The AM Forum

A few months ago I was rebuilding a 2M 11 ele. yagi and discovered that the set screws on the gamma matching block seemed to be fused. I literally twisted an Allen wrench trying to loosen them. After a little research I discovered it was “dissimilar metal oxidation”, or what occurs when you put a galvanized set screw into an aluminum block. I wound up cutting the block off and making a new one. Last night a friend of mine who is a helicopter mechanic told me the trick for freeing the screws. Use ~ a 100W soldering iron to heat up the screw. It will expand, but after it cools it will break away from the corrosion. I had the old block (I’m a pack rat) so I tried it. Like magic, the screws came loose.

Stainless steel screws & some of the goop they use for copper to aluminum electrical connections on the holes/threads
will likely obviate that problem to a great extent...

                               _-_-

The "goop" , such as "Never Seize", would but these were stainless steel. It seems it's all about two different metals. You would think that M2 would have included a small vial with the antenna. Mosley includes Noalux with their antennas.

Sorry, ya lost me on the curve!

I think you said you had galvanized screws... so that's going to be a problem in aluminum, no matter what.

But yes, Mosley used their goop... I think the stuff used for AL-Cu wiring would do the trick too. So-called
Nev-r-Seize just ain't the stuff it used to be.

Afaik it started out as lead
Then it became nickel.
I looked in the store for it, it was ALUMINUM!!!

HUH??  WTF??? Yep, I checked and then looked on line too.
No way am I going to goop on Aluminum when I don't want electrolytic corrosion!!

Must the the enviro people pushing "dangerous metals" out?? Makes zero sense to me.

Found a pint can of old school as a back up - contains 100% dangerous metals! :)