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Update: A simple job in a Tucson parking lot showed me a better way to handle seized caliper bolts
I was helping a friend with his truck's brakes behind a grocery store last Tuesday. The lower caliper bolt was completely stuck, and I was about to shear it off with force. An older mechanic who was just getting groceries saw me and walked over. He told me to try a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF, let it sit for 15 minutes, then tap the bolt head with a hammer before turning. It worked on the first try with no damage. I've used that mix three times since then with perfect results. Has anyone else found a good homemade penetrant that beats the store-bought stuff?
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the_cole1mo ago
Homemade penetrant" used to sound silly to me, but not anymore.
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danielmason28d ago
Yeah, my buddy Tom swore by the stuff for years and I just shrugged it off. Then his old tractor's brake caliper was completely frozen up, like it hadn't moved in a decade. He sprayed that acetone/ATF mix on it, let it sit maybe 20 minutes, and tapped the caliper with a hammer. Thing broke loose like it was brand new. I was standing right there watching him, couldn't believe my eyes. So yeah, I stopped rolling my eyes after that.
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william_jackson651mo ago
The proper term is "penetrating oil." A 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid actually works better than most store bought stuff. It's a known trick in a lot of machine shops.
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