Penetrating Oil Review

Machinist’s Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts.
Significant results! They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.
Don’t forget the April 2007 “Machinist’s Workshop” magazine comparison test.
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.
Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we 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.
(via Concours Tech)