the fastening or will it get removed? I have the feeling that pastes wouldn't get completely removed during tightening of the bolt.


Originally Posted by mk378
If these bolts are the only part of the car with significant rust, it's likely they weren't properly plated / coated by the supplier.


I don't see any rust underneath the car. In fact the head of the bolt that broke is not rusted. It is the part of the bolt that was hidden in the chassis that has been corroded. I'm not sure what that means. Probably I should get the rest of the bolts checked, because maybe the state of their heads may not be indicative of their actual condition.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
Stainless steel bolts can gall and need antiseize even if they aren't in a corrosive environment. I'm not sure if introducing a galvanic couple, which would force the threaded hole to anodically corrode would be a prudent solution.

Just use antiseize. It's a fastener for a crossmember, not for something like the exhaust.


Which type of anti-seize? I see there are many: https://www.crcindustries.com/world-anti-seize/
What about nonmetallic anti-seizes that I read in the article are good for exposure to high salt environments? Do they offer better anti-corrosion protection? Maybe in the same manner a marine grease would do the job?
 
I'd anti-sieze the new bolt, then, if at all reachable, glob grease on top of the completed assembly.

Went through this with my wife's HHR lower control arm bolts, sawzalling them out... what a nightmare.
 
Originally Posted by inquirer

Which type of anti-seize? I see there are many: https://www.crcindustries.com/world-anti-seize/
What about nonmetallic anti-seizes that I read in the article are good for exposure to high salt environments? Do they offer better anti-corrosion protection? Maybe in the same manner a marine grease would do the job?


You are making this too tough.

Just get regular nickel antisieze.
such as
amazon link for antisieze
 
The Old School way to it - Torque and then apply Grease to it. Or use Roofing Cement around it. Done deal!
 
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Originally Posted by eljefino
I'd anti-sieze the new bolt, then, if at all reachable, glob grease on top of the completed assembly.

Went through this with my wife's HHR lower control arm bolts, sawzalling them out... what a nightmare.

Originally Posted by BEETLE
The Old School way to it - Torque and then apply Grease to it. Or use Roofing Cement around it. Done deal!

The shank and the thread of the bolt are hidden in the chassis. The chassis has some holes nearby but I'm not sure if the bolt is accessible through them. Even if it is it would be very difficult to apply anything properly. Whatever material will be used, it should be applied before fastening the bolt I guess.


Originally Posted by Rand
Originally Posted by inquirer

Which type of anti-seize? I see there are many: https://www.crcindustries.com/world-anti-seize/
What about nonmetallic anti-seizes that I read in the article are good for exposure to high salt environments? Do they offer better anti-corrosion protection? Maybe in the same manner a marine grease would do the job?


You are making this too tough.

Just get regular nickel antisieze.
such as
amazon link for antisieze

Maybe you are right. Anyway, I can't find anti-seize easily in Greece. I found an 1kg can of copper anti-seize, which is way too much for my application. In the end maybe I will use some type of grease... I could order online, but as I get constant crackling noises from the crossmember, I think it's not a good idea to wait much time before fixing the problem.
 
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https://www.homedepot.com/s/boiled%2520linseed%2520oil?NCNI-5

In the day , it was used as a wood finish .
 
Originally Posted by Rand
Originally Posted by inquirer

Which type of anti-seize? I see there are many: https://www.crcindustries.com/world-anti-seize/
What about nonmetallic anti-seizes that I read in the article are good for exposure to high salt environments? Do they offer better anti-corrosion protection? Maybe in the same manner a marine grease would do the job?


You are making this too tough.

Just get regular nickel antisieze.
such as
amazon link for antisieze


+1 That's it exactly. No need to get crazy over it.
 
Well, I got the car serviced today. All the 4 bolts were very rusted within the length of the crossmember. The threads that were fastened in the chassis were in perfect condition as the bolts' heads. Silicon grease was used within the crossmember. I hope it will offer adequate protection.
 
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