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Everything always says you should, but I’ve never seen advice on how.
What dissolves it? Or is just a case of scraping it off with a pick (which is what I’ve always tried to do. )
Henkel Loctite advise a combination of soaking in solvent and mechanical removal, eg wire brush, tap etc. They suggest use of their solvent cleaner or chisel paint stripper solvent (Methylene chloride / Dichloromethane).
Alloy threads are quite easy to damage.
Depends on the type of loctite and the application what I would do with it.
Heat softens it quickly, acetone melts it messily. Brass wire brush is the quick way.
Unless it's something that the torque is really exacting and the threadlock has to work just right- which means basically never, on a pushbike- then I just don't bother. Old blue threadlock still has a securing effect even once it's totally cured and mangled, just by being a bit rubbery and in the thread.
I've had success with superglue debonder from Toolstation, applied then waited a minute or two and wiped off a few times got rid of it quite easily but it might work on some and not other types of thread lock, it was on an alloy pivot bolt so I didn't want to pick away with sharp metal tools.
I'm surprised there isn't a better method - everything always just says 'clean off all the old loctite' which is next to impossible most of the time.
External threads use a wire brush or maybe a bronze one if delicate. Internal run a tap through it or pick out the bits and a bit more will release every time you undo the bolt. Never really an issue. If the bolt comes out it will go back in.
I think the key is that it doesn't have to be perfectly spotless, although that should be the aim! Get the majority of the flaky debris removed and the vast majority of the time it's plenty good enough.
It is more critical when the fastener has a very short thread and/or is subject to significant vibration and twisting forces.