Penetrating Fluids

Irv · October 13, 2009

Not sure if this is old news or not but thought some of the DIY folks would appreciate this?

Subject: penetrating oil

Some of you might appreciate this. Machinist's Workshop magazine tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts.

They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*

None ...................... 516 pounds

WD-40 ................... 238 pounds

PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds

Liquid Wrench .......... 127 pounds

Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds

ATF-Acetone mix.......53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

GasHog369 · October 13, 2009

Interesting .. I have both liquid wrench and pb and i always go for the pb first as it always works best for me...

When i was just installing my bull bar i had to take off the tow hooks and the bolts were pretty well seized on there... tried a 3 foot pipe on the ratchet and it would not budge! Sprayed em with pb and "job done"

sgrah230 · October 13, 2009

Thank you for sharing. I will have to mix some and give it a try. Until then I will keep using PB.

C. Charles Hahn · October 13, 2009

I agree with you guys, I always have the best luck with PB. I'll have to give the ATF/Acetone mix a shot though. Sounds interesting.

Of course, it also helps having air tools.

brims · October 13, 2009

I see they left out Marvel Mystery Oil.

d3athsong · October 13, 2009

Did they explain how the "scientifically rusted" process? It would be interesting to know if they just had some nuts just rusted on and said, meh, they look about the same or if there was a more accurate measurement.

Crazy Canuck · October 13, 2009

Did they explain how the "scientifically rusted" process? It would be interesting to know if they just had some nuts just rusted on and said, meh, they look about the same or if there was a more accurate measurement.

Good question, I would like to think that they torqued them on equally (same nuts and bolts - size, material, thread count, etc.) and then weathered them in the same environment for the same amount of time. Who knows though, the easy way is as you said - 'these look about the same' haha

Irv · October 14, 2009

Heard from a co-worker today that he tried the the home brew and his exact words were "it worked awesome"!

He said he tried it on a rusty exhaust manifold bolt and it hardly took any effort to bust it loose and when it was loose, he said he removed the nut the rust of the way by hand?

I have no reason not to believe him, I never seen the nut/bolt in person but everyone who works on auto's knows how bad they can get.

Hoping to try the concoction soon myself but to be quite honest, I am a big fan of never seize, I usually apply it after I have something apart, saves a lot of aggravation later.

dlstewart01 · October 14, 2009

Heard from a co-worker today that he tried the the home brew and his exact words were "it worked awesome"!
He said he tried it on a rusty exhaust manifold bolt and it hardly took any effort to bust it loose and when it was loose, he said he removed the nut the rust of the way by hand?

I have no reason not to believe him, I never seen the nut/bolt in person but everyone who works on auto's knows how bad they can get.

Hoping to try the concoction soon myself but to be quite honest, I am a big fan of never seize, I usually apply it after I have something apart, saves a lot of aggravation later.

I think I will mix up a batch for the next time I need to get a rusted bolt out.

compulynx · October 14, 2009

Well, first. I would like to know if that torque was the initial required to break it loose, or the average torque required to get it off of the rusty threads.

It stands to reason a lubricating oil like ATF would make rolling over rusty threads easier.

I guess my question is....was it the penetrating capabilities measured, or the lubricating capabilites?

C

dlstewart01 · October 14, 2009

I believe that no more than it will cost to try it, I won't get caught up in the semantics.

Prokopchuk_9 · October 14, 2009

Not sure if this is old news or not but thought some of the DIY folks would appreciate this?

Subject: penetrating oil

Some of you might appreciate this. Machinist's Workshop magazine tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts.

They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*

None ...................... 516 pounds

WD-40 ................... 238 pounds

PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds

Liquid Wrench .......... 127 pounds

Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds

ATF-Acetone mix.......53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

im a machinist myself thats very interestting...never woulda thought haha...did you guys try FLuid Film??? thats my favourite stuff for broken studs and bolts...its a small yellow can, its goes all foamy when you spray it on...it has worked wonders at my shop...

Irv · October 14, 2009

Not sure if this is old news or not but thought some of the DIY folks would appreciate this?

Subject: penetrating oil

Some of you might appreciate this. Machinist's Workshop magazine tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts.

They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*

None ...................... 516 pounds

WD-40 ................... 238 pounds

PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds

Liquid Wrench .......... 127 pounds

Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds

ATF-Acetone mix.......53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

im a machinist myself thats very interestting...never woulda thought haha...did you guys try FLuid Film??? thats my favourite stuff for broken studs and bolts...its a small yellow can, its goes all foamy when you spray it on...it has worked wonders at my shop...

I didn't think Fluid Film was much of a penetrant, more of a spray lube?

I have had pretty good luck with LPS-2, a lot cheaper than Fluid Film but I still want to try this atf/acetone mix, I have a feeling it is going to work the best of all, just like it says?

spikesputnik · October 14, 2009

My experience has been that if the mood is right and you got your mojo going on, no penetrating fluids are required as there is likely an abundance there already just waiting for you to utilize.

(Oops, sorry, wrong forum. )

But this will work too

dlstewart01 · October 14, 2009

My experience has been that if the mood is right and you got your mojo going on, no penetrating fluids are required as there is likely an abundance there already just waiting for you to utilize.

(Oops, sorry, wrong forum. )

But that'll work too.

You mean if the angle of the dangle is in direct proportion to the heat of the meat...........