Penetrating Oil

My personal favorite is called Penetrene which comes in both a spray can and a squirt bottle. You can get this from anyone who deals in Pro-Mar products in Australia. You'll find it at Repco, Autobarn, Cheap Auto Parts amongst other places. This is a very fine oil pink in colour. You just hose the item to be freed, wait a few minutes (or hours :) for the stuff to soak in then you usually have a free part.

In the USA, you'll probably want to try Kroil which is similar to Penetrene.

In the UK, give Mouse Oil a go - I got some of this sent to me here, and it would be my favourite as it is much better than Penetrene except for the fact that it is very hard to import it as it is so flammable they will not allow it on air transport which means you have to fill out the dangerous goods paperwork and wear all the associated costs...

A more old fashioned approach was posted to the SEL by Jack Wittlich which sounds interesting...
Now that an old steam engine guy showed me the torch and paraffin trick, I
do that sorta to honor the old days and ways. This hint originally came
from a deceased Harrison Machine Works employee.

Just heat the stubborn fitting nice and hot with a torch. Then rub a block
of that white canning paraffin around the joint. The now-watery lube gets
sucked into the joint by capillary action, and voila', the once unyeiding
fitting now turns free.

Jack Wittlich
Labor and Industry Museum
Home of the Jumbo

In March 2003 Tony Middleton a retired Naval Officer sent me...

On this subject, back to the RAN again. When in short supply of this product at sea or in "foreign" ports we used a mixture of 50/50 mineral turpentine and lubricating oil (any grade) this was as good as the 'Penetrine' we normally used.
 
Lots of seized bits on a steam turbine powered ship operating under 650psi and 850 degF superheat.
If we had a job scheduled to be carryied out in the next port of call with the boilers shut down. We sometimes would apply copious quantities of penetrine a few days before reaching port if we suspected seized parts. Several applications. One had to be carefull because of the running temperature of the machinery concerned. (fire).
Of course there were always those bits not accessible because of asbestos lagging etc.
 
Tony Middleton tonymiddleton@orion-online.com.au