[Jazzbass]

Something I just researched and thought I'd share. I used to always just buy a tube of anti-seize and randomly use it whenever I thought of it. On any type of bolt. Whatever, it's all the same, right?

Working with Matt DeMaria one day, he told me when bolting the muffler on, use copper anti-seize on the bolts to prevent galling. Don't use stainless bolts, just carbon steel bolts with Cu anti-seize. First off, I didn't have Cu anti-seize, so I bought some on the way home. Second, I didn't know what the difference was. Thanks to the power of the internets, I do now.

The typical, greyish stuff you buy at the Pep Boys or where ever is labeled simply "Anti-seize". It's almost always made by Permtex and is an aluminum base. If you go to a slightly better store like Napa or Olympic, they'll have Cu anti-seize, and it's labeled as such. The difference:

COPPER BASE

Copper base anti-seize offers good corrosion protection on all kinds of steel, but not stainless steel. Copper on stainless steel creates an inter-crystaline corrosion, which can make actual stainless steel parts crack and break. This is why the nuclear power plants do not allow copper with any material which comes in contact with the stainless steel parts.

Temperature Range: 2200° F

ALUMINUM BASE

Aluminum as a base material for Anti-Seize is good for use on stainless steel, but cannot be used on carbon steel, due to the fact that when it comes in contact with an electrolyte it becomes an anode and since this anode is extremely small in volume compared to the large cathode of the steel, it usually deteriorates quickly, leaving no protection at all on the steel surface. Corrosion therefore takes place at a higher rate of speed, as if no anti-seize would have been present.

Temperature Range: 1470° F

NICKEL BASE

Nickel has been used extensively in Anti-Seize materials, because it has good anti-seize and corrosion protection for both steel and stainless steel. However, nickel has been for many years, on the list of carcinogens ( cancer producing products ) and should not be used in applications where nickel based anti-seize is used on materials handled in workshops.

Temperature Range: 2500° F

My take is use the Cu whenever you have steel-steel contact like trailing arm mounting bolts, muffler bolts, front crossmember and a-arm bolts. Use the Al stuff for steel-Al contact like wheel lugs to AL lug nuts, lower rear shock bolt to trailing arm.

I think this is correct - if anyone knows more than I (which wouldn't be hard as my knowledge is 10 mins old and a result of a Google search) please correct.