Best penetrating oil.....

[Defective]

This was posted on several other boards that I frequent...thought I'd bring it over here and share...

" 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. "

 

[Beef52751]

interesting!!!

 

[daniel3507]

ATF and acetone? wow. thats something to try. thanks for posting this.

 

[OilPatch197]

What, they did not test Penetro 90?

With ordinary penetrating oil you spray the bolt, you get it half way off, and it jams. Rust is packed in the threads. You lean a little harder on the wrench and ZIP - there goes your threads.

Ordinary penetrating oils are solvent based. Feel them. They don't have any lubricating guts to lubricate the threads. Penetro 90® is oil based. Feel it. It coats the threads with an oil film that cuts friction.

Plus, it has two friction fighters - Penetro and PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) lubrication solids.

 

[kerry]

I'd be very careful with any mixture containing acetone. EXTREMELY flammable!

Dont smoke, weld, etc while that stuff is around.

 

[Downey]

so acetone and atf hmm im going to have to try this on my body mount bolts. mine are rusted to hell

 

[LearjetMinako]

, homebrew. Just because its on the shelf, doesn't mean that its a better product. I just may have to brew me a batch. Just to see how well it does.

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

I've never heard of kroil, but have always used pb blaster. But atf and acetone...hmmm

 

[Hahnsb2]

Liquid wrench has always been better than WD40 for penetrating in my experience but I'm surprised to see PB blaster did so poorly.

Guess I'll have to try the homebrew stuff.

 

[Frank The Tank]

PB blaster is our main staple on the farm.......... believe we'll stick to it.

Torque specs in a study or not, I can personally testify that it works wonders. And wd-40 is just the bastard child we sometimes get stuck with, I hate that stuff. Fluid Film is better than wd.

Frank

 

[feellnfroggy]

where did they actually get the idea for atf and acetone, et alone the proper mixture percentage?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

We use Wurth Rost Off and Motorcraft Pentrating Fluid at work, those are the best 2 that I have ever used.

 

[Defective]

I mainly use PB and Sea Foam Deep Creep myself. If they don't work, heat. I'm suprised WD-40 even did that well, I've never really considered it a very good penetrating fluid. Works great at removing rust though. I used it and some steel wool to strip surface rust off of a planer I got a good deal on but needed some TLC, worked like a charm.

 

[wahlstrom1]

We use Wurth Rost Off and Motorcraft Pentrating Fluid at work, those are the best 2 that I have ever used.

Yup, Wurth stuff here too.....

Being an HD mech, we only mess with penetrating fluid for so long before a torch comes out and bigger tools get used.....

Heat and wax works great as well, just gotta shake as much rust loose (airhammer or impact) first to attempt to clear the threads.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Exactly, I can't be bothered to dink around waiting for penetrating fluid to work either. I usually just grab the torches to save time.