Penetrating oils

46yblock

46yblock

Senior Member
Has anyone seen this information and what do you think?

(Beginning of Quote) Penetrating Oils


Machinist's Workshop magazine

recently published some information on various penetrating oils that I found very interesting.
Some of you might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts.

They 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 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 ATF-Acetone mix is best. (End of Quote)
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Good stuff, thanks Mike. I'm assuming you only use Type "F" on Ford products??
Click to expand...
Probably a bad assumption Dennis. My Merc has a very large pool of trans. fluid beneath it right now, from using the wrong ATF this last summer :( . The NAPA guy wasnt right, and I forgot what the correct fluid should be.
 
This old info makes the rounds every couple of months. A lot of people have read this post, but has anyone proved that it really works? I tried this mix on pistons seized in the cylinder bores, didn't do anything for me.
 
I have used the 50/50 blend. I always have a large asortment of ATF on my shelf, but since I am usually out of acetone, I have subsituted Lacquer thinner for the acetone and I still have had the same good results.
 
46yblock said:
Probably a bad assumption Dennis. My Merc has a very large pool of trans. fluid beneath it right now, from using the wrong ATF this last summer :( . The NAPA guy wasnt right, and I forgot what the correct fluid should be.
Click to expand...

That's not good, sorry to hear that... Do you have a two speed or three speed Merc-o? I thought they used Type F or FA?? What did you use? Sometimes it states on the dip stick...
 
Dennis, dont remember! Dimentia? After it goes and comes from the transmission shop I'll permanently label the correct fluid on the car, whatever it is. The trans is 2 speed.

As to the penetrating oil, it sounds like something I will try. On Several engines I've had with badly seized piston rings, nothing worked but a hammer and stick.
 
Last edited:
Have used it for years, and works excellent. Just need to shake it before usingcuz the ATF settles. I put it in an old WD40 spray bottle. The acetone will attack some of the cheaper pumps in the spray bottle.
 
I'm a believer of pb blaster, If I'm taking apart an old ford I try to pre spray the screws, and hardware. It has saved me many times when I couldn't get something to break free. I bought the gallon jug with the pump spray bottle, Mark
 
I have used most of the mentioned types, and was truly astoished when I used an acetone/atf mix (removing stuck brake drums from the shoes). I used about 20 percent tone and the rest was oil atf.l It doesnt matter if its Ftype or any other given type!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top