Use heat to free up bolt. Can heat draw in penetrating oil?

[ray66v]

My procedure - first try penetrating oil. If that doesn't work - apply heat to the nut.

I worked along side guys who were rebuilding the same tools as me. If the tool didn't come apart, they used the penetrating oil first. I would skip the oil, and go straight to the heat.

I always got more work done than they did. And, I didn't smell like penetrating oil, and burned oil smoke all day.

I only use penetrating oil to unscrew something, if it is the only option.

 

[monkeyduster]

Another one to use is candle wax or beeswax, used after applying heat. As mention before it is drawn in to break the bond.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

It depends on how much heat. If you heat it red hot, the carbon in the oil can reduce rust back to iron and free a nut that is rusted together. The oil, of course, is charred to carbon at those temps. That's hot enough to soften the metal, so you have to let it cool before you put any mechanical stress on it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Hmmm.. wonder what would happen on a drain plug???

Heating metal with a hole in it will cause the hole to expend just like it was a solid piece of metal. Heat the hole, chill the plug.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

My procedure - first try penetrating oil. If that doesn't work - apply heat to the nut. I've never had a stuck bolt, with only the head showing, that wouldn't come loose with repeated attacks with my impact wrench.

I've had good results with my 3/4" drive 3' breaker bar and a hex socket too.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

It's called "capillary action"...

The heat thins the oil and the oil gets sucked into the threads as the nut and bolt cool.

I did exactly that, while changing the struts on my wife's car, a couple weeks ago...

SR