best penetrating oil

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

Whats best penetrating oil-i have a zone valve thats cant turn by hand like a new that you can, so I want to saturate in oil.

Bill(Wis) · Apr 4, 2014

Bob · Apr 4, 2014

Are you the guy who posted here before of your Honeywell hydronic zone valve being sticky?

If so, I worked on one after we exchanged posts, and here"s what I found... a stainless steel stem, about 1/4" OD.

It has 3 grooves and 3 tiny "O" rings.

If that is what you have, penetrating oil isn"t going to work "cuz the 3 "O" rings pretty much fill the bore and oil isn"t going to get in there.

I removed the little snap ring, then wiggled it apart and cleaned the parts up and re-assembled with some silicone lube.

I thought the problem was solved, then it started acting up again.

I replaced the little 24 Volt clock motor and all is well. Typically, those motors either work or they don"t, or get gummy and won"t let the valve close when the power is cut off the motor.

This one worked, didn"t stick, but was apparently weak.

My experience, FWIW.

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

Yes, I am the same guy. can you turn the stem by hand after repair?

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

Here is the part

Bob in SD · Apr 4, 2014

Probably overkill, but I've had amazing luck with Kroil

OldBuzzard · Apr 4, 2014

In just about any test of penetrating oils that you will find, a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone comes out on top.

Bob · Apr 4, 2014

Barely. The 3 "O" rings make the stem fit pretty tight.

I did not have new ones at hand, and, although they looked good, they may have been swollen up a bit.

Anyhow, with the new motor, it's been operating just fine.

Have you had the stem out of yours?

MarkB_MI · Apr 4, 2014

Hmm. That appears to be a brand-new, never-installed part. I would EXPECT it to be hard to turn.

MarkB_MI · Apr 4, 2014

Enough with the ATF/acetone mix!

In a carefully controlled comparison between the ATF/acetone mix and my oxyacetylene torch, the hot wrench won hands down.

kevinj54 · Apr 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 15:58:34 04/04/14) Hmm. That appears to be a brand-new, never-installed part. I would EXPECT it to be hard to turn.

New used or otherwise if it is worn to the point of binding up it simply needs to be replaced.

johnlobb · Apr 4, 2014

As a journeyman pipefitter working in the powerhouses and refineries we used Kroil. Acetone is very unhealthy to get on your skin, it can be absorbed and wreck your liver. Not good. I have never had Kroil not work.

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

no. havent took stems out-on the previous post, I think its the antifreeze in the system causing the stems to turn hard.

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

this one is a new part, just showing what part looks like.

kevinj54 · Apr 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 16:39:38 04/04/14) no. havent took stems out-on the previous post, I think its the antifreeze in the system causing the stems to turn hard.

You may want to be sure you have the right antifreeze for a heating system. The proper stuff and properly maintained is not an issue.

Rkh · Apr 4, 2014

I used the recommended antifreeze for boilers

dr sportster · Apr 4, 2014

I bought a rat bike shovelhead and the nuts were stuck on the rocker box studs. If they dont come loose the studs try to pull a 3/8 base thread up through a 5/16" rocker box hole basically ruining an expensive rocker box.After Liquid Wrench I decided to mix ATF and lacquer thinner [all purpose] Didn't make any difference as the studs still started raising, nuts stuck up top. Once I got heat the Liquid Wrench and the ATF/ mix boiled around the stud /nuts and soaked in to the frozen nuts. Without heat all the penetrating products in the world would not have gotten the nuts off .As far as products I have every one of them including overpriced ,hard to find Kroil which has no areosol left in the can to squirt the product..

kevinj54 · Apr 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 17:08:19 04/04/14) I used the recommended antifreeze for boilers

The you need to have a water treatment professional test the water and see what is in it. If the system was not properly cleaned you nay have some nastiness in there.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 4, 2014

Google Kano labs, buy kroil direct, I use it on stubborn stuff. PB Blaster on everything else. If someone made 50/50 acetone and ATF, in a spray bomb can, I would use that.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 4, 2014

Another point in favor of Kroil, I am using my liver up the old fashioned way...

MartyinVa · Apr 4, 2014

KROIL

IH2444 · Apr 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 14:00:56 04/04/14) In just about any test of penetrating oils that you will find, a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone comes out on top.

They mentioned O rings, I do not think acetone would be good for them.

4play · Apr 4, 2014

ATF/Acetone in a pump/spray bottle like windex/409 etc, you can even put it in the pump oil cans. For bigger spray jobs get a small hand held weed type sprayer. No need for aerosol but if you have a parts store or paint shop that can load spray paint cans, you might see if they would load a few up for you.

notjustair · Apr 4, 2014

Another vote for Kroil. I buy four cans at a time and use it like water. It works slicker than snot.

Paul from MI · Apr 4, 2014

pb Blaster & time.

Bob · Apr 4, 2014

Kevin, you wrote "if it is worn to the point of binding up it simply needs to be replaced".

UNFORTUNATELY, your esteemed reasoning doesn't apply here because the stem only rotates a small amount (perhaps 45º), (and VERY slowly at that) and it NEVER wears out.

He either has motor issues (as I posted about) or the "water" in his hydronic heating system contains something that makes the tiny "O" rings swell and make the stem of the electrically-operated valve bind.

oleclint · Apr 4, 2014

I get my Kroil on there " specials". Last time I checked that price with P B Blaster , the P B was a little cheaper. I have both & use the P B for the easier projects. Been using Kroil for nearly 20 yrs. clint

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