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Comment by bankcust08385 | Hacker News Reader

I also hate WD-40 as a product because it's marginally useless as a lubricant or as a penetrating oil when there are far better products for each use.

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It's excellent for Water Displacement, which is what its purpose actually is.

Such as if you have ignition wires soaked with water and shorted, it will get you going again.

Me wonders - remembering the recent here post about the flooded underground silo with electronics - could it be flooded with WD-40 instead of water?

The common recommendation is to flood wet electronics first with distilled water and then with isopropyl alcohol

That comment has been living in my head rent free all week. The author of that post was good with imagery.

It's a brand name now, they also sell grease.

I sprayed it near my squeaky bike brake hinge thinking it would remove the squeak. I now know I was an idiot and completely ruined the bike's brakes.

Brake cleaner for diskbrakes unless it's a sound of metal on metal and you have to replace the brake pads. And for rim brakes if there's a metal sound a stone is stuck in the rubber part of the brakes, either get it out or replace as well if it's already worn down a fair bit.

Just be happy you learned that lesson on a bike and not on a car

They (WD-40 brand) do sell a penetrating oil: https://www.wd40.com/products/penetrating-oil/

I'd say because it's not a lubricant it's penetrating oil, anti rust, anti moisture (its original purpose).

And even when used as that most people I'd guess don't shake the can, a long shake, as required.

I have much better luck with PB Blaster. I can't count how many rusty old nuts and bolts I sprayed with WD-40 only to have to follow it up with PB Blaster to get the job done.

PB Blaster is the product everyone thinks WD-40 is. Even still, I wouldn’t use it in the place of real oil/grease/lubricant but in a pinch it’s far better than WD-40 for those odd chores.

For sure. PB Blaster is my go-to when I find a bolt on my truck that hasn't been touched since it left the factory in '88. Its a quick fix for a stuck bolt, but still not a great solution for a squeaky door hinge.

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