The "dust mask" respirators that are sold in many auto, hardware, or home improvement stores will not work for asbestos. These dust masks are designed for nusance dust such as sweeping a floor. A respirator with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arresting) filter is needed. Same for a vacuum as asbestos fibers will pass through a standard vacuum cleaner bag. Note that an asbestos fiber is much smaller than a human hair and will pass right through a "dust mask" style respirator. I have done many brake jobs since a teenager and used air guns to clean the dust off shoes, drums, backing plates, etc without the knowledge that asbestos could be harmful. Of course the same goes for lead, carbon tetrachloride, solvents, leaded gas and other nasties we all have used in our time. I'll make it a couple of more years!! We all just need to use common sense. Thanks Dave Moore --- "D'Aloise, Lawrence Jr." <ldaloise@xxxx> wrote: > Asbestos is dangerous wherever it is found. Asbestos > in brake linings is > particularly dangerous because it becomes airborn > when the brake drums are > removed in great concentrations. This is why one > should never use air to > blow the dust away. If you must change asbestos > linings, wear a respirator. > Even small exposures to asbestos can cause incurable > cancer in some. Warren > is right that asbestos and smoking is a lethal > combination. However, many > non-smokers have contracted many forms of asbestos > disease. > Larry D'Aloise -----Original Message----- > From: Warren R Anderson > [mailto:wranderson@xxxx] > Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 2:17 PM > To: macthehammer@xxxx; Chrysler300 > Subject: [Chrysler300] Some additional thoughts > > > Good post. > > You did not mention it but GM, for one, has put out > vehicles in recent years > with different friction materials on inside and > outside brake pads. Some > cars were initially retrofitted to cure a problem > and some are still that > way from the factory. Retrofitting on my own I have > not tried but most OE > cures are muchly researched and tested prior to > release (I hope). > > A Torqueflite with a bang shift is just as bad as a > slide bump shifter, IMO. > I use Trans-Go shift kits which have worked > flawlessly for me in many > applications. BTW these people firmly profess that > Type F fluid should not > be used in anything; many different opinions out > there. > > I still have my Ammco 8000 brake shoe grinder. I > quit using it except for > very special projects over ten years ago. It also > has the Ammco 8925 dust > collecting system. I keep it around because some day > I will need it. The > shoes we are getting today are working quite well > out of the box. The dust > collection gadget does work quite well. The grinder > does require very > careful attention to shoe mounting in the clamps and > is very dependant on > the straightness of the shoes which is not always > good. The mounting system > is one very good reason why I quit using the thing. > I think shoe > remanufacturers are doing a better job than they > were say 20 years ago as to > quality of arcing as OSHA does not want (or has > banned?) the use of grinders > in back shops except with approved dust collection > systems that are, of > course, very expensive. There is also no excess > material on present day > relined shoes. > > It would seem that there is some question in some > learned circles as to the > health problems that can be rightfully attributed to > the exposure of ones > self to brake asbestos. The thinking is that > asbestos in the mine is a > serious health hazard where the asbestos in brake > (and clutch) materials > with binders etc. is not near as much a hazard. > Smoking and asbestos is a > real bad combination with non smokers at far less > risk. IMO we need to stay > away from over exposure. > > Warren Anderson > Sedona,AZ > > > > To send a message to this group, send an email to: > Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > For list server instructions, go to > http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > Chrysler300-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com