PB Blaster usually does the trick for me, but yeah, sometimes bolts just laugh at you. Had one last week that wouldn't budge no matter what—ended up snapping it clean off with a breaker bar. Felt oddly satisfying... until I had to drill it out.
PB Blaster's great stuff, but sometimes brute force can create more headaches down the line—like you've found out the hard way. I've had decent luck using heat instead, especially on stubborn bolts. A small propane torch applied carefully around the bolt head expands the metal just enough to break the corrosion bond. It takes patience and a steady hand, but it usually spares me from drilling snapped bolts later... learned that lesson after one too many afternoons spent wrestling with broken fasteners.
"I've had decent luck using heat instead, especially on stubborn bolts."
Definitely agree with the heat method—saved me a couple times too. Couple quick things I'd add from experience:
- Make sure nothing flammable is hiding behind or nearby (learned that the hard way...).
- Sometimes tapping gently with a hammer after heating helps loosen things up even more.
- Curious if anyone's tried induction heaters for this? Seen them online, but not sure if they're worth the investment for occasional DIY use.
"Sometimes tapping gently with a hammer after heating helps loosen things up even more."
Yeah, tapping after heating is a solid tip. I've found that giving it a few gentle taps first, then gradually increasing the force if needed, works best. You don't wanna go full Thor mode right away and risk damaging threads or bending something important (been there, done that...).
About induction heaters—I've seen them in action at the shop, and they're pretty slick. They heat bolts super fast without an open flame, which is great if you're working near sensitive materials or tight spaces. But honestly, for occasional DIY stuff, they're probably overkill price-wise. A decent propane torch usually does the trick just fine for me.
One thing I'd add: always keep some penetrating oil handy too. Heat first, then spray a bit of oil while it's still warm (not blazing hot). It seems to wick into the threads better that way and makes removal smoother. Just my two cents from wrestling with rusty bolts more times than I'd like to admit...
