Rusty/Stuck Bolts

[UK4X4]

I regularly spray the bottom of my trucks with diesel in a plant sprayer..............I don't have rusty nuts !

6 sided socket - a 24" bar apply pressure then tap with a hammer

If you just use pressure you can trash the nut, but the tapping seems to crack the nut loose without rounding it.

The above oils etc work, and I do still spray a day earlier than the job starts, there's nothing worse than a snapped off stud and bleeding knuckles on your first bolt !

 

[lowenbrau]

Ed's Red

Works for more than cleaning guns and a quart of it will get me 10km down the road if I run out of fuel.

 

[Albin]

I regularly spray the bottom of my trucks with diesel in a plant sprayer..............I don't have rusty nuts !

6 sided socket - a 24" bar apply pressure then tap with a hammer

If you just use pressure you can trash the nut, but the tapping seems to crack the nut loose without rounding it.

The above oils etc work, and I do still spray a day earlier than the job starts, there's nothing worse than a snapped off stud and bleeding knuckles on your first bolt !

Ha! I didn't know anyone else did that other than me. I use a 50/50 mix of used motor oil and diesel though. It does help with the rust and corrosion.

Al

 

[Sean VHA #60013]

I have used PB Blaster & Kroil quite a bit, but nothing beats ZEP Reserve for loosening rusty bolts :victory:

http://www.zep.com/products/products.aspx?

 

[Kilroy]

JB80 is pretty good stuff, about $8-9 a can. Same people who make JB Weld.

 

[matt s]

I am going to help you out before things get ugly. Buy the oils mentioned above and follow all the advice here. At the same time go ahead and purchase the easy outs for the next step in the game. Also at the same time buy the diamond tipped carbide bada$$ die grinder tips for your dremmel type tool. Explanation to follow:

1) use PB blaster or equivalent, follow all directions.

2) The next day snap the bolt head off while cursing loudly.

3) Bandage busted up knuckles

4) Drill out bolt and insert easy out

5) Promptly break off easy out in bolt

6) Make sailors blush with the curses that you scream when you realize you now have hardened tool steel broken off in your project.

7) Use super duper carbide diamond badassery dremmel tip to painstakingly remove the hardened steel.

8) Now repeat steps 1 through 7 until the remains of the bolt are finally free.

Enjoy!

Can you tell I've been through this once or twice? If nothing else I figure I saved you a couple of return trips to the store for easy outs and bits.

Actually if you do break one off, find a welder and someone who knows how to do the nut and washer trick. Far better option.

 

[modelbuilder]

Changed both front shocks by removing the struts and compressing the spring. No broken bolts and I used PB Blaster...great stuff.

 

[Heimz]

I got turned onto Kroil a long time ago while at Marshall Space Flight Center. I was working on an autoclave trying to remove a stubborn blower wheel and the NASA guys threw me a can. I dont know if me beating on it for a day and a half loosened things up, but after 20 minutes of soaking and a sippin' on a Coke it was off. Good enough for NASA, and field proven for me.

 

[matt s]

Changed both front shocks by removing the struts and compressing the spring. No broken bolts and I used PB Blaster...great stuff.

WHAT?!! Not possible. :wings: Nicely done.

 

[Pedro]

WHAT?!! Not possible. :wings: Nicely done.

yeah it is, in California....

they don't know what rust is. haha

 

[JKJenn]

Dealing with major stuck/rusted bolts on M416 right now. Several soakings with PB Blaster today. think I will go fire up the heat gun. I know not as good as a torch, but it can't hurt to try.

 

[soonenough]

Wow old thread! This has probably been posted somewhere before, but Machinist's Workshop magazine did a test in their April 2007 issue of popular penetrating oils that measured the torque required to break a stuck bolt free. I can't remember the test conditions or how they maintained consistency across the various products they tested, and I can't find a copy of the actual article, but here were the results. I was really surprised to see Liquid Wrench beat out PB Blaster.

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 (50/50 mix): 53 pounds

 

[Stone_Blue]

I love THIS stuff:

http://www.castlepackspower.com/index.cfm?Page=Castle Thrust

Found that NAPA carries it, and I like it because it foams more than PB or LiquidWrench, and tends to "cling" better, instead of dripping off before it can do its job.
I use this, plus heat if necessary.

Also, no matter WHAT you use, once you spray it on, then lightly tapping on the end/head of the offending bolt/nut with a metal ball peen, or decently solid metal object, for a few minutes helps set up vibrations which help the penetrant seep down into the threads. Obviously, you dont need to hit it hard enough to damage threads or anything...

I recently tried the Acetone/ATF mix...It seems to work OK, but again, its pretty runny, and tends to make a big mess. Also, ATF AND acetone are NOT good for any painted surfaces by themselves...Much less TOGETHER...SO I suggest washing it off with a degreaser afterwards...Which also tends to ruin the nice, greasy, grimy, oily protective undercoating I got from leaking oil pan, diff, and CV joints...lol

 

[G35Vortec454]

I dont have the patience for oil penetrators, etc.

If you can squeeze a cutter, angle grinder or reciprocating saw, cut the damned bolt or nut. It takes less than 30 seconds. You won't want to reuse the bolt/nut anyway.

 

[pugslyyy]

I dont have the patience for oil penetrators, etc.

If you can squeeze a cutter, angle grinder or reciprocating saw, cut the damned bolt or nut. It takes less than 30 seconds. You won't want to reuse the bolt/nut anyway.

LOL, I was just going to respond with the same. If you have patience, PB Blaster will work wonders. On the other hand, if you need to get the job done just get your cutoff wheel out and be done with. 4-1/2 inch angle grinders are $10 from harbor freight and you won't find a better value for money.