The Difference Between Blue Red Threadlocker

Updated at: 24-06-2022 - By: Lucas

Most people who work on their own machines at home love to do so, but their lack of professional training often gets in the way. Most of them do not know how to use threadlockers.

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Put a drop of threadlocker on fasteners to keep them from coming loose over time because of vibration. It also stops fluid from getting in or out through gaps in the threads.

You Are Watching: The Difference Between Blue Red Threadlocker Updated 04/2024

But a common question is: What’s the difference between Blue Loctite threadlocker and Red Loctite threadlocker?

Well, let’s get this straight for you quickly: Blue Loctite threadlocker is for screws that you want to be easy to unscrew. Red Loctite is used to make a more permanent fix on parts that won’t come loose for years.

Most likely, a home mechanic will use Blue Loctite 242 or 243, which are medium-strength threadlockers, more than Red Loctite. This is great for bolts that you don’t want to loosen over time because of vibration, like the oil/coolant drain bolt or the bottom bolt on the front fork of a motorcycle.

Red Loctite 271 is great for fasteners like car suspension linkages, steering columns, chassis bolts, brake rotors, bolts holding the metal frame of a building structure, etc.

Fasteners with blue Loctite are easy to undo, but with red Loctite, you need to use a blow torch to heat the area around the bolt to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, red loctite should never be used on plastic parts.

How to Apply Threadlocker?

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Most people who fix things around the house don’t use threadlocker, so if you do, you’re already ahead of the game. But you need to make sure of these three things for proper bonding:

1) Clean the Nuts, Bolts, and Screws: Dirt and oil shouldn’t be on the threads of fasteners. It only takes a quick spray of parts cleaner and a wipe with a cloth.

2) You only need one or two drops: You only need to put one or two drops of loctite on the thread of the bolt. Put a drop right about where the bolt’s threads will touch the inner threads when the bolt is fully in place. As you tighten the bolt, the seal will form all around it.

3) Let it sit for 24 hours to cure. Loctite is a liquid, and it takes about 24 hours to dry and cure completely. This is important to know if you are working on a hydraulic system because oil can leak and loctite won’t be able to make a good seal.

How to remove Threadlocker?

For fasteners that use blue threadlockers, all you need is a regular hand tool. The fasteners should be easy to take off.

A blowtorch was needed to open the red threadlocker. Light the blow torch and use it for 2 to 3 minutes on the bolt and the area around it. Now, use a hand tool to loosen the screw, and it should come off pretty easily.

What are different types/colors of Threadlockers?

There are four basic colours of threadlockers: green, red, blue, and purple. The fact that Loctite, Permabond, and Permatex all use the same colour code makes it easier to know which threadlocker to use for which job.

Green: The green threadlocker is very thin and flows easily into tight cracks and crevices that are hard to reach. This is suggested for fasteners that come already put together, like the ones used in electrical connectors and set screws that sit flush with the part they screw into.

It holds things together better than a standard blue threadlocker. It has a medium to high level of strength. Curing takes about 24 hours, and you might need heat to get rid of it.

Red: As was said above, red one is a threadlocker with a high strength. The bonding is very strong, so you have to heat the fastener with a blow torch before you can break it. Because of this, it should only be used on parts that won’t be opened soon. Red threadlocker can be used on high-stress parts like car chassis bolts.

Blue: The most commonly used threadlocker is blue. It has a medium level of strength, and the fastener can be loosened with simple hand tools. Blue 243 loctite is a good place to start if you don’t have any threadlocker in your toolkit. This helped me fix the problem with my motorcycle’s quickshifter sensor.

Purple: Low strength bonding is what purple threadlocker is called. This works great on aluminium and brass, which are both soft metals. If you’re worried that tightening the bolt too much will damage the threads or head, you should use low strength threadlocker.

What’s the difference between Loctite 242 and Loctite 243

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The Loctite 243 is an upgrade to the Loctite 242. It is more resistant to oil and can handle more surfaces. It can be used for rocker studs, the oil sump, brake callipers, pulley assemblies, the drain bolt for the fork suspension, and other things.

What is blue Loctite used for?

Blue Loctite is a medium strength threadlock that can be used for many things. If you’re not sure which threadlocker to use, this is the one you want. It keeps bolts from coming loose because of vibration and keeps rust from making the fasteners stick.