Homemade Penetrating Oil

Homemade Penetrating Oil MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 90-10-57 Mixing kerosene and automatic transmission fluid together in a 50-50 mix produces a low-cost penetrating oil, says Bill Burlew of Savona, N.Y., who has successfully used the idea for years. He pours the two fluids into an old dishwashing soap squeeze bottle, which holds about 1 1/2 pints of liquid. "I call it jungle juice. It's super stuff and works as well or better than the high-dollar penetrating oils on the market that cost up to $15 per can," says Burlew. "My total cost per bottle is no more than $2. The kerosene breaks down the viscosity of the transmission fluid and allows it to penetrate easier. If you want you can use diesel fuel instead of kerosene. "I came up with the idea one day when I ran out of penetrating oil. I didn't want to drive to town so I thought I'd give this idea a try. I've used it on stuff that was rusted all to heck, such as when I took the seats out of a van. The bolts were so rusty that when I tried turning them they just made a screeching noise. After I applied some of my homemade penetrating oil I had no problem loosening the bolts."

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