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Loved and Loathed Automotive Fluids Part II
Posted August 7 2008 03:40 PM by Kevin Blumer - Assistant Editor 
Filed under: Editorials

Friend or Enemy?

Here's more of my short list of runny stuff that I either love or loathe.


Brake fluid—This is a vile liquid.  It eats paint.  It hurts the skin and eyes.  It’s hard to clean up.  It absorbs water.  The thing I hate most about brake fluid is that it’s the Harry Houdini of automotive fluids.  Once a can of brake fluid has been opened and the original seal peeled away, the remaining fluid invariably weeps out and gets all over the place.  It doesn’t seem to matter how tight you screw on the lid, brake fluid is an escape artist with few peers.

Loctite thread locker—This ranks right up there with synthetic motor oil and brake cleaner as one of my favorites.  Properly applied Loctite translates into peace of mind on the highway and the trail.  Nuts and bolts don’t come loose until you tell them to.  Blue, red, or green, Loctite is your friend.

Power steering fluid/automatic transmission fluid—These are nearly identical twins, and I hate both of them.  I like power steering and automatic transmissions, but like brake fluid, these are also liquid Houdini’s ready to flee ostensibly tight containers.

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