Penetrating oil test

[Tom in Cambria]

I haven't personally tried it, but...

This might come in handy...


For all of you that are mechanically inclined.....
Penetrating Oils Compared

Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break out 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 Automatic Transmission fluid (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.

[Russell]

Very interesting, and suprising results. Its not a suprise WD-40 was so poor (people use it for things it was never intended), but I am suprised PB Blaster did poor and that Liquid Wrench did so much better(goes against personal experience).

Is there an online version of this article? I would love to read it.

[Oswego John]

Russell,

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=20131.0

A bikers forum. Keep scrolling down.

O J

[MFC]

I need to remove the steaming light from the mast. It is a real bear and since the bolt or screw holding it on runs through the fixture prior to penetrating the mast, it is impossible to get penetrating oil near the source of the problem (surely corrosion where the fastener enters the spar). My to buy list includes an impact screwdriver. Besides that, any suggestions?
Thx.
Matt

[tartansailor]

I need to remove the steaming light from the mast. It is a real bear and since the bolt or screw holding it on runs through the fixture prior to penetrating the mast, it is impossible to get penetrating oil near the source of the problem (surely corrosion where the fastener enters the spar). My to buy list includes an impact screwdriver. Besides that, any suggestions?
Thx.
Matt

Same problem. Impact screw driver from Sears did the trick.

Dick

[Maine Sail]

Very interesting, and suprising results. Its not a suprise WD-40 was so poor (people use it for things it was never intended), but I am suprised PB Blaster did poor and that Liquid Wrench did so much better(goes against personal experience).

Is there an online version of this article? I would love to read it.

Ditto. I think the problem is they only measured one result under "controlled" conditions. A better test would be 100 random rusted nuts, all of the same size, from a junk yard in Maine, per penetrating oil.. I think you'd then see PB & Kroil the leaders. BTW I have used acetone/ATF before and found it fairly ineffective at busting real rusted nuts. ATF is slipper though so the torque specs are not surprising. Coke works too as the acids in it will, over time, eat the rust.

Growing up restoring antique cars with my father we found WD-40 and Liquid Wrench as close to useless as they get when trying to bust actual rusted nuts, not lab controlled or "scientifically rusted" . We used to use a product called Thrust a lot and specialty stuff that came from Eastwood but I can't recall the name..

[Oswego John]

A better test would be 100 random rusted nuts, all of the same size, from a junk yard in Maine, per penetrating oil.

Hmmmfph.

Excuuuuussse me. Are you, by any chance, inferring that the quality of junk in Maine is superior to that found in, say, central NYS.

I feel that it is my civic duty to inform the world that not only does NYS lead the country in taxes but it is fondly known as the "Junk Capitol" of the nation. NYS has some of the finest quality of junk to be found anywhere.

All the best,
O J

(Sheesh, the nerve of some people and what they say)

BTW, NYS is loaded with random rusted nuts (the two legged variety).

[Maine Sail]

A better test would be 100 random rusted nuts, all of the same size, from a junk yard in Maine, per penetrating oil.

Hmmmfph.

Excuuuuussse me. Are you, by any chance, inferring that the quality of junk in Maine is superior to that found in, say, central NYS.

I feel that it is my civic duty to inform the world that not only does NYS lead the country in taxes but it is fondly known as the "Junk Capitol" of the nation. NYS has some of the finest quality of junk to be found anywhere.

All the best,
O J

(Sheesh, the nerve of some people and what they say)

BTW, NYS is loaded with random rusted nuts (the two legged variety).

Not so much about the quality or quantity but more about how much nut rusting salt we use on the roads up here. We also have lots of two legged nuts...

[doubleb]

Well I can only put in my 2 cents for what it’s worth. I am new to sailing but I work maintenance for a chemical manufacturing plant and over the years we have learned before we use the torch we use PB Blaster, 89% of the time a good soaking either over night (if time permits and severity of the rust) or just an hour or so gets the job done! We have tried all the rest, Hands down PB.
Testing is fine, it’s the real world testing that tells the truth.
Now for galled SS on SS a port-a-band is the way to go…
We have not tried the ATF-acetone trick. But it sounds worth a try.
Just my 2 cents
Like they say: your mileage may vary
B.B.

[Numbah134]

NYS beats heck out of Maine for salting the roads, or did a decade or two back. Storms that we Maineiacs would have plowed the New York folks (with a salt mine behind every bush, nearly - one 10 miles from where I was) would salt until it was 3 inches of wet slop rather than 6 inches of dry snow, without ever dropping a plow to remove it.

In western Maine, it practically took an act of some deity before any salt would be added to the gravel (called sand) being spread on the roads. Of course, in western Maine, gravel is cheap, there's a gravel pit behind every bush - and the salt is trucked in from New York so it costs the earth...

[mattlydon]

The popular favorite here these days is 'brine'. They spray it on the roads before a snowstorm - supposedly prevents
'black' ice, and makes it easier to plow.