How can a CA filled screw be restored? Simple, just hold it by the thread with a long nose plier over a fire on the oven top and let the CA burn away untill the screw comes back to normal.

I just thought I'd share this with you guys because I have a couple of carburetor screws that got filled up to the top with CA. I have an Mag52XLS that just kept on vibrating the screws loose. I lost about 4 carburetor screw from that engine. So one day I decided to put CA on the carb screws so that they wont vibrate loose. I did it in a sloppy way. The engine was in a cowl and I accidentally dripped some drops of CA to the top of the screw which was filled a bit with oil. The CA then hardened along with the oil which filled up the whole screw. The only way I can get them out and tighten them back in was by using pliers. But pliers starts to slip once the screw gets a bit in there and doesn't insure tightness.

Hope this helps some of you,
Paul

UMMM.........you might consider using Loctite on your screws.
There's two types, blue and red. One is permanent and one
isn't. Both work very well for high vibration environments.
Just a thought.
Jerry

It's a good bit less risky, health wise, to soak the screws in acetone in a sealed jar.

Doesn't take all that long, and you won't be releasing toxic fumes from burning CA.

Maybe go find the MSDS for CA sometime . . . scary stuff.

It was getting dark that one day and only thing I had was CA so I used it, works well on past experiences.

About acetone, I got some left but very little. I tried it numerous times on the past to try and remove CA from covering but it just wouldn't work. I guess putting screws in a sealed jar with acetone might work. Sounds like a good idea but I dont have enough left.

-Paul

Paul,

Walmart, Walgreens..... any variety store has it. It is cheap..... and while ur there, pick up a Mason jar, with a lid, to put the acetone in when you get home.

Acetone is used by women to remove fingernail polish, so as far as I know it is harmless to humans.

Most builders, Fred and I included, drop our clogged CA tips in the Mason jar with the acetone. It dissolves the cured CA and leaves the tip like new in a couple days.

Acetone evaporates really fast.... so it won't work to remove cured CA in one try...... you may be able to get it off with several applications, but I don't know if it will harm the plane's finish. You'd just have to test on a scrap piece to see.

Ray

Blue Loctite is the temporary type(shake well). Red is permanent. The Red can be released using a torch or other heat source and bringing the part up to 450 degrees F. Loctite is sold in LHS in a lil dinky bottle and costs $5. A standard mechanics bottle 4oz cost around $20. and will last a lifetime in our hobby. So spend it as ya wish. I have bought the dinky bottle and keep it in my field box, refilling it as needed from a larger one. Havent had to refill it yet and had it for a year.

I am not so sure. When I worked for Medtronics the people that worked with acetone were required to wear hazmat suits. Maybe they were working with higher concentrations but I would hesitate to say that it is harmless to humans

Acetone is not harmless. I would recommend reading the caution labels on a can of it. It has harmful vapors, and can do a number on your skin if you do not wash it off after using. I use it, but in a well ventilated area, and trying to keep from breathing it. Here are some of the possible side effects:

How can acetone affect my health?
If you are exposed to acetone, it goes into your blood which then carries it to all the organs in your body. If it is a small amount, the liver breaks it down to chemicals that are not harmful and uses these chemicals to make energy for normal body functions. Breathing moderate- to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time, however, can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation; headaches; light-headedness; confusion; increased pulse rate; effects on blood; nausea; vomiting; unconsciousness and possibly coma; and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.

Swallowing very high levels of acetone can result in unconsciousness and damage to the skin in your mouth. Skin contact can result in irritation and damage to your skin.

The smell and respiratory irritation or burning eyes that occur from moderate levels are excellent warning signs that can help you avoid breathing damaging levels of acetone.

Health effects from long-term exposures are known mostly from animal studies. Kidney, liver, and nerve damage, increased birth defects, and lowered ability to reproduce (males only) occurred in animals exposed long-term. It is not known if people would have these same effects.

Ah..... good points gentlemen.
I would think that opening the jar to swap tips would fall in the safe range, but I don't know about using it to clean up the smears..... and there's always the chance that one might have an allergic reaction.

This is really interesting..... no human studies. I wonder what the nail salons are using. I don't see the nail techs or customers wearing masks and gloves. Are they still using acetone? I remember my mother soaking her nails in acetone to remove nail polish... she's 85 now and gettn' 'round just fine.

Of course there's always the possibility that lawyers, and chronic malcontents, have screwed this up too and caused industry wide over-reaction ..... or do they do that kind of thing? Let's see..... peanut oil, saacharine, most forms of asbestos, global warming, ozone layer, flourocarbons, noise abatement.... the list is pretty near endless. Next thing you know they'll be closing down our flying fields.

Ray

With screws CA'd in place, I've found a gun type soldering iron hot tip applied to the screw head will get the screw hot enough to decompose the CA and make the scews easy to undo.

Stay away from the fumes tho...[:@]

John C