How to apply ATF/Acetone antiseize mix

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You've all probably heard how good acetone/ATF mix is at breaking bolts free.

I want to use the mix in a situation where the stuck bolt is hard to reach and gravity is my enemy. Namely I'm looking for a cheap way to spray said mix but am concerned the acetone part would eat the sprayer.

What would you use that doesn't break the bank?
 
But acetone is polar and ATF isn't so they can't mix. Wouldn't you just get the acetone penetrating and the ATF sitting on the outer surface of whatever you are spraying?

I would think either mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol should make a much better diluent.

That being said, a metal sprayer with either a PTFE or nylon seal should hold up to the rigors of acetone.

Edit: Didn't see the video before I posted. I suppose I can't argue with results like that.
 
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You're trying to fight gravity by making the penetrant thicker with anti-seize, but by doing so, it will no longer have the ability to penetrate. Give up on the ideal and go to your Dodge dealer for a can of Mopar penetrant. Why Mopar ? Because there's a Ford expert on YouTube that swears by it. Go figure.
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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
You're trying to fight gravity by making the penetrant thicker with anti-seize, but by doing so, it will no longer have the ability to penetrate. Give up on the ideal and go to your Dodge dealer for a can of Mopar penetrant. Why Mopar ? Because there's a Ford expert on YouTube that swears by it. Go figure.
21.gif



This.
 
Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist


I would think either mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol should make a much better diluent.

That being said, a metal sprayer with either a PTFE or nylon seal should hold up to the rigors of acetone.

Edit: Didn't see the video before I posted. I suppose I can't argue with results like that.


This is where the acetone/ATF mix idea comes from (disclaimer I don't own a copy of this publicaiton but have tried the mix and it works for me):


Machinist’s Workshop Mag™ recently published some information on various penetrating oils that I found very interesting. Some of you might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts.
They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a “scientifically rusted” environment.

*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.

Note the “home brew” was better than any commercial product in this one particular test.
Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results.
Note also that “Liquid Wrench” is almost as good as “Kroil” for about 20% of the price.
Steve from Godwin-Singer says that ATF-Acetone mix is the best and you can also use ATF- lacquer
thinner 50 - 50 mix
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
You're trying to fight gravity by making the penetrant thicker with anti-seize, but by doing so, it will no longer have the ability to penetrate. Give up on the ideal and go to your Dodge dealer for a can of Mopar penetrant. Why Mopar ? Because there's a Ford expert on YouTube that swears by it. Go figure.
21.gif


My bad I typed anti-seize when I meant penetrant. Sorry about the confusion.
 
I will say I use both liquid wrench and Aere-sili-kroil. The Silikroil SUBJECTIVELY seems to work significantly better. Though the Liquid Wrench works better than any other commercial product I've tried.

I did try the 50/50 ATF Acetone mix and it worked on a rusted fuel filter when nothing else did- saved me from running a line splice.
 
Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist


I would think either mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol should make a much better diluent.

That being said, a metal sprayer with either a PTFE or nylon seal should hold up to the rigors of acetone.

Edit: Didn't see the video before I posted. I suppose I can't argue with results like that.


This is where the acetone/ATF mix idea comes from (disclaimer I don't own a copy of this publicaiton but have tried the mix and it works for me):


Machinist’s Workshop Mag™ recently published some information on various penetrating oils that I found very interesting. Some of you might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts.
They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a “scientifically rusted” environment.

*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.

Note the “home brew” was better than any commercial product in this one particular test.
Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results.
Note also that “Liquid Wrench” is almost as good as “Kroil” for about 20% of the price.
Steve from Godwin-Singer says that ATF-Acetone mix is the best and you can also use ATF- lacquer
thinner 50 - 50 mix


I don't disbelieve this, but I assume these are averages, so I wonder how many times they replicated it and what the variation was.

I wouldn't expect "scientific rusting" to be very consistent.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducked
I wouldn't expect "scientific rusting" to be very consistent.


If they use a humidity cabinet and performed a salt fog test following a procedure like ASTM B117, the corrosion should have been fairly consistent; probably not perfect, but consistent enough. What would be hard to control is how that rust bound the threads and the strength of that bond from bolt to bolt. Having multiple controls that you could test without any penetrant would give you an idea of whether the rust's effect was uniform or not though.
 
Fog cabinet = pretty
18 years under my car through 4 seasons/year, salt, temperature variations = ugly-nasty.

I made up bottles of 50/50 ATF/acetone for my friends using old saline solution bottles. They have teeny squirt holes.

Some knew the brew. Others didn't. Kira
 
My son left my 3/8 ratchet outside the ones with the push button to eject the socket.I had it nearly give up on when I seen this concoction and give it a try.It took all of a few mins for this to kick in and made it work like new again.There will always be a bottle of this in my garage from now on.Thanks again :)
 
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