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Posted: 5/4/2006 7:26:42 PM EDT
| I have a single stage trigger with set screws that are secured in place with Red Loctite thread locker. I would like to tweak one screw about 1/16 of a turn. Can I heat up the loctite and tweak the screw? My guess would be no, that it needs to be cleaned out and reapplied. But it is soooo close to where I want it to be. Just wondering if anyone has done this before. |
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My experience with loosening Loctite, it seams the Loctite weakens under heat but still remains somewhat dry. I’ve never had it “melt” like wax, as your probably imagining. Try heating it up, making your adjustment, then reapplying some fresh red Loctite on top of the screw. |
| All red Loctites we had in the machine shop were all of the permanent type, meaning that a good bit of heat had to be applied to break the part loose. Then we would wire brush the parts to remove what was left from the heat before appling new Loctite and reassembling. |
| Red Loctite is an anorobic adhesize & as such cures with the absense of oxygen. So just adding a drop on top of the adjustment screw wouldn't work. As narluke said the parts must be cleaned before reapplying any of these adhesives. There's no easy way to do it, just the right way. Some days it just doen't seem to pay to get out of bed. |
My experience has been, when you red-loctite a trigger set screw - it is set for life. Reason being, you can heat the crap out of it, but you risk annealing the trigger sear surfaces if you get the parts too hot. Then, they are still tight, and often those small set screws, like on a JP trigger, will strip and you will have to ruin them to get them out. We had a JP trigger with red set before we could even get it fully installed.  I dont do those triggers anymore. |
Umm, yes it is a JP! I will probably leave it alone. I want to tweak the rear screw because I think it moved a hair right after I loctited it. Its not bad, but I had it a just a little better. I wasn't going to try heating it up without asking first. And you guys are definitely right about cleaning and re-doing it being the right way. Thanks |
Don't directly heat the trigger. Hold the trigger in a lead heat sink in your vise. Heat up the hex (allen) wrench (or better yet the replaceable hex tip for your handle - its bigger and holds more heat) then insert it in the set screw and let the heat transfer to the screw. You'll ruin the temper on the hex wrench, but they are cheaper than triggers. Works "most of the time"...  For the other times there is always the drill & tap. 
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