[M.D. Holloway]

I've been doing some research since receiving this email yesterday and was surprised at what I found.....besides using a penetrating oil here is a list of the "home remedies" I found online for removing a rusted nut/bolt in order of popularity.



1) Coca-Cola - I can only assume the acidity of the drink attacks the metal and subsequently, the rust.



2) Heat - Quite a few mechanics (and shade tree mechanics) suggest heating the bolt with a torch and then banging it with a hammer. Some suggested using WD-40 and then heating it up.



3) Transmission Fluid - OK, whatever...



4) Candle wax - This method is to melt candle wax over the bolt/nut and then hit it with a torch to help the wax melt and penetrate into the threads.



5) Freezing - I found three products on the market that are being marketed as "freezing" rust busters(Cold Shock, Loctite's Freeze & Release and the CRC product) The reviews for these products were mixed with some saying it worked great and others saying Heat worked better. One guy who sounded like he knew what he was talking about said heating the bolt and THEN freezing it worked best which makes sense.



My Conclusion: The overwhelmingly most popular method for removing rusted bolts/nuts was using a penetrating oil. There were numerous “home remedies” that ranged from the five mentioned above to obscure remedies like Apple Juice. The freezing method seems to rely on extreme cold(-70F) that can be pretty dangerous as frostbite and ‘cold burns” start happening at -20F with short exposures. I will try to find a can of one of these freezing products locally and see if they live up to their performance claims.