how much asbestos in our Subies?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:05 pm

Given the established dangers of asbestos it is worth noting that it was not only our brake and clutch linings that contained asbestos. Head gaskets contained this evil stuff. So too inlet manifold gaskets on EA82 mpfi up until 1990 models, the parts books had a listing for asbestos or non asbestos.Taking this into account I do wonder if the white crap under the heatshielding of the EA82T exhaust crossover pipe is also asbestos? It does not look like fibreglass product

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:21 pm

Probabily... What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, sometimes...

I guess its a case of always being on the safe side of things when dealing with anything in the automotive industry and many others. I mean, petrol has been found to be cancerious but no one worried about it years ago - I've been playing with the stuff since I was ten!

Look out!

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:18 pm

I know what you mean about stuff. Something in petrol was a known (to some)carcinogen back when i was taught to clean up the reusable oil bottles with a petrol soaked rag at my first part time job at a servo. Where were the government and health authorities back when petrol was not handled by customers? Now the risk is shared around - it's called risk management. The warnings should be on every bowser like health warnings on cig packets.

mattl200 · Post by **mattl200** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:32 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Probabily... What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, sometimes...

I guess its a case of always being on the safe side of things when dealing with anything in the automotive industry and many others. I mean, petrol has been found to be cancerious but no one worried about it years ago - I've been playing with the stuff since I was ten!

Look out!

Bennie

asbestos only kills you theres no getting stronger from it

Thalass · Post by **Thalass** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:19 pm

All the more reason to convert to electric. No gaskets or high temps to speak of! haha!

I think that even given its asbestos we're talking about the amount present in a car shouldn't be enough to do you harm unless you went and snorted brake dust or something.

Even so, it is something to consider. Perhaps vacuuming the car more often to prevent build up?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:09 am

More a warning for those that go cutting heat shiels of the exhaust cross over pipe on the old L series. I suspect it is asbestos as it looks just like crap I have found when drilling holes in a fire door and tends to fly out and land all over the place.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:24 pm

steptoe wrote:More a warning for those that go cutting heat shiels of the exhaust cross over pipe on the old L series.

I have a turbo crossover pipe in pieces in the shed.

I dont think its asbestos, (well i hope it isn't) i'll go have a closer look and report back

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:19 am

It also sort of reminds me of the asbestos bench tops we had at school in the metalwork rooms, white and flaky fibrous stuff

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:36 am

I work with various asbestos constructed products on a daily basis.

Being an electrician, i come across it in the form of old switch board panels, eaves, walls and ceilings. Its not dangerous unless you breathe in the dust. Some people are exposed to it their whole career and it doesnt affect them, other people who have had been exposed to it once can develop asbestoses after many years.
I try to wear my respirator any time im working with it, but sometimes its just not practical.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:28 pm

I'd also like to add that I've been told (by a source that has an unknown reputation to me) that cement dust and other small floating particle activities we create today are much worst than asbestos...

Can any one confirm this?

Mattl200 - I know that, it was just a figure of speach that is used loosely all the time.

Thalas - have you ever stood on the platform of a subway train? Being from the country with excellent air quality compared to other places, I cannot breathe down there, I literally gag til I get out of that place! A few years back when I was at uni down there using them all the time it was not a problem once I was used to it, but now I cannot stand the electric motor air pollution that so many people are 'immune' to... I wonder if this would be the same if we all drove electric cars?

Cheers

Bennie

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:43 am

El_Freddo wrote: but now I cannot stand the electric motor air pollution that so many people are 'immune' to... I wonder if this would be the same if we all drove electric cars?

Most of the pollution in the underground railway stations is brake dust. The only pollution that electric motors make is carbon dust from the brushes, but this is two blocks of graphite about the size of your fist spread out over tens of thousands of kms. Not to mention that all new trains use AC motors that don't have brushes.