For those of us who work on rusty old bicycles...

Saw this at Groody Bros. Bicycle Restoration Project

Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break
out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! 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."

Type of 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.

I just can't imagine they could get each bolt to rust the same amount to require the same amount of torque to be removed.

Now that is interesting. Good stuff. I am going to try it. I do wonder what acetone will do to aluminum alloy, though.

That is exactly the same thought I had as well. How do you establish a control?

My guess is that they can come pretty close. All identical bolts and nuts. All prepared exactly the same way. All torqued exactly the same. If, for each product tested, thirty examples were added and averaged, then I bet the results would be pretty significant.

Though not an engineer, I am pretty impressed with what some of those guys and gals can figure out.

Not the first time acetone/ATF came in first.

+1 to below, take precautions, as the flash point is about -4F. (Gasoline is -43 F). I can't see anyone putting it into a consumer product, at a 50/50 blend.

"Above flash point, vapor-air mixtures are explosive within flammable limits noted above. Vapors can flow along surfaces to distant ignition source and flash back. Contact with strong oxidizers may cause fire. Sealed containers may rupture when heated. This material may produce a floating fire hazard. Sensitive to static discharge."

I'm a little incredulous that the companies producing PB Blaster, Kroil, Liquid Wrench etc would not be acutely aware of such a folksy remedy. Of course, acetone is extremely flammable, and that could be the reason for the existence of the aforesaid products.