Best performing and lowest cost penetrating oil is DIY.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 24 Jan 2018, 12:23

The DIY penetrating oil is a 50/50 mixture of 100% Acetone and Dextron/Mercron ATF.

Mix only what you need today in a spray bottle. This mixture has a short shelf life.
The two fluids repel each other like oil and vinegar. You have to shake the bottle vigorously before spraying.

Machinist's Workshop magazine test results.

Pentrating oil / Average load / Price per fluid ounce
None / 516 pounds / NA
WD-40 / 238 pounds / 25¢
PB Blaster / 214 pounds / 35¢
Liquid Wrench / 127 pounds / 21¢
Kano Kroil / 106 pounds / 75¢
ATF-Acetone mix / 53 pounds / 10¢

Post by **Rattnalle** » 24 Jan 2018, 12:25

Interesting. Any personal experience?

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 24 Jan 2018, 12:36

It has gotten he out of some PITA jams. My father was an Automotive Design engineer, he taught me this one back in the 60s.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 24 Jan 2018, 12:46

Using a regular plastic spray bottle or something more refined?

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 24 Jan 2018, 12:54

I just use a plastic spray bottle or a squirt bottle. It is not going to be in anything long --- the short shelf life.

Mix 1 fl oz at a time, discard any excess when your done or, put in on things you don't want seizing up.

Post by **oragex** » 24 Jan 2018, 14:07

I have tried the acetone/aft oil mix. Didn't work well for me. I'm thinking, if it was really that efficient, basically 2-4 times better than the regular brands, I wonder why isn't it actually being marketed? They'd just have to mention to shake well before use.

Here's their testing procedure: to simulate the metal part being 'stuck' by corrosion, they used perfectly clean parts - ie zero rust - then:
"Years of exposure were simulated by twelve hours of alternate immersion using ten minutes in a 3% solution of NaCI (table salt) followed by 50 minutes of drying in 105° Fair."

Is this representative of a 10 years old bolt stuck in rust from salt ?

Machinist's Workshop penetrating oils April_May 2007-rust-1.pdf: (1.31 MiB) Downloaded 599 times

Plus a penetrating oil must be left for days if not weeks, to be efficient on a very stuck bolt, ie to have the time to leak deeply by the threads and actually work.

I used PB Blaster but it stinks. Now I use Liquid Wrench.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 24 Jan 2018, 14:26

I wonder why isn't it actually being marketed?

Short shelf life.

Plus a penetrating oil must be left for days if not weeks, to be efficient on a very stuck bolt, ie to have the time to leak deeply by the threads and actually work.

That is how got a busted head bolt out of a Volvo 2.9, that was broken flush with the bottom of the well. As soon as the Left hand bit started cutting the bolt backed out.