Interesting info on penetrants

From an email I received

Machinist's Workshop MagT recently published some information on various
penetrating oils that I found very interesting. Some of you might appreciate
this. The magazine reports the break out torque values on rusted nuts using
the tested penetrating oils.

Results are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist.
They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the
control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically
rusted" environment.

*Penetrating oils ........... Average torque load to loosen*

No Oil used .................. 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 is a "home brew" mix of 50% - 50% by volume 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 about 20% of
the price!

Steve from Godwin-Singer says that the ATF-Acetone mix is best, but you can
also use ATF and lacquer thinner in a 50-50 mix.

*ATF=Automatic Transmission Fluid

This is great! I've never found anything that seemed to work very well, but will definitely try the homebrew.

Also interesting that PB Blaster works only slightly better than WD40, which most guys will say is only good for getting bolt wet!

Thanks for posting.

Thanks for posting this.
I'm gonna mix some up for me too.

Interesting.

everything I work on is rusted, so I am going to mix a batch and give it a try. Thanks for the information.

Great info. Thanks for sharing[cl

Great Information... Thanks For Sharing...!

Interesting. I wonder where Gibbs brand or Marvel Mystery Oil would fall on that list? It appears that the ATF/Acetone home brew is twice as effective as anything else though.

i have been using acetone and atf as a gun cleaner for years.
google eds red

i had seen this a year or so ago and tied it. I couldn't feel much difference but it was a scientific test. the cost of buying atf and acetone wasn't any cheaper. if you could get used atf it probably be a great savings. has anyone else on here tried it and if so how did you feel it worked.

kenny c said:

i had seen this a year or so ago and tied it. I couldn't feel much difference but it was a scientific test. the cost of buying atf and acetone wasn't any cheaper. if you could get used atf it probably be a great savings. has anyone else on here tried it and if so how did you feel it worked.

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cost me 15 bucks a half gallon to make.
thats a huge savings.

If that penetrating oil is so good..... how do you keep it in the can?

But it doesnt come with a nifty "smart straw".LOL

I've used the atf and acetone for a couple years now. A friend found how to make it on the internet. Mixed up some thats what i've been using ever since then. I think it works better than anything else i've used.

Bonehead said:

If that penetrating oil is so good..... how do you keep it in the can?

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hmmmm....[S

Bonehead said:

If that penetrating oil is so good..... how do you keep it in the can?

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You have to keep it in a bottle!

I've read reports where people used the 50/50 mix to free up stuck motors that had been sitting for a long time. They said they filled the cylinders with it and let it do it's thing for a few days.

Don

Some nong cut the jockey wheel holding bolt off the tandem trailer I'm rebuilding.
(no I wasn't that nong though I have been known to do some stupid things).
There's about 1/4" thread sticking out, I've been giving it wd40 twice a day for a couple of weeks and can't move the bolt stub .

So I'll mix up some lacquer thinner and ATF and try applying that for a few days. Hopefully it'll unscrew otherwise I'll have to cut the end off square then drill and tap it out.

I have had a free source for Kroil for a few years but I will try the atf when I run out.

donsrods said:

I've read reports where people used the 50/50 mix to free up stuck motors that had been sitting for a long time. They said they filled the cylinders with it and let it do it's thing for a few days.

Don

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I've heard of using ATF and mystery oil for this. Wonder which would work better? The acetone or the mystery oil?