Old timer at the shop swore by using dawn dish soap for stuck bolts, he was spot on

I was fighting a rusted tie rod end on a 2010 F-150 last Thursday, sprayed it with PB Blaster and let it sit for 20 minutes. Nothing budged. This old guy named Ray walked over, grabbed a bottle of dawn dish soap and water, and told me to mix it up and spray it on the threads. After 10 minutes, that bolt came off with a regular wrench. Shook the PB Blaster in the air like it was useless. Has anyone else had this dawn trick work for them or am I just unlucky with penetrants?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_patel1mo ago

Man, that's wild! I actually read somewhere that dish soap works because it breaks the surface tension and lets water seep into rust better than oil can. Something about the soap molecules being smaller or whatever. I tried it on a seized brake bleeder once and it actually worked after WD-40 failed. Guess us younger guys get too caught up in the fancy sprays when the simple stuff is right there.

grant.felix1mo ago

My neighbor swears by mixing dish soap with brake fluid for rusted bolts.

lopez.quinn1mo ago

Respectfully, surface tension isn't really the main issue with rusted bolts.