Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / penetrating oil

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: penetrating oil -- page: 1 2     Dustbowl 03-09-2011 @ 3:21 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 74 Joined: Feb 2011 Like most everyone else, I use penetrating oil (like WD-40) to help loosen 75 year old Ford nuts and bolts, followed by hammering, heat and brute force. I always wonder, however, whether the penetrating oil actually helps-does it penetrate for example. Does anyone have any hard evidence on this question, or it just part of old mechanics witchcraft? Stroker 03-09-2011 @ 5:14 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 WD-40 was never intended to be a penetrating oil. WD-40 is a water repellent, and light lube oil. The "WD" stands for water displacing. As for a good penetrant, I use Aero-Kroil, which will creep into very tight spaces. Liquid Wrench is another true penetrant. There are others that I'm sure are just as good, but WD-40 is not one of them. ctfordguy 03-09-2011 @ 6:37 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 29 Joined: Nov 2009 Hi, My favorite is 50% Acetone plus 50% Automatic Transmission Fluid Bruce/CT MG 03-09-2011 @ 10:45 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1262 Joined: Nov 2009 An answer to this same question was posted on another forum several years ago as I recall. An oldtimer said he wiped the area to be loosened with bar soap and used a torch to melt it into the bolt/nut. He exaggerated a little and said you could almost unscrew the piece by hand. He swore by this method to loosen stuck parts. I haven't tried this method yet but, your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to prove this oldtimer wrong. As always, should you or any of your cohorts be caught, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This answer will self-destruct in five seconds. supereal 03-10-2011 @ 10:24 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 As a certified "old timer", I confess that one of the best ways to loosen a bolt or nut is to heat it thoroughly, then apply a candle. The wax is usually drawn into the threads, helping get the fastener loose. The drawback is preventing the flame from creating damage in the area. The term "penetrating oil" is more wishful thinking than actual description of effect. More often than not, a severely rusted bolt or stud requires lots of heat to break the rust bond. Using a wire welder, we "stick" a nut to the part, and the heat allows us to remove it. 1934 Ford 03-10-2011 @ 2:36 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 576 Joined: Oct 2009 "I always wonder, however, whether the penetrating oil actually helps-does it penetrate for example." was the original question: Penetrating oil does a better job than lubricating oil like WD40, but not all are penetrating fluids are created equal. I use "Blaster" for everyday use and still have a can of "Gibbs" leftover from a case purchase split with 2 other guys 20 years ago. I save it for the hard jobs. I even un-stuck an outboard motor with it once that had been frozen for 15 years! I also like the Acetone and transmission fluid idea, but have not tried the mix yet. Transmission fluid is the universal fluid around my old stuff. I know automatic transmission fluid run through the carburetor of a V8 or a VW does wonders with sticky valves and dirty seats. Don't forget to tell you wife before you do that or she may call the Fire Department because of the large volume of smoke. Also clears the mosquitoes. I know sombody will say it's not healthy for the air, but I not doing it all the time and is seams to burn clean after it does it's cleaning job. This message was edited by 1934 Ford on 3-10-11 @ 2:37 PM 37RAGTOPMAN 03-11-2011 @ 6:16 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1965 Joined: Oct 2009 WD-40 does a great job on removing glue. disolves the gum, and will not harm the paint, much better then thinners, also removes glued on labels etc, tar on the side of cars, will not harm the paint job,, does many things , but not a great penerating oil, like P-B BLASTER. this is what I use, most of the time, the CHEAP penetrating solvents are just that cheap and do not do a good job, and spraying on, and leaving to sit over night, or a few days,works even better, even wrapping with a soaked rag or paper towel,so it stay damp longer, I also use a MILWAUKEE HEAT GUN,this is a little safer then a torch, not much, when real bad I do use the torch, but always try the easier way out first, do not force it,otherwise it might break, my 3 cents worth 37RAGTOPMAN supereal 03-12-2011 @ 3:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 For the record, automatic transmission fluid should never be poured into anything but an automatic transmission. It contains ingredients designed to produce the required friction between the clutches and bands in the unit. These additives have no place in the combustion chamber, and can cause long term damage. If you want to pour something into the carb to help loosen up a sticky valve, Marvel Mystery Oil is a much better choice, but is often a short term fix. bigvince 04-01-2011 @ 9:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 60 Joined: Oct 2009 I have found Liquid Wrench to be the best. Like everything else, take your time and let the oil work for you. As with any old rusty bolts, you're simply going to break some of them. 34ford 04-26-2011 @ 2:45 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: Jan 2010 Before I retired we always used a product called KROIL penetrating solvent that comes an Orange can. It is sold in liquid or aerosol. The company bought it in 55 gallon barrels when we did maintenance on Turbines and Generators. I have a few cans still for "home use" and it works great for old rusty bolts etc. Just google the name and order online.

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1