Originally Posted By: tompumped
Like I expected you aren't capable of rationalizing by taking a minute and reading through your posts and thinking about it. I know for a fact I will never in my life get to a point where I felt the need to go in a thread and do what you did. Just like you can't begin to understand how pathetic and illogical it is, I can't even begin to understand what it takes in life to get to that point. It's truly mind boggling. I'd seriously consider lurking more, you might learn something, or you can detract and derail the thread whichever makes more sense.
Anyone who has worked on cars for a living or works on cars for a living knows how valuable brake cleaner is, you will never get it no matter how much you try and wrap your closed mind around it. Here's a secret, it isn't just for brakes. How's that for thinking for myself!
Maybe in taiwan if you use it for anything other than brakes you'll get arrested, but here you're free to do as you please. I'm sure in Taiwan you're allowed to think real hard for yourself and question everything and anything if you so chose without any consequence whatsoever. It's hilarious to see people speak of thinking for themselves but so many are so hopelessly brainwashed and programmed it's a tragedy. Hypothetically, if you started thinking too hard about the wonderful chinese government and being vocal in taiwan i'd bet you'd disappear in an instant. I often think of moving to china or taiwan to be surround by such wonderful soulless, err, I mean soulful people who value every single human life. It must be like paradise over there. I always wanted to live where I could eat tortured cats and dogs cooked in gutter oil and throw my newborn daughter out like the trash she is. If I move there can you find me a job torturing and cooking dogs that is all i've wanted to so since a child. Maybe if i'm real lucky I can get a job killing prisoners or late term aborted fetuses and harvesting their organs.
Once again thank you for your contribution. I wouldn't be the technician I am today if it wasn't for great minds like yourself taking the time to share your knowledge with others on the internet.
Uh-huh
Re "All these shops around the world that use brake cleaner could just be using water." I thought about that for a minute, like you suggested.
Number 1 (always popular, especially in Taiwan)
Nobody does it because....nobody does it.
Closed minds aside, deviating from accepted commercial practice is risky. There might be unsuspected gotcha's, and even if there aren't, deviating from established practice might expose you to liability simply because you've...er...deviated from established practice. Doesn't affect me working on my own vehicle.
Number 2 : Time is Money
Brake cleaner dries fast, water doesn't, even here. Commercially you might not have the time to let it dry naturally. You could flush it down with alcohol but that's another step/cost. Doesn't affect me working on my own vehicle.
Number 3 : Lack of safety concern
Techs might not consider brake dust dangerous and even if an individual tech did his boss might disagree. Doesn't affect me working on my own vehicle.
Number 4: Harmful effects of water
Could promote corrosion (doesn't seem to) cause temporary loss of braking performance, or freeze. All of these except the first are addressed by letting it dry (and by not doing it below 0C), which I can do because I'm not on a clock, and I'm in Taiwan.
Re "It isn't only for brakes" sure. There are cases where degreasing is required. I have some 3M brake cleaner in an aerosol can but I don't use it much since other solvents, notably petrol, are cheaper and seem to be as effective.
I'd guess there are cases where brake cleaner is the best choice. I'd hope, for example, that it was relatively rubber-friendly.
However, hosing down an engine compartment soaked in brake fluid, which you mention doing above, doesn't seem to be one of them, and routine brake cleaning isn't either.