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Rusty bolts? Make your own super rust penetrant!

So you deal with a lot of rusty nuts? Go down to the hardware store and buy some acetone, a quart of Dexron Mercon and a refillable spray bottle. In the spray bottle mix the ATF and acetone in a 1:1 mixture.

Spray away and get your nuts loose!

Independent testing of penetrating oils using a single steel bar with 1/2”x20 nuts torqued to 50 ft/lbs and treated with a 10% salt water solution that was allowed to rust. Listed are the chemicals and required removal torque.

-None ………………… 516 pounds

-WD-40 ……………… 238 pounds

-PB Blaster …………. 214 pounds

-Liquid Wrench ….. 127 pounds

-Kano Kroil ………… 106 pounds

-ATF-Acetone mix….53 pounds

Comments

fhudsonjr:

I've tried PB and Liquid Wrench and it “seemed” that PB was better. Never heard of Kano Kroll. Sounds like a name of a caveman…maybe a friend of Fred Flitstone. Have you tried it?
May 30, 2009 12:01 a.m.

Taiden:

I'd like to try Mouse Milk. I've heard it works great. This ATF/Acetone mixture is crazy. It makes my rusty bolts 'smoke'.
Jun 13, 2009 9:35 a.m.

FindlaySpeedMan:

Sounds pretty good, but acetone tends to evaporate reaaaly fast, even in a sealed container. 100 Cool points for actually testing all that stuff.
Aug 31, 2009 5:29 a.m.

porksboy:

If you spray it on something that has paint nearby will it damage it if it makes contact (Over spray?)
Nov 16, 2009 2:09 p.m.