Penetrating Oil Showdown!!!

Bobj49F2 brought it to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum, and I'm bringing it to you! Here's what CapnJohn posted over at FordBarn:

I'm not going to verify or endorse this. Draw your own conclusions.
Happy knuckle busting !

Machinist's Workshop Magazine (March/April or May/June, 2007) actually tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! 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.

Here's the post I found:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=20131.0

 

Interesting.

 

i wonder how much atf if any is in gibbs...
i always thought it had some atf-ish quality...

i'm gonna go mix me a batch of acetf

 

Huh..cool info.
thanks

No honey ..i dont have your nail polish remover..what makes you ask?

its out in the garage,along with all the coffee mugs....doh!


wonder what made them try this mix?

 

I've tried acetone/brake fluid and was really impressed. So I'm sure the ATF/acetone is a good one also.

You really need to try this stuff on something that you're ready to give up on and go to drilling. I had exhaust studs that I was ready to cut off and drill, used the Ace/BF and the next day turned them out by hand. A couple of them, not all, but holy shit I was impressed. And they all did come out tho, some with more effort than others.

 

My experience with so called penetrating oils is they smoke when they don't work and have to use a torch.

 

interesting. have to give that a try next time i'm at pull-a-part

 

It would be interesting to hear how they made the "load" of a rusted nut equivalent for each test.

 

Yeah, somebody over at FTE also lamented the fact that they didn't test any Gibbs...

~Jason

 

There's probably still some brake fluid and ATF in some of the cars there - enough to use on a couple of stuck bolts, anyway.

~Jason

 

AceTF should work as a piston unsticker then also, right?

Sidenote: Is it the rings and/or the piston (galvanic corrosion between aluminum and steel) that corrodes in a stuck engine situation?

 

well wd-40 isnt even really a penetrating oil, its for "Water Displacement" at least thats what ive been told... not sure of the truth in this but it makes sense

 

Thanks for the good info.

 

The acetone/atf blend is interesting, I'll have to try that. If pentrating oil doesn't work next step for me at least would be the torch. Drilling things out is only an option if the stud or bolt has already snapped off. 9 times out of 10 a oxy acetylene torch will remove nearly any stuck fastener from my experience.

 

I was sold on PB Blaster but now I'll try that ATF/ACE mix. I've never had much luck with WD-40 so I'm suprised it did so well. (The WD stands for "Water Displacement" and it took the company 40 tries to get the odour right, so I've been told.)

 

I'll give that a try,it would be good to see more brands tested.

 

i dont trust the wrench, it would slip off, you need to use a box end, my 2 cents

 

Great tip, thanks for posting, I've got a perch/wishbone/axle combo that's been together for 77 yrs and i'm gonna try it.

 

We use a penetrating oil called "Yield" at our shop, and it's absolutely the best stuff I've ever seen. We used to use Liquid Wrench until a salesman talked us into trying Yield. Within a week, all the Liquid Wrench in the shop was in the trash.

 

I used straight ATF on the front end of my '58 Impala that had sat in a field for 25 years & everything came apart with nothing broken.

 

Didn't I hear WD 40 is made from some kind of fish oil? Maybe that's why they had problems getting the smell right.

 

ATF/ACE, gonna have to try that. At the shop we use this stuff called InForce by BG and it works wonders.

 

I've been using atf-brake/acetone for years. It really does work better than anything else. But I will say that is is alot harder to cleanup than most other penetrants too! I also use Kroil, Liquid Wrench, and WD40. I have my own particular uses for them all on different things.

As far as being in a Pick-a-Part or junk yard and needing to getting a stubborn bolt out...... there is an abundance of atf/brake fluid there, and I have opened brake resevoirs and pulled dipsticks too! A good quick thing to throw in your toolbag is one of the little 'nose suckers' as I call them....cause we used them to suck the snot out of our kids noses with them....it the little bulb sucker/squirters......handy in the shop too and cheap.

 

Here is one they didn't test. I think it is made from K-Y

 

I have found that the rings stick in the piston grooves so badly they will not come out
and secondly, that mess rusts to the cylinder walls

 

Is that stuff made by Ivanna Kutchakockoff?

 

Hi Guys,
Maybe a newer product on the market is worth a thought. I bought a '92 GMC pickup in Dec and had a real struggle getting the O2 sensor out, using PBlaster, even after running the engine to heat it as suggested. Now last month, I had my step-daughter's Missouri car here for some additional work and had to replace both O2 sensors. This time, I had bought a can of CRC Freeze-Off at Checker Auto Parts in Alamogordo and decided to try it, for the first time. Wow! They came loose in a heartbeat, as this stuff turns the rusted joint very cold (must spray for approx a min) to break the bond. Did not have to heat the part beforehand either. These two O2 sensors were in a horrible place to get to (2000 Dodge Stratus V6) and I was really thrilled to change them out so easily. Am presently in the process of sealing up a annoying leak in my Z26's firewall and cowl area, which seems to be causing wet carpets on the driver's side. (common issue with Berettas) Used this new product and all the bolts and screws came right out. I am sold on this new method. Anyway, my 2 cents... duane

 

Kroil.......

 

A friend told me some years ago that a company he worked for was hoping to develop their own formula for a WD40 type product for in house use. They had samples of WD40 analyzed and if I remember correctly the formula was quite simply a blend of kerosene and light weight motor oil (I don't recall the percentages) and a little bit of whatever it is that gives it its distinct aroma.

But now I gotta call around to all the auto parts stores and find me a can of that NUTS OFF stuff!

 

It's mostly Stoddard Solvent, with a propellant and an aromatic. It won't even prevent rust, much less penetrate it. Works pretty good as a machinery cleaner.