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A 1" box end always works for me (mine is even a 12 point). However...
From 700/900 faq:
Socket Sets: Twelve or Six Point? [Editor] When I began working on cars, I considered my Sears 12-point socket set adequate. Many stuck and rounded bolts later, I now use a six-point set almost all the time unless tight clearance demands a twelve-point socket. If the nut or bolt is at all rounded, corroded, badly stuck or worn, a six point socket will grip much better and prevent further rounding. A twelve-point socket or wrench will make matters much worse. Similarly, if you encounter a damaged or stuck bolt head and are using a box-end wrench, consider buying a six-point wrench for the application (Lowe's in the US sells a nice six-point combination wrench set.) This prevents further damage to the bolt or nut.
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Flare Wrenches. Flare wrench quality is critical when loosening a stuck brake or fuel line fitting. Cheap flare wrenches are not dimensionally accurate and the jaws can open up under stress. [Tips from Chuck] Craftsman, KD and Easco are the same bunch from Danaher manufacturing; their heads tend to open up under stress. Any other wrench they make is fine, have used them for years. Mac Tools' tend to open up as well. For high-quality flare wrenches, Snapon is not the only choice: SK and Bonney do just fine with their line wrenches.
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Loosening Tight Bolts and Studs.
Penetrating and Dismantling Oils. Forget about WD-40 and Liquid Wrench. The only stuff to buy in the US and Canada is PBBlaster, available at IPD, Walmart and other mass marketers. Kroil is another good brand. [Peter Milne] In the UK, try E.A.C.'s PlusGas Formula A, available from tool and engineers' supply shops.
Techniques. [Pat Dwyer] Try TIGHTENING the offending item, just a LEETLE bit, THEN try loosening it. Since learning THAT one, it has come in handy mucho times.
The P.O. thread-locked a carburtor together and I risk snapping off a screw. Any solvent that will dissolve this? [Dave Lot] Usually heat is used to soften up and remove locked fasteners. Then you can use a solvent on the bolt threads to clean the remains. [McDuck] Spec is 400 F; try a soldering iron on the screw, or a torch.
Using Wax and Heat. Heat the area around the bolt with a propane torch, and touch a candle or beeswax to the threads. The wax will be sucked into the opening around the threads, and the bolt can be removed easily. The heating and candle application may have to be repeated a couple times. This works on the same principle as sweat-soldering copper pipes, and will work where penetrating oil will not. (Always use care when and where you apply heat). [Art Benstien] In the absence of beeswax, I used Chapstick and it worked well.
Using Cold. Gently heat the area around the female side with a heat gun and then spray the male side with a can of electronics freeze (used to locate intermittent breaks on circuit boards: buy it at Radio Shack). This may shrink the male bolt enough to break the bond and then allow you to first tighten (as above), then loosen. Spray with PBlaster to ensure that it penetrates into the joint.
Other Tools. Try using a pipe wrench: the self locking action against the bolt head will often cause it to turn, but will also destroy it in the process so have a spare.
Cutting Off the Offending Nut. [Tip from Randy G.] When removing rusted or otherwise stuck nuts or bolts, penetrating oil and impact tools can work, but sometimes just make the job more difficult (as when breaking off a fastener below a point where it can easily be accessed). One of the handiest tools is a Dremel type tool (high speed, power rotary tool) . Using the small cut off wheels (approx. 1" in diameter) spinning at high speed (30,000 rpm depending on the tool) these thin, brittle wheels can cut through even the hardest steel. I have used this method to remove a stripped axle spindle nut without damaging the threads of the spindle. Be aware that a full-face protection shield is recommended and that spectators remove themselves from the area. When these little wheels break they can travel some distance. The wheels are available in little containers of 25 (I think) and although they will break quite often until you get the feel for them they are relatively inexpensive.
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Loosening Stripped Drain Plugs. For removing stripped transmission and differential drain plugs:
Try heating area of bolt with a heat gun and then cooling the bolt (see note above on Using Heat and Cold). Use a six-point socket after cleaning up the hex sides with a file.
Try removing the whole cover and then drilling it out, or get another cover from a salvage yard
Give it a shot of PB'laster and let it sit over night. Then apply a pipe wrench. The pipe wrench will mess up the bolt head but it's shot anyway. The design is such it will grip tighter the more torque you put to it ... and it was made to, among other things, grip round pipe. I've used a pipe wrench with good results on a number of really nasty, stubborn drain and fill bolts on both diffs and trannys. Not an orthodox tool for Brick repair granted ... but it often works in situations like this.
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