Question about that 'just use a bigger hammer' advice on a Cessna 172

My buddy Jake at the hangar in Tucson always joked that any stuck bolt just needed a bigger hammer. Last month on a 172's landing gear pivot, I actually tried it after three hours of penetrating oil. Snapped the bolt head clean off, and we had to drill it out for two more days. Anyone got a better trick for seized hardware on older airframes, or is Jake just cursed?

3 comments

3 Comments

kaiblack3mo ago

Ugh, heard a trick about mixing acetone and ATF as a penetrant. Supposedly works better than the store bought stuff. Can't vouch for it personally, but at least it's not a hammer.

zara4473mo ago

That mix is legit, just don't breathe it in. Works way better than the expensive cans.

mason_flores2117d ago

Heard from a buddy that mixing acetone and ATF works killer on rusted bolts. Tested it myself on an old exhaust manifold and it beat anything from the auto store hands down. @kaiblack is right that it's not a hammer, but this stuff seeps in way faster than PB Blaster. Smells like death though, so crack a window or wear a respirator. Still, it's saved me from breaking a few bolts that I would've snapped otherwise.