[Renoir]

Years ago I was advised by a very good prop and shaft "man" to use bronze cotter pins on my stainless prop shaft keeper nut. Always worked out well for the reason that you mentioned. I'm finding it more and more difficult to find them.

Since then I have used them as often as possible with stainless steel (and other bronze pieces of course) with excellent results. There never has been a problem with electrolysis betweent the apparently dissimilar metals and there is a good reason why. I placed many pieces of bronzes, like bushings, cotter pins, etc. in with 316 S/S and my local seawater. Using my DVM I measured the potential differerences between them. Many bronze alloys are quite compatible with the 316 S/S and others are not so much yet, even they are not too "far" out in terms of potential difference. That shows just why I have not had an electrolysis problem with the two metals.

Looking at the tensile strength of various bronzes it appears that some of the silicone and phosphor bronzes are not very much lower on the scale as compared to that of 316 stainless. After all, 316 stainless is not all that strong as far as steel goes.

Near the Brion Toss rigging shop there is a store which sells bronze hardware and I try to "fill up" with bronze cotter pieces whenever I am there. Perhaps Brion knows if they are accessible via the internet.

As an added benefit to using bronze with stainless, sometimes I use bronze nuts with stainless capscrews when I am concerned about potential gaulling with constant torqueing and removal. With the bronze nuts there is no gaulling.