Will stainless bolts gall in a tapped titanium hole?

[Jimmy17]

We have a titanium air cooler on top of an electric motor. The tubes, tubesheet and heads are titanium and the head is clamped onto the tubesheet by way of tapped holes in the tubesheet. Everything was previously bolted together using carbon steel bolts which were found to be moderately rusted when we dissassembled the cooler for maintenance. Operations wants to reassemble using 316 stainless bolts, but we had some concern with possible galling between the 316 bolts and the titanium tubesheet. We know that we have problems with 316 nuts and bolts when torqued, but we cannot find a definitive answer for the stainless and titanium combination.

Anyone have similar experience or suggestions?

 

[CoryPad]

Yes, they may gall. So use a lubricant. It can be a simple paste-type anti-seize, or something with MoS₂, or you can have an engineered coating pre-applied.

 

[EdStainless]

Make sure that your 316 bolts have rolled threads and not cut ones. There are some good thread lubes that use a synthetic base and Mo or W sulfides, or even metallic Cu.

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