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I finally get why older guys swear by penetrating oil over heat
Had a talk with a 30-year diesel mechanic at a shop near Birmingham last week. He showed me how he soaks a rusted bolt in Kroil overnight instead of hitting it with a torch, and I watched it break loose with just a ratchet this morning. Anyone else come around on the slow way after fighting fast methods for years?
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lunaf671mo ago
Oh man, I gotta push back on that "slow way" idea, @parker_price. I've had opposite luck with Kroil versus a torch on rusted exhaust bolts (you know, the ones that snap if you look at them wrong). Heat is instant gratification sure but it's also instant result - you see it loosen or you don't. Soaking means waiting a whole day sometimes longer and half the time I come back and the bolt still fights me. I've had PB Blaster and Kroil both fail me on tractor stuff where a quick hit with a propane torch popped it right off. Plus heat dries up the rust and makes it expand, which is literally the whole point. Soaking just adds a greasy mess to something that's already stuck.
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murray.drew1mo ago
parker_price you're really out here trying to decide between two things that have both failed you equally... sounds like you need a third option, maybe just swear at the bolt really loud and see if that works. I've had plenty of nights where I spray something on, go to bed thinking I'm smart, and wake up to the same stuck bolt just now with drips all over the floor. That Kroil vs. PB Blaster debate is like arguing over which kind of soggy bread tastes better... either way you're still eating soggy bread.
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