Penetrating oil

[P.A. Myers]

This post has been around a while, you may find it interesting:
 

 Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break
> away torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! 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. A local machinist group mixed up a batch and 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.
>
 
Personally I have been using ATF for years as a general lubricant. It has rust prevention, it doesn't evaporate, it doesn't turn into varnish and its cheap.
 
I have a 3-band Enfield I put away 20 years ago and I remember using ATF inside and out.  I pulled it out last year expecting the worst. Nothing, no rust inside or out. No varnish, no crusty goo, clean.
 
Now I use the commercial stuff on the guns [T/C-13 is remarkable], but my little oil can of ATF gets used a lot in the shop.
 
I know politics, religion, and oil, can cause great debate. Matters of Faith often do.
 
My next topic: Vasaline[in the shop]
 
 
                                  P.A.

[Bugflipper]

I learned about that on an old IH scout forum. Does wonders for rusted up nuts and bolts. When I tear one down nowadays. I just squirt all the bolts down and come back the next day to take it apart.
 I also use it for seized engines. A few squirts in each spark plug hole. Come back every day and try to turn the crank over with a breaker bar, if not a few more squirts. My worst so far has been 7 days to get the rusted rings to break loose. It smoked like a banshee for about a week until the rust wore off.   

[P.A. Myers]

This was my 'big scout' taken in 1978. I had it for 11 years.

[SHOOTALL]

Good post , now about Vasaline - when plumbing went plastic the pipe dope aval would make it soft and useless. The suppliers said to dope threads with vasaline . Being the helper go-for for a large company guess who got picked to go pick up 50 1lb jars from the drug store    so off I go with a check , well the guy behind the counter had to ask what we do with it and I being a bit of a kidder said we are having a big party . we all got a laugh out of it

[P.A. Myers]

As an apprentice I was taught to pack needle bearings with chilled vasaline. I used cup grease before that. They reasoned that the cup grease was too stable and the bearings wouldn't get the oil flow and possibly overheat. At about 100f vasaline goes away.

Vasaline can stand the test of time. I have a jar that I inherited fron my dad that is at least 30 years old. It is still quite useable. It hasn't separated or set up. Better living through chemistry.

[keith44]

vasaline is what I use for electrical connections ranging from battery terminals to screw in light bulbs, does a great job preventing oxidation

Now about this ATF acetone mix... I bought this old tractor (1952 Farmall) and it has a few rusty bolts that need attention.  Kroil has failed to soften the rust enough to budge the bolts.  This after six days of squirt and wait, pull, squirt and wait...

I'll report back in a few days

[SHOOTALL]

With Kroil or any other oil tap the rusty bolt or joint , it helps the liquid get in . Tap not beat !

[keith44]

With Kroil or any other oil tap the rusty bolt or joint , it helps the liquid get in . Tap not beat !

Yup, I was holding pressure on the wrench while Dad tapped the bolt head with a ball peen hammer (the flat end that is) and it wouldn't shock enough to loosen.  Still have not tried the atf concoction yet.

[52bagman]

I've been using ATF-acetone for years on the old rusty Corvairs, works great.

[P.A. Myers]

Heat?

[Bugflipper]

This was my 'big scout' taken in 1978. I had it for 11 years.

Not many of those around these days. With scrap prices high it's more profitable to crush them than to sit in a junkyard. That was an era where if you totalled the family wagon, little Billy broke his glasses from hitting the back of the seat. Then he got a spanking for not having enough sense to hold his arms up to protect them.    No seat belts or anything. Just 2 tons of mass with thick sheet metal was enough for the family to be safe.

[bagdadjoe]

For those of us who still use oil based paints, sign makers, artists..die hards  , clean the brush and dip it in ATF and squeeze it out.  It'll still be soft next time you want to use it, just wash out with mineral spirits.

[JBlk]

They have a substance that is called tri flo that I have had excellent results with.