Changed my mind about using penetrating oil on exhaust bolts after a 2003 Subaru fight

I used to swear by PB Blaster for everything, but after fighting a rusted exhaust manifold bolt on a customer's Outback for 45 minutes, I tried a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF. It worked WAY better, the bolt came out clean. Now I keep a small spray bottle of that mix in my box. Anyone else find a better trick for seized exhaust hardware?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_jackson8d ago

Ngl I feel like a clown for the years I spent huffing PB Blaster fumes and getting nowhere on rusty exhaust bolts. That acetone and ATF mix is basically witchcraft, I tried it on a stubborn O2 sensor and it came out like it was greased.

jenny477d ago

That PB Blaster thing is a perfect example of how we all stick with what we know even when it stops working, like using the same old password for everything. @avery_jackson, once you find that one trick that actually works it really makes you rethink all the time you wasted on the old way.

jennifer8337d ago

That acetone and ATF mix thing got me thinking about how we all have our garage rituals. I still warm up my ratchet in the microwave for two minutes before using it on anything rusty. Works great but my wife gives me that look every time.