Stainless Steel Screws in Aluminium Boat

Looking for some advice. I had to remove my wooden/carpet floor boards on my aluminium quintrex to get to the fuel tank and fix a problem with the hose. The flooring was held down by heaps of Stainless Steel 10g screws. Some were hard to get out.

Anyway I screwed new marine grade screws (No 318 I think) back in to hold down the flooring. They fasten the floor to the top parts of the boat aluminium frame. Should I have used something on the end of the screws to prevent any reaction/corrosion etc. I have read and heard that the stainless steel screws may react with the aluminium where they screw in??


black gen's picture

Posts: 762

Date Joined: 13/04/11

yeh use either tef-gel or

Wed, 2014-03-05 08:27

yeh use either tef-gel or duralac.

put it all round the screw then fix it in place

creates a barrier between the stainless and the ally

Posts: 2946

Date Joined: 03/03/10

go for duralac

Fri, 2014-03-07 19:05

I used tef- gel at first but it docent harden so up duralac does harden up

Posts: 6454

Date Joined: 08/08/11

 A tube of 'yellow gunk'

Wed, 2014-03-05 08:38

 A tube of 'yellow gunk' better known as barium cromate I think.  It might be sold as duralac as the previos post suggests.

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catchalittle's picture

Posts: 1875

Date Joined: 04/09/08

yep as the guys said above

Wed, 2014-03-05 08:48

yep as the guys said above durlac helps stop electolis from starting where the ali and stainless react to each other

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Nathan

Jayden20's picture

Posts: 672

Date Joined: 29/08/11

 duralac has been banned at

Wed, 2014-03-05 13:31

 duralac has been banned at my yard...its castnegenic....use tefgell instead

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Date Joined: 08/08/11

 

Wed, 2014-03-05 14:51

 

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Posts: 88

Date Joined: 20/08/10

If you go with Duralac

Wed, 2014-03-05 20:57

If you go with Duralac definitely wear gloves and also don't get it on anything (esp new carpet) as it doesn't come out.....got to be one of the messiest substances around. Tip from the guy at the boat shop that I bought mine from was to open the tube, stand it up in a stubby holder next to you while you're working and 'dip' each screw into the tube through the opening....still messy buy a lot better than if you try squeeze it out.

Posts: 6454

Date Joined: 08/08/11

 Hence the name "yellow

Wed, 2014-03-05 21:39

 Hence the name "yellow gunk".... which it was affectionately known as in the early 80s when I was working as a yacht rigger....

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Swompa's picture

Posts: 3871

Date Joined: 14/10/12

Must use Duralac. That comes

Fri, 2014-03-07 14:36

Must use Duralac. That comes from working with a 27 year old Aluminum yacht which has seen more salt water through it than many people on this site.

Your screws will end up breaking, or just plan getting stuck.

Suggest after initial application, remove and reapply every couple of years. Well do that in the areas where you will require access.

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Date Joined: 29/06/11

thanks

Sat, 2014-03-08 14:40

Thanks all use duralac and gloves to apply. Messy stuff.

Swompa's picture

Posts: 3871

Date Joined: 14/10/12

 You end up getting most of

Sat, 2014-03-08 15:06

 You end up getting most of on the screws eventually haha

iana's picture

Posts: 652

Date Joined: 21/09/09

What a load of shit!

Sat, 2014-03-08 15:16

As an ex aircraft engineer, I've used the stuff by the gallon, No gloves etc., as I look at my six fingers and thirteen toes and at the space where my nose used to be, I can tell you that the stuff will cause no harm.
I've also used trico-ethelene, polyurethane paints with out masks and passivating paste for stainless steel for years, and I am still here.
I'll let you know when I'm dying of cancer. Until then just go for it.

still trying's picture

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Date Joined: 27/06/17

 I'd agree with you, I wonder

Wed, 2019-10-16 10:10

 I'd agree with you, I wonder if they banned white bread too. 

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Posts: 2

Date Joined: 14/10/19

Old post I know but Tef Gel

Wed, 2019-10-16 03:20

Old post I know but Tef Gel definately better than Duralc. Tef Gel stays as a paste and also acts as a lubricant and barrier to prevent galvanic corrosion.  Duralac goes hard, doesn't lubricate and as mentioned above is carcinogenic!!

 

 

sea-kem's picture

Posts: 14959

Date Joined: 30/11/09

 I actually use silicone gel,

Wed, 2019-10-16 09:12

 I actually use silicone gel, same thing stays as a gel. 

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