Kinderlehrer's wrote:
> FWIW, I was told by a professonal ( ie., he gets paid for doing what we all
> try to do for fun)
If I had a nickel for all the damage done by "professionals". Hang
out on the list for a while for some good stories.
Pardon if it seems like I have a grumbly tone to all my
messages this week, but I'd be VERY hesitant to blindly
trust mechanics. Especially against the collective wisdom
of the users of this list.
People on this list are enthusiasts and want to know as
much as they can. Most mechanics want to know as much as
they need to know to make a living. Minutia and trivia
are not important, and many of the details that we discuss
fall into these categories.
Simply, and honestly, there is far more British Car
expertise on this list than you are likely to get from
just about any mechanic unless his name is John Twist.
> Just dump the silicone fluid on top of the DOT and pull
> it, or bleed it, through the system. Since they won't mix, you will see a
> change in color at the bleeding valves when you get to the silicone and the
> DOT is gone.
I would not recommend this. Combine some of the fluids
in a glass jar to see why. The little "solids" that appear
are not what I want in my brake system.
As well, expect most of your rubber parts to require
replacement shortly after. A few decades of soaking in
DOT fluid followed by immersion in a DOT-free liquid
is not a pretty site.
I agree that it's tempting to trust local mechanics, mostly
because their advice is usually of the flavour "oh
you don't need to do all that just take this shortcut,
I do it all the time". But shortcuts to "pros" put
dollars in their pockets and somebody else pays for
the resulting problems. We aren't so lucky.
--
Trevor Boicey
Ottawa, Canada
tboicey@brit.ca
http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
|