Looking for a penetrant to get some seized parts separated.
Does anyone have a favourite (Plusgas, WD40, WHY). I would prefer aerosol but am not immune to being told it's much cheaper and really no more difficult to use a liquid.
Looking for a penetrant to get some seized parts separated.
Does anyone have a favourite (Plusgas, WD40, WHY). I would prefer aerosol but am not immune to being told it's much cheaper and really no more difficult to use a liquid.
DEFINITELY not WD40. Plusgas is as good as any I've tried.
If you use it in bulk, it's cheaper to buy in bulk then fill a spray bottle, but...
Does it make any difference if it's WD40 penetrant not straight WD40?
All penetrating oils are simply thin oil in a solvent carrier. WD40 is mainly thin oil in lots of Stoddard Solvent (basically White Spirit) so actually works quite well as a penetrating oil.
By far the best and cheapest penetrating oil I've come across is the home made version of Dextron automatic transmission fluid (the red stuff) mixed 50:50 with White Spirit.
Lots of recipes use Acetone instead of white spirit but I've found little advantage in doing so and white spirit isn't anything like as flammable, doesn't affect cured paint as badly, is easier to find, doesn't dissolve plastics and is cheaper than Acetone.
ATF is basically a very good thin oil and white spirit is the major component of all penetrating oils like PlusGas (which is nearly all white spirit with a tiny splash of corrosion preventative) . The ATF mixture is also pretty good for cleaning metal things up.
You can use any plastic spray bottle with this mixture or a paint brush. Don't forget all penetrating oils take a long time to work - they are not spray and pray with results in minutes. You either need to apply them frequently over several days or soak the item in them for a few days (the exception being when you can get at both the back and front of the fastener - then they will work more quickly). If that doesn't work then lots of heat is the solution.
Interesting question. I know WD is water displacer recipe 40. According to the 5l container I have, it is advertised as 'Penetrates, LUBRICATES and leaves protective film'. I also use Duck Oil which is far from bad. By far the best penetrant I have used is some stuff called Freeway from Applied Chemicals of Coventry. Definitely not a lubricant. We used to buy it in 25l containers. Down to my last couple of litres now and don't know if Applied still exist. Not cheap but very good. Plusgas also good but I haven't used it for years.
Good luck, Nick.
you'd have thought somone would come up with snake oil for this if you want something slimy and slippery ;-)
WD40 works a treat. Nothing wrong with it.
All the proprietary ones I've ever tried have been utter SHITE. Get a blowlamp on it and get it red hot. Never fails.
Unless, of course, the vicinity happens to include any plastic or rubber or paint or...
I've used Plusgas for about 50 years with good results. Last time was about 9 months ago.
On this subject, does anybody know where I put my can of plusgas? It seems to be hiding.
+1 but as other have said don't always expect instant results. I recently had a car part that would budge, even when tapping the spanner with a lump hammer. 3 applications of plusgas over a five day period and it came off in seconds, without the use of the hammer.
Adrian put finger to keyboard:
No, but the easy way to find it is to go out and buy some more. The original will then turn up in a couple of days.
Only to hide again when needed...
+1. Penetrating oil may well work if you spend a week dosing it every day.
Adrian put finger to keyboard:
Well, natch. Maybe if you bought one can for each room in the house, and each car, and each toolbox you would be guaranteed to never have another seized bolt.
I just have about 10 cans around the place, however that means I can only find ones with a spout when I want an aerosol and vice versa.
I think it must have has eloped with mine.
I always used to think it was quite effective, although I admit to not having tried the ATF home brew. Whether its additives did dissolve rust or not, I have no idea.
For convenience, the spray cans from Toolstation and pound shops work OK for me, cheap enough to have several scattered around!
True. But not everything will stand the heat.
A blowlamp will not do much for a 3 inch dia bolt. A 2" propane fired heating gun will. I agree with your sentiment regarding heat but that depends entirely upon the situation.
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