What Can Free Up Seized Steel Roller Bearings

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SE18

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I've been told by a railroad restorer to use liberal amounts of kroil. I'm building a 2' gauge railroad and have several kiln cars that were left out in the elements for decades without movement or lubrication. The rollers are seized and wheels won't turn. Before taking the pedestals apart I'm thinking to buy a gallon of kroil.

Just wanted to check here before doing anything.

Thanks

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SE18 said:
I've been told by a railroad restorer to use liberal amounts of kroil. I'm building a 2' gauge railroad and have several kiln cars that were left out in the elements for decades without movement or lubrication. The rollers are seized and wheels won't turn. Before taking the pedestals apart I'm thinking to buy a gallon of kroil.

Just wanted to check here before doing anything.

Thanks
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He's right. Very good stuff.
 
I use Kroil and like it very much. A cheaper substitute is ATF mixed with acetone. The exact recipe is out there on the web. It is said to work very well by people I trust, but I have not used it. I am not excited about the acetone in the mix, which I try to stay away from as much as possible.
 
Um.. I have pretty much bathed in Acetone. What is the concern? Especially with gloves and such?
Robert
 
Heat. Just went thru this with wheel bearings on friend's truck. They were practically welded on and nothing, not even generous amounts of Kroil, which I love. Kroil has gotten me out of jams numbers of times and I, too, highly recommend it.
 
thanks, so it sounds like a purchase of Kroil will be good
 
Bob Korves said:
I use Kroil and like it very much. A cheaper substitute is ATF mixed with acetone. The exact recipe is out there on the web. It is said to work very well by people I trust, but I have not used it. I am not excited about the acetone in the mix, which I try to stay away from as much as possible.
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I've tried the ATF/acetone mix and was disappointed. The acetone evaporates very quickly and leaves the ATF to work by itself. Definitely not worth the trouble and hazard of working with acetone.
 
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I am afraid that ATF and brake fluid would be too viscous to penetrate well. To work, any penetrant must first penetrate.

The other thing that works well is time. People squirt on some magic juice and then start with air hammers, impact wrenches, big hammers, torches, and other big guns -- and often end up with scrap. Give it plenty of time to work. Try to move it, both directions, with energy below the yield point of anything you care about. Squirt some more on, and wait again. Repeat until it starts to move, then success will certainly follow. It usually took decades to get stuck, and it can usually wait a few days or weeks to loosen up. Patience, grasshopper...
 
I am a believer in the 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. Yes it does take some time to work. I usually start applying the mix long before the dismantle is attempted. Give it a coat or two a day for a couple weeks, then by the time you tackle it it is possible.

And yes @Tozguy is correct that the acetone evaporates very quickly, but the thinness and wet-ability are part of the benefits - that's what makes it penetrate - it really helps it wick the hydraulic oil (ATF) into even the smallest of cracks. I would swear it even wicks uphill!

The biggest problems I see with it are:
-it's likely bad for the eyes; wear your protection, and
-I like to use veterinary syringes (just the plastic body not the actual needle!) to apply the stuff, but it swells the rubber so I gotta spend another $1 for a new one.

Better yet, since you have a number of units to do, try a kroil vs. ATF/acetone competition and share your results here!

-brino
 
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