PSA: Stop using penetrating oil on exhaust manifold bolts that are already rusted solid

I used to swear by the stuff, soaking bolts overnight and hoping for the best, but after snapping three bolts on a 7.3 Powerstroke last weekend I finally looked up the science. Turns out penetrating oil is mostly for prevention, not freeing bolts that are already seized with rust and heat cycling. Has anyone else had better luck with just a torch and a good impact gun for these jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseym4813d ago

...and honestly I'm not even sure it's that big a deal. I've been wrenching since the Clinton administration and I've snapped maybe two bolts in my entire life. People treat exhaust manifold bolts like they're made of glass or something but if you take your time and don't go at it like a gorilla you're usually fine. Penetrating oil has worked fine for me on rusted stuff more often than not. Maybe the problem is people are using the wrong kind or not letting it sit long enough. I just think all this "you're doing it wrong" stuff gets blown way out of proportion sometimes.

grace_knight7013d ago

Oh man, @caseym48, you bring up a good point but I think the real issue is people don't always know what kind of metal their bolts are made of. I've snapped bolts that looked fine but were just cheap pot metal from the factory, not the high-grade stuff you'd expect.

tarag2813d ago

Did you try letting the PB Blaster soak overnight? That's what finally did it for me.