The bestest penetrating oil is.....

I think i'm going to ask for some of this for christmas. If it's half as good as people are saying, i'd be happy.

Rob_Mopar wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: A challenger appears!

Freeze-Off smells like elementary school bathroom cleaner. But worked well on the rusty parts. I'll have to look into the Zep stuff.

Interesting. At the bike shop we used Wurth Rost Off that also had a vaguely minty industrial 'clean' scent. I wonder if it's the same juice in different cans. I recall that stuff working pretty well, but not miraculously.

I've been a PB man for a while now (I keep a small bottle of their Garage Door Lube in my truck's glovebox to stave off the sticky squeakys), but I'll look into this Zep stuff.

AdamAtZep, can you give us a Cliff's Notes version of the difference between 2000 and 45?

I've used everything mentioned but the Zep. Saw a study somewhere recently that rated Liquid Wrench slightly higher than PB Blaster and Kroil. Neither were much better than a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF. Of course, YMMV.

Does this Zep stuff smell any better that PB Blaster? That stuff really stinks and the smell seems to linger for hours.

Tabasco sauce..... no, seriously.

When I was an apprentice in the naval dockyards, working on steam powered naval vessels, an old timey fitter told me about this. I doubted his word, but working with him over the next couple of years I was shown otherwise. It seems to have penetrating and anti-galling properties. Some of that steam gear nearly welds itself together in service, and tabasco came to the rescue on numerous occasions.

Having said that, I don't use the stuff in my garage... can't stand the smell. Sure am interested in this Zep stuff though.

Sorry for disappearing on you guys. I'm getting an official answer from the experts and will post it here ASAP. I am but a social media lackey spreading the good word.

Has anyone had luck calling the numbers i provided? -Adam

In reply to alex:

After poking around zep.com, it looks like they list 2000 as a grease for use on stuff like hinges, and 45 as a penetrant.

Curious about the official answer...

Ransom - that's exactly right:

45 is a multipurpose lubricant. It provides good lubrication (has Teflon additive), is a good penetrant for loosening rusty parts, displaced moisture, and provides good rust protection. It is going to feel like a light oil.

ZEP 2000 is actually an aerosol grease. It sprays from the can as a liquid in order to allow it to penetrate and then sets to a "gel" in order to behave like a thicker grease.

You should be able to get your hands on either if you use the contract info i posted previously. Good luck!

In reply to AdamAtZep:

Awesome, thanks! Any further thoughts on... well... "penetrating grease"?

Specifically, I'm guessing the grease has greater lubricity, but would be less penetrating, unless the carrier is amped up somehow?

More specifically, any notion of which one is the right answer for a rusty or otherwise stuck fastener? I'd tend to assume the 45, but if the 2000 will get in there, will it do more to free things up?

I've got to try this stuff. The really cool thing to do would be to advertise in the magazine now, ZEP.

AdamAtZep wrote: Fellas- For those of you looking to try Zep 2000, hopefully this will help you secure a smaller quantity than a case: Toll Free 1-877-428-9937 East Coast and Southeast Prospective Buyers should go to the following people and extensions: Allentown Ryan Zegalia x 47147, Jon Zimmerman x 47190, Cortney Moody x 47171, Ed Olearczyk x 47184, or Carlton Lovett x 47189, From Ohio west throughout the US and Canada prospective buyers should call 1-877-428-9937 and go to the following people and extensions: Chicago Harry Weiskopf x 47618, Tom Bottoms x 47619, Buddy Dudczak x 47620, Dan West x 47610, Tim Shipbaugh x 47630, or Joe McCue x 47627 Hope this helps! -Adam

We'd recommend the Zep 45 for a rusty stuck fastener. You are correct in terms of penetrating action: the Zep 2000 will solidify whereas the Zep 45 will continue to creep into the rusted threads. Does that help?

Yeah, I think so. Sounds like 45 is mostly the answer for stuck stuff.

I'm still a bit confused because that leaves me thinking that 45 is the answer to topic of this thread, and yet a lot of the recent discussion was about how awesome 2000 was for the same application...

Level of rust? How far into the crevices something needs to wick? Not sure how best to determine when to use each, though I hope to get a can of each to try out... I've inquired using the 'contact us' form on your site about finding a retailer; I have a vague resistance to calling salespeople when I can stay on the Internet

automatic transmission fluid

Bainford wrote: Tabasco sauce..... no, seriously. When I was an apprentice in the naval dockyards, working on steam powered naval vessels, an old timey fitter told me about this. I doubted his word, but working with him over the next couple of years I was shown otherwise. It seems to have penetrating and anti-galling properties. Some of that steam gear nearly welds itself together in service, and tabasco came to the rescue on numerous occasions. Having said that, I don't use the stuff in my garage... can't stand the smell. Sure am interested in this Zep stuff though.

I am going to try this even if i have to buy something rusty and stuck just for this purpose.

Tabasco will clean coins, too. Stick a wheat penny in some overnight, the next moring it looks like new again. Old time coin collector told me that one, I tried it out of curiosity and it worked.

Probably because it is mostly vinegar.