Penetrating Oils - Interesting Info

[Jon W]

I haven't tried the "Home Brew" yet, but thought I would pass on what a friend recently showed me.

The following is a retyping of the article -

"Machinist's Workshop" recently published information on various penetrating oils. The magazine reports they tested these products for "break out torque" on rusted nuts and bolts. A subjective test was made of popular penetrating oils, with the unit of merit being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" bolt.

Average torque load to loosen nut:

No oil used ....................... 516 foot pounds
WD-40 ............................. 238 foot pounds
PB Blaster ........................ 214 foot pounds
Liquid Wrench ................... 127 foot pounds
Kano Kroil ........................ 106 foot pounds
ATF/Acetone mix ...............   53 foot pounds

The ATF/Acetone mix is a "home brew" mix of 50/50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note this "home brew" released bolts better than any commercial product in this one particular test. You can also use ATF and lacquer thinner in a 50/50 mix. ATF can be any type of Automatic Transmission Fluid.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Very interesting but........I wonder how they "scientifically rusted" all bolts to be exactly the same and provide exactly the same amount of resistance on all bolts.
Secondly, I find it hard to believe that Liquid Wrench really works better than PB Blaster.

Mike

[chuck53]

I saw this several years ago on another boating forum.  I was surprised that PB wasn't much better than WD40.
If the AFT/acetone is so good, I'm surprised someone hasn't tried to market this.

[mainesail]

That test came out a while ago. After it came out I tried the ATF / Acetone mix. It works ok, and is pretty cheap per oz, but not as good as they make it sound. I have gone back to Kroil, Thrust and PB.

In the real world I still find PB to be one of the all around best, especially for the price. I also find that non "scientifically rusted" nuts, studs bolts etc. come free much better with PB or Kroil than the ATF / Acetone mix.... Kroil used to be great but the cans I get today are not what I feel it used to be, don't know why, though it is still pricey..

A few years ago I was doing the brake rotors on my wife's Honda Pilot. The set screws that hold the rotors on are notorious for rusting in place as are the caliper bolts. After two hours of soaking the right side in ATF / Acetone I had only stripped the Phillips heads of the set screws, even with an impact screw driver. One of them finally broke (Doh'!). I blasted the remaining two with PB and waited about 5 minutes. The one unbroken screw came right out with a quick blast of the impact driver despite having almost no grip left to it. I put my Knipex pliers on the broken one and was able to get it out. On the left side I simply sprayed with PB, waited five minutes, and both set screws backed right out with no damage to the heads..... These of course were not "scientifically rusted" on and had been naturally rusted, by real Maine winters...

Thrust is also an excellent product. Liquid Wrench makes numerous products and I find one of them to do okay but not the others. Can't remember which one I like though..

Another old timers trick is Coca Cola..

I still have my ATF / Acetone mix but find I use it pretty rarely because I don't happen across too many "scientifically rusted bolts" and I instead work on "real world rusted bolts"..

[DarthOccam]

Coincidentally, and completely unscientifically, I was trying to loosen the backstay turnbuckles this last weekend so I could get some slack to swap out the top headsail furler unit (a long story).  Several applications of PB Blaster and some elbow grease was effective on the port turnbuckle, but I couldn't get the starboard turnbuckle to budge.  A dock neighbor brought over a can of Kano Kroil.  I let a couple of applications soak in for about 5 minutes. The turnbuckle freed up with little effort.

Not a controlled test, but convincing enough for me to order a can of Kano Kroil.

Michael