Acetone vs. threadlock?

AndyF

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Trying to open a very stubborn Surefire KL4. Tried boiling water and strap wrenches without success.

Is soaking in acetone a good option to loosen threadlock compound?.
 

mcnair55

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Thread lock is generally sold in two strengths medium and high(usually green and blue in colour).

Medium used if you need to undo by conventional tools and high usually requires lots of heat like a welding torch to undo.High is used in the auto trade when you more or less want a permanent fix.I sell far more of the medium.
 

m4a1usr

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Is soaking in acetone a good option to loosen threadlock compound?.

Dont do it Andy! I have had horrible luck with acetone getting on reflectors. Somehow etches the coating. Ruined more than I care to admit to. And it doesnt take all that long. Just a couple minutes. I was very surprised! Heat should work on Sf factory threadlock. When I started on my KL5 head I had the same problem. Tried heat and strap wrenches. Wouldnt budge. I ended up have to use collets on each side for grip and then the heat. It did spin off but it took more heat than any head I had applied it to before. To the point where I was begining to seriously worry. I have had the worse luck using wrenches. YMMV.
 

AndyF

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Thanks, I'm not concerned with the reflector since it is intended for a Tana TripLED mod.

I want to know if acetone would actually soften the threadlock.
 

DJFox

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I'd say definitely no to the acetone. Doesn't affect cured Loctite much. Heat works best, if it's a really beat up flashlight and you don't mind replacing O-rings, perhaps a carefully applied butane torch. I have definitely had good luck with stubborn bolts and induction heating- I would be tempted to try it with an induction heater, a well equipped industrial shop or auto shop will have one.

Take the batteries out first of course, or you may experience a very dangerous and very rapid disassembly of your flashlight.
 

DJFox

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When I said butane torch I meant a tiny handheld soldering torch.. any bigger and you will apply heat to a really large area rather than the local area of the threads. Use a cloth soaked in ice water to cool down what you don't want heated.
 
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