no washers or lock washers

J

jack ramsey

New member
Jan 21, 2013
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I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had flat and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump out, I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would think at 66, I
would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average of 18 ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
world.

Thanks,

Jack
--
Jack Ramsey
Tulare, CA
TZE165V101526
1975 Palm Beach
 
On the Porsche, are not those going into an aluminum casting as opposed to cast iron? I find blue LocTite works better than a lock anyway.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Jack,

Flat washers are primarily to spread the force applied to a joint by the
fasteners; as such, they're most useful on materials softer than the
fastener or on especially brittle materials. They can also allow slight
movement between the fastened items.

Lock washers, of the split-ring type primarily, are intended to inhibit
loosening of fasteners used in especially vibration-prone locations: If
the joint causes the fastener to begin to loosen, the sharp edges at the
split in the washer will tend to cut into the two surfaces against which it
bears, reducing further loosening.

A flat washer should NEVER be used beneath a lock washer because when the
lock washer "cuts into" the flat washer, the flat washer will just move
rather than inhibiting loosening.

On a very rigid structure like an engine, lock washers are not needed
because there is little likelihood of relative motion between parts secured
with adequately tightened fasteners. And there's always the possibility of
spring lock washers breaking and becoming loose "foreign objects" in the
engine. Now on aluminum engine parts, it may be necessary to use flat
washers to protect the soft surfaces, or to use lock washers to compensate
for thermal expansion/contraction.

Do whatever the manufacturer did/recommended. :-)

Ken H.

On Sun, Jul 14, 2019 at 3:41 PM Jack Ramsey via Gmclist <

> I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has
> very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
> shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had flat
> and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
> washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump out,
> I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
> reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other
> assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would
> think at 66, I
> would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average of 18
> ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
> world.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jack
> --
> Jack Ramsey
> Tulare, CA
> TZE165V101526
> 1975 Palm Beach
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
> I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
> shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had flat and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
> washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump out, I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
> reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would think at 66,
> I would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average of 18 ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
> world.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jack

Jack,

SAE lock washers will seldom do any harm, but in high load situations they are quite useless. An SAE lockwasher (the kind with a sheared angled ends)
is supposed to work two ways:
First is that it is a spring to keep tension in the fastener should it have the opportunity to loose tension.
Second is that those two sharp edges are suppose to grab something and prevent the rotation of the fastener.

The only problem we (ASTM Bolting Technology Committee) found was that during an uninstrumented assembly (no torque wrench or other), the compression
of the spring in the lock washer did, in some cases, cause the assembling technician to over estimate the achieved tension in the fastener.
(Non-techese - He didn't get the screw as tight as he thought he did.)

So, put in lockwashers as long as you don't sacrifice engagement for it.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
I would strongly advise you to read the parts manual. Every nut, bolt,
stud, flat washer, lock washer, etc is clearly identified in the
descriptions, and drawings. The way the GMC factory installed it. Then go
from there.
Jim Hupy

On Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 1:52 PM Matt Colie via Gmclist <

> > I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has
> very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
> > shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had
> flat and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
> > washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump
> out, I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
> > reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other
> assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would
> think at 66,
> > I would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average
> of 18 ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
> > world.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Jack
>
> Jack,
>
> SAE lock washers will seldom do any harm, but in high load situations they
> are quite useless. An SAE lockwasher (the kind with a sheared angled ends)
> is supposed to work two ways:
> First is that it is a spring to keep tension in the fastener should it
> have the opportunity to loose tension.
> Second is that those two sharp edges are suppose to grab something and
> prevent the rotation of the fastener.
>
> The only problem we (ASTM Bolting Technology Committee) found was that
> during an uninstrumented assembly (no torque wrench or other), the
> compression
> of the spring in the lock washer did, in some cases, cause the assembling
> technician to over estimate the achieved tension in the fastener.
> (Non-techese - He didn't get the screw as tight as he thought he did.)
>
> So, put in lockwashers as long as you don't sacrifice engagement for it.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
> OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Jim:

Seven plus years of looking at the shop manuals, and not once did I crack open the Parts manual.

I did now, and wow. Thank you, Jim.

Matt, the front frame I dropped off has the relay lever bolt with a lock washer. That’s not what it shows in the book.

Now for the fastener mavens - the bolt on my relay lever bottoms before squeezing the assembly properly, allowing the Dave Lenzi lever to move up and down a little more than .100

So, two grade 8 washers, or do I fire up the lathe?

Dolph

DE AD0LF

Wheeling, West Virginia

1977 26’ ex-PalmBeach
Howell EFI & EBL, Reaction Arms, Manny Transmission

“The Aluminum and Fiberglass Mistress"

>
> I would strongly advise you to read the parts manual. Every nut, bolt,
> stud, flat washer, lock washer, etc is clearly identified in the
> descriptions, and drawings. The way the GMC factory installed it. Then go
> from there.
> Jim Hupy
>
> On Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 1:52 PM Matt Colie via Gmclist <

>

>>> I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has
>> very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
>>> shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had
>> flat and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
>>> washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump
>> out, I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
>>> reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other
>> assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would
>> think at 66,
>>> I would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average
>> of 18 ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
>>> world.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Jack
>>
>> Jack,
>>
>> SAE lock washers will seldom do any harm, but in high load situations they
>> are quite useless. An SAE lockwasher (the kind with a sheared angled ends)
>> is supposed to work two ways:
>> First is that it is a spring to keep tension in the fastener should it
>> have the opportunity to loose tension.
>> Second is that those two sharp edges are suppose to grab something and
>> prevent the rotation of the fastener.
>>
>> The only problem we (ASTM Bolting Technology Committee) found was that
>> during an uninstrumented assembly (no torque wrench or other), the
>> compression
>> of the spring in the lock washer did, in some cases, cause the assembling
>> technician to over estimate the achieved tension in the fastener.
>> (Non-techese - He didn't get the screw as tight as he thought he did.)
>>
>> So, put in lockwashers as long as you don't sacrifice engagement for it.
>>
>> Matt
>> --
>> Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
>> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
>> OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
>> SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
 
Thanks everyone!
I will add flat washers to the new aluminum fancy water pump I got from Jim K, and move on, while looking for the parts manual.

Thanks,

Jack
--
Jack Ramsey
Tulare, CA
TZE165V101526
1975 Palm Beach
 
I agree with Jim here....every fastener has a location and a purpose.

The company i work for actually doesnt use any split type lock washer at all on any of the vehicles we build because its been proven that they dont
actually work very well.....there is a really interesting engineering document and video on them being worse than using none at all.
--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
All this "washer talk" makes me wonder about the use of internal and external "star" washers. Locking things in place physically can be concurrent with a need to ensure electrical contact remains solid and of low resistance, even (or especially) in joints that are subject to vibration or other movement. Adequate tightening would seem to "bite" into both of the mating surfaces. Use of external star washers would seem to mandate the use of bolts/screws with wide (fillister?) heads.

I will refrain in the future from using a flat washer under a lock washer of any type thanks to Colonel Ken's great explanation shown below.

D C "Mac" Macdonald​
Amateur Radio K2GKK​
Since 30 November '53​
USAF and FAA, Retired​
Member GMCMI & Classics​
Oklahoma City, OK​
"The Money Pit"​
TZE166V101966
________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Ken Henderson via Gmclist
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2019 15:37
To: GMC Mail List
Cc: Ken Henderson; Jack Ramsey
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] no washers or lock washers

Jack,

Flat washers are primarily to spread the force applied to a joint by the
fasteners; as such, they're most useful on materials softer than the
fastener or on especially brittle materials. They can also allow slight
movement between the fastened items.

Lock washers, of the split-ring type primarily, are intended to inhibit
loosening of fasteners used in especially vibration-prone locations: If
the joint causes the fastener to begin to loosen, the sharp edges at the
split in the washer will tend to cut into the two surfaces against which it
bears, reducing further loosening.

A flat washer should NEVER be used beneath a lock washer because when the
lock washer "cuts into" the flat washer, the flat washer will just move
rather than inhibiting loosening.

On a very rigid structure like an engine, lock washers are not needed
because there is little likelihood of relative motion between parts secured
with adequately tightened fasteners. And there's always the possibility of
spring lock washers breaking and becoming loose "foreign objects" in the
engine. Now on aluminum engine parts, it may be necessary to use flat
washers to protect the soft surfaces, or to use lock washers to compensate
for thermal expansion/contraction.

Do whatever the manufacturer did/recommended. :-)

Ken H.
 
Hi Dolph: in the 77-78 maintenance manual supplement (3A-2 Front Suspension) it says to adjust the intermediate rod parallelism of the steering to
the lower control arms by adding washers under the idler arm. Since the relay lever is on the same working plane as the idler arm I might recommend
checking your parallelism and see if you need any adjustments and go from there. I would pry up and down on the relay lever to see how it effects
measurements. This should tell you if you need to add washers or remove metal from bushing.
Make sure you check your tire air pressures and ride height before checking parallelism as it does effect it.
Hope this helps..

> Jim:
>
> Seven plus years of looking at the shop manuals, and not once did I crack open the Parts manual.
>
> I did now, and wow. Thank you, Jim.
>
> Matt, the front frame I dropped off has the relay lever bolt with a lock washer. That's not what it shows in the book.
>
> Now for the fastener mavens - the bolt on my relay lever bottoms before squeezing the assembly properly, allowing the Dave Lenzi lever to move up
> and down a little more than .100
>
> So, two grade 8 washers, or do I fire up the lathe?
>
>
> Dolph
>
> DE AD0LF
>
> Wheeling, West Virginia
>
> 1977 26' ex-PalmBeach
> Howell EFI & EBL, Reaction Arms, Manny Transmission
>
> "The Aluminum and Fiberglass Mistress"
>

> >
> > I would strongly advise you to read the parts manual. Every nut, bolt,
> > stud, flat washer, lock washer, etc is clearly identified in the
> > descriptions, and drawings. The way the GMC factory installed it. Then go
> > from there.
> > Jim Hupy
> >

> >

> >>> I know this seems like a stupid question, but my 75 Palm Beach 455 has
> >> very few flat washers or lock washers in the engine bay. (except on the fan
> >>> shroud) My years with German cars, and climbing radio towers, we had
> >> flat and lock washers on EVERYTHING. I went out and bought a bunch of spare
> >>> washers, just in case, and now upon re-assembly, from the water pump
> >> out, I am wondering if this is overkill and even might be sacrificing
> >>> reliability, by having less thread into the cast iron and other
> >> assemblies. Yes this is my first American car real work, and you would
> >> think at 66,
> >>> I would know, but I don't. Porsche 8mm nuts (13 mm socket) had average
> >> of 18 ft lbs of torque, I'm really not used to this, it is a whole different
> >>> world.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks,
> >>>
> >>> Jack
> >>
> >> Jack,
> >>
> >> SAE lock washers will seldom do any harm, but in high load situations they
> >> are quite useless. An SAE lockwasher (the kind with a sheared angled ends)
> >> is supposed to work two ways:
> >> First is that it is a spring to keep tension in the fastener should it
> >> have the opportunity to loose tension.
> >> Second is that those two sharp edges are suppose to grab something and
> >> prevent the rotation of the fastener.
> >>
> >> The only problem we (ASTM Bolting Technology Committee) found was that
> >> during an uninstrumented assembly (no torque wrench or other), the
> >> compression
> >> of the spring in the lock washer did, in some cases, cause the assembling
> >> technician to over estimate the achieved tension in the fastener.
> >> (Non-techese - He didn't get the screw as tight as he thought he did.)
> >>
> >> So, put in lockwashers as long as you don't sacrifice engagement for it.
> >>
> >> Matt
> >> --
> >> Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
> >> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
> >> OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> >> SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> GMCnet mailing list
> >> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> >> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

--
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
 
No locks on top of flats. Again I've learned something from this crew.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Me too, Johnny! Especially important for connections on antennas!

D C "Mac" Macdonald​
Amateur Radio K2GKK​
Since 30 November '53​
USAF and FAA, Retired​
Member GMCMI & Classics​
Oklahoma City, OK​
"The Money Pit"​
TZE166V101966

________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Johnny Bridges via Gmclist
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 07:13
To: gmclist
Cc: Johnny Bridges
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] no washers or lock washers

No locks on top of flats. Again I've learned something from this crew.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/timing-chain-2fradiator-project-05-2f09/p34540-timing-chain-2fradiator.html
>
> great photo on bolt location. Thanks Carl S
>
>
> Jack

You're welcome!

I always take pictures of complicated assemblies BEFORE I take them apart. It really saved my bacon on the engine R & R. That and bagging and
labeling every piece of hardware for each assembly made re-assembly a LOT easier after almost a month between taking it apart and putting it back
together again.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
 
> No locks on top of flats. Again I've learned something from this crew.
>
> --johnny

Same here. It is intuitive when you think about it, however for me in the past I never thought much about not using flat washers or split washers.
From now on I will think about the application before using either.

I've gained a lot of knowledge from this group and have also found YouTube to be helpful if you can "separate the wheat from the chaff" in both
groups.
--
Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com


Coop Roller Cam 455, Howell TBI + EBL, 3.42 FD, Quadra Bag, Macerator, Lenzi stuff, Manny Tranny etc.
 
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