My TR4A glovebox manual (a reprint) actually advises the owner to blow off
the brake dust with an airhose!!
I think the businesses that sell those reprints (Moss, V-B, etc.) need to
place a sticker on that page of the manual warning of the danger of
following the manual's advice.
John Middlesworth
On Sun, 14 Jun 1998, Michael D. Porter wrote:
>
> jmwagner wrote:
> >
> > I thought they stopped asbestos in brake linings... at least, in all the
>pads that
> > are standard equipment, etc... (i.e. not custom racing pads, etc.) Am I
>wrong?
> > Nevertheless... asbestos or not asbestos... the warning seems wise... no
>matter
> > what it is, particulate matter is not a good thing to breath.
>
> I write maintenance manuals for a living, for commercial heavy-duty
> equipment, and I put a warning into every book about both asbestos-based
> and organic-based brake material. First, that asbestos fibers have been
> shown to be harmful to health, and that the health effects of
> substituted organic brake materials have not been established, and
> should be treated as harmful.
>
> Moreover, the previous suggestion that aerosol-delivered brake cleaners
> solve the problem has been found to be less than effective. The blast of
> propellant from the can raises almost as much dust as compressed air. If
> one thinks brake cleaner is necessary, the entire brake area should be
> wetted with water first (not under pressure), and then brake cleaner can
> be applied. This will significantly reduce the amount of brake dust
> raised.
>
> This is one of those areas which can be taken to extremes, I admit. I
> think, personally, that some people are most susceptible to the effects
> of inorganic fibers and suffer from that exposure, and others are not.
> Nevertheless, who of us knows whom is susceptible? Common sense should
> apply. As for the suggestion that linings have been changed in the last
> few years, it's worth mentioning that many here are working on older
> cars of which the maintenance history is not well-documented. Many
> people may well be working on cars which have not had any brake
> maintenance since prior to the change in brake linings.
>
> It's also worth mentioning that ordinary masks (the cotton and paper
> fiber variety held in place by an elastic strap) do not trap the
> particles which cause the most damage. Some health physics research done
> in the early `80s established the following: particles above 1 micron in
> diameter do not attach to lung tissue permanently, and are eventually
> expelled. Particles below 0.8 micron have too little surface area to
> allow them to stick to lung tissue. Particles in the range of 0.8-1.0
> micron in diameter do lodge in the lungs and remain attached. Because of
> the physical nature of inorganic fibers, the suggestion in the
> scientific literature is that they act as an irritant to lung tissue,
> and that the continual irritation eventually causes cell mutations which
> lead to mesothelioma and related cancers, and to the scar tissue which
> gradually impairs lung function.
>
> Given that, I still think lung impairment, like most other physical
> abuse, is cumulative. It's still worth mentioning that there are still
> those cases in which limited exposure has caused significant long-term
> trauma. Be sensible about brake work, folks. There's also considerable
> suggestion in the scientific literature that children exposed to
> asbestos dust in the first eight years of life have more pronounced
> health effects from exposure than do adults. Keep the kids back a bit
> when you're explaining how to fix brakes.
>
> Cheers.
>
> --
> My other Triumph runs, but....
>
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