TIL that a quick blast of heat beats any penetrant for rust

I was helping my cousin with his old sedan's suspension bolts last weekend. They were so crusted over, a wrench just rounded them off. Out of ideas, I grabbed a small propane torch and heated each one for a few seconds. The metal expanded just enough that they broke free with almost no force. It blew my mind how well it worked compared to soaking them in oil for days. Now I think skipping heat is just making your job harder on purpose. Every time I see someone struggling with a frozen bolt, I want to hand them a torch. It's such a basic tool that gets ignored too often. Trust me, try it next time and you'll see what I mean.

3 comments

3 Comments

clairehunt2d ago

Heating a bolt next to a brake line can start a really bad fire.

anthony_campbell882d ago

@clairehunt, you're right to be cautious, but the REAL risk is brake fluid vapor igniting. Direct flame on the line might not do much, but superheated fluid can flash. Either way, it's a BAD idea to heat things up near brake lines.

alicehernandez2d ago

Actually brake fluid doesn't really vaporize like that because it soaks up water. The bigger worry is that heat weakens the rubber lines and makes them burst later. Still super dangerous either way.