OK guys,......no hypotheticals here,......just a REAL example of what happened in my case.

Firstly,......i mispoke,.....i did not use red loc-tite on my "suicide hub" workup,.....it was the red version of "Permatex" brand. It's a similiar product for sure,......not sure if it matters here but wanted to be clear.

Back to my point,......after reading the back of the Permatex red thread lock packaging,.....i was intreagued by the instructions on how to remove a threaded joint using their product.

It must be heated to 500 DEGREES,.......and they ain't lying! In the interest of this discussion i decided to remove my recently installed dura ace 16T cog and bottom bracket lockring! I was more than curious as to if it was even possible without popping spokes, or what i might run into.

Keep in mind i had cleaned and degreased the threads on both my freewheel designed bub and the new dura ace fixed cog,.....and also the DA bottom bracket lockring. I also shook and squeexed the Permatex red threadlock for a few minutes to make sure it was well mixed. I had done a dry run setting up my chain line beforehand,......

I actually had a little better chain-line without the lockring installed, as i could use a spacing washer on the inside to bring the cog out a few mm further,.....making it virtually perfect.

This is the 2nd reason i wanted to take it apart,......to add the inside washer and eliminate the bottom bracket lockring all together. I didn't do it that way initially as i was overly cautious with the discussion and wanted a backup.


OK,......so after 48 hours of curing and two 10 mile rides in the last 24 hours, i was going to get it all apart! Thinking it through i wanted protection on the spokes and backside of the hub where the spokes connect, as even 500 degree heat might remove any tempering.


So i pulled out about 6 paper towels and folded them in half, and used sissors to cut through all 12 layers. Then i cut a semi circle on both sides of the slit so that when placed over and behind the installed cog, i could protect the spokes and majority of the hub.


I removed the axle, ball bearings, dust covers, and ALL the grease out of every crevice, and placed my 12 layers of paper towels behing the cog and laying against the spokes. Then with the wheel laying flat against my thighs while sitting, i slowly poured about 10 ounces of water into the paper towels and allowed them to obsorb all the water they could!


I already had my propane and oxegen jeweler's torch set up in the basement, and with a wider torch tip (to throw heat over a bit more area quickly), i held the flame "parallel" to the spoke's direction and went around the lock ring first.

About 10 seconds of heat working all around,....and tried my lockring remover. NO GO,......so another 10 seconds of heat applied, and this time i resigned myself to the fact my BB lockring would be made toast. So i used a wide screwdriver and leather mallet to work the lockring off. It took a few minutes but added a bit more heat,.....and off she came. This was just the lockring, mind you,....and only about 1/2 of the treads were engaged!

I checked the paper towels, and they were holding up fine with plenty of wetness. Now to the cog,.....and i went around the cog for about 20 seconds and tried my chainwhip (the long Park blue handled one),.....it budged not a "smidge"!

.....applied some more heat for another 20 seconds. It's tough to guage a 500 degree heat level freehand,.....as the hub parts your not heating directly are always sucking heat away,......as are the wet paper towels.

.....just a bit of hope now,.....the cog moved a bit,.....not enough to see but you could feel it,.....just a whisker though and i was putting my weight into it. The tire was still on and fully inflated, btw.

Applied heat again (same 20 seconds, and grunted and groaned and this time i got the cog to move about 1/5 of a turn,....and stopped dead on me! Heat up again and another 1/5th or so of a turn resulted. I went through this same scenario about 10 times more before i could finally get a sustained unthreading of the cog.

Folks,.....properly cleaned threads, and properly applied red threadlocker on cogs AIN'T coming off on it's own!!! At NO time did the Dura Ace cog ever freely spin in the off direction,.......it was a struggle all the way. I suspect over time "IF" you ever managed to loosten one up unintentially you'd have plenty of warning with a little play developing and noticed before it ever came free.

OK,....so off it came,....took about 1/2 hour in total and a LOT of work. Not ashamed to say i even swore at it a few times! :-)

But i feel confident that when i add my spacing washer to the inside and re-apply this red Permatex threadlocker,......i won't worry about it in the least. No room for a bottom bracket lock ring this way,.... i'm not concerned.....

........ but i'll leave both brakes on just in case!

Suggest you do the same if you chose to do a similiar setup.

BTW,....the treads on my hub look perfect, and the majority of the red sealant wiped right out. A few remnants i used a thin pick,....but it was easy after the heat broke it down.