My brother-in-law swore by using a pickle jar to get a stuck pulley off

He's not a mechanic, he's a carpenter, but he was dead certain. Said he saw it on a farm once. The pulley on this '98 Civic's alternator was seized solid, wouldn't budge with my puller. Out of frustration, I grabbed an empty gallon pickle jar from the recycling, cut the bottom off, and filled it with a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. I let the pulley soak in that soup for a full night in my garage. Next morning, it came off with two light taps from a hammer. Smelled like a deli, but it worked. I've been in this trade 15 years and that was a new one for me. Anyone else have a weird household item fix that actually saved a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_stone412mo ago

That ATF and acetone mix is no joke, it's saved me a few times too. Just keep it off any rubber belts or hoses.

viola_cooper622mo ago

My uncle used a potato to get a broken key out of a tractor ignition once. He carved it down, jammed it in there, and it actually gripped the broken piece. Paul_stone41 is right about keeping that mix off rubber, my uncle ruined a good pair of work gloves with some home brew penetrant. What's the strangest tool you've had to use in a pinch?