Homemade Penetrating Oil

[EdK]

I don't know if this has been posted before but here it is.

Ed

"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.


Our local machinist group mixed up a batch, and we all
now use it with
equally good results.

Note also that Liquid Wrench is almost as good as Kroil
for 20% of the price.

ATF/Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and
lacquer thinner in a
50/50 mix.

ATF = Any type of Automatic Transmission Fluid

[Mayhem]

I've seen this somewhere before but cannot recall where. I haven't tried it myself but I always find myself asking the same question: Why hasn't a commercial entity made and patented this already?

[TomG]

Thanks for posting this Ed. It looks like another bottle will soon be added to my lube collection.

Tom

[sasquatch]

Re: Liquid Wrench is almost as good:

Agree, i have used a lot of Liquid wrench over the years, it is my old standby.

The key to many of these penetrants is "Give it enough time to penetrate".

I found in many cases an hour or two is not enough, and following with repeated applications is important.

[dallen]

ED's Red has a few more things in it then just acetone and tranny fluid, they say its the same as Hoppies #9 solvent.


  EDs RED.doc (Size: 25.5 KB / Downloads: 6)


  EDs RED.pdf (Size: 59.03 KB / Downloads: 11)

[Sunset Machine]

I tried ATF and acetone once, it didn't work at all. They don't mix, like oil and water don't mix. The acetone creeps into the threads, not sure what the ATF does beside drip off. Seems silly to try it again.

GM makes/made a "heat riser lube" in a spray can. That stuff often works, maybe a tad better than Liquid Wrench (an old favorite of mine too). Stinks but it works. Another product I've had luck with is Loctite "Freeze & Release".

Last summer I had a pulley froze to a shaft. A rag, some wire, some soda and water, and a battery charger made it effortless.

[EdK]

(12-19-2012, 07:44 AM)TomG Wrote: Thanks for posting this Ed. It looks like another bottle will soon be added to my lube collection.

Tom

Tom,

Just make sure you don't use one of your beer bottles. Taking a swig of that stuff will definitely penetrate you in ways you don't want it to.

Ed

[f350ca]

I've been using the ATF Acetone mix for a few years. Has been working as good as any penetrating oil I've bought.

[dallen]

I think its more of a personal taste in oils and lubes more then ones better then the other, they all work to some extent.

[mikecwik]

I never thought those so called oils were capable of doing anything. I mean if you can soak a rusted part in them for weeks and not have the oil penetrate the surface rust how can it makes its way into a thread?

I was kinda experimenting into the matter last time someone was praising kroil but i never got motivated enough to try it. It's a little pricey!

Yes you can watch video of some company brand oil getting soaked virtually instantly through a rusted nut....vertical i guess is suppose to add to the sales pitch.

I find it to be something along the line of motor oil pitches. some companies will show you testing of how theirs out do someone elses but im not really sold on how they test it have much meaning to the engine.

It is probably why no penetrating oil company has ever done such testing. Or if anyone can show me some i am more than happy to see such things.