Hai, all and thanks again to those who replied with many good answers. Here is another question on the same subject.

I have received my parts for the job yesterday from FCP Groton. I bought ATE rotors and ATE caliper (left). The rotors came covered in very tacky grease-kind of stuff. The question is what is it and how do I best clean it off? I imagine it is there to protect the discs while in storage and shipping. So, would a can of brake cleaner do? Maybe electric cleaner? Gasoline? I am trying to keep my home and garage from smelling badly, so the less of the poroposed solvent the better.

Will probably tackle the job tomorrow if it's not too cold.

Thanks again.
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual - his, '93 945 (approaching 200K miles and rolling on...) - hers

Some of this is water soluble and can be washed off in dish detergent and water. This treatment is a good final degreaser after you've used brake cleaner.
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See the 700/900 FAQ under 'Select Link' button on the top right.

Dear Vladimir,

May this find you well. Do not use gasoline as a solvent! Gasoline fumes are heavier than air. Gasoline fumes will fall to ground level. Air currents can carry them along the ground to an ignition source, sometimes many feet from the use point.

Take the rotors in the open air, i.e. outside. Spray them with brake cleaner. If there's hardened, caked-on grease, use a paper towel - or a clean, plastic kitchen scrubber (do not use metal pot scrubbers).

Re-spray with brake cleaner to remove any paper fibers or grease film. That should give you a 100% grease/oil-free surface.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Thank you very much. As usual, very useful and timely advice. I was not going to try gasoline, just put that in thelist of options to stir interest :) Brake cleaner is the way to go, then. I'll pick some up on the way from work today.

Thank you.
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual - his, '93 945 (approaching 200K miles and rolling on...) - hers

Dear Vladimir,

Good p.m. You're welcome. Use of gasoline as a solvent, could lead to major complications. Were a gasoline vapor explosion to launch you into space. NASA would surely seek criminal charges, of unlicensed space flight. Your re-entry and landing would lead to further charges - flying without a license - sought by the FAA. In sum, the upside and the downside of using gasoline as a solvent, are likely to be costly.

Good luck with the brake job.

Yours faithfully,

spook

It's not the upside that kills you, it's the impact of the downside :) I don't think NASA or FAA would have a very good chargee after the unlicensed landing.

In general I try to have gasoline as contained as possible. I have a motorcycle in the garage which has a vented gas tank (gravity fed to the carb) and even that worries me a little. So far no FAA troubles, though.

Here's another little issue I just thought of what with all the government agency talk and all. What do I do with the used brake fluid? I must admit to sometimes cheating and putting it into my oil recycling pan and taking it to the local auto store for recycling in their oil recycling tank. I usually have it pretty well mixed with oil from my oil changes. I do feel a bit guilty, though. I have also done it with antifreeze. I am so ashamed! But what is the legal convenient alternative (I should probably start a new thread about this)?

Thanks!
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Vladimir. '98 S70 base, 5-speed manual - his, '93 945 (approaching 200K miles and rolling on...) - hers

Dear Vladimir,

May this find you well. Safe disposal of used automotive working fluids requires that they not be contaminated, i.e., mixed with anything else (water, gasoline, etc.).

Coolant: some Wal-Marts will take used coolant or motor oil, if in containers for those products (i.e., not in plastic milk containers, some of which do not have screw-type caps). I also returned used Volvo coolant to the dealer, where I bought coolant.

Transmission Fluid: Some transmission shops will take used fluid that is "clean", i.e., not contaminated with water or gasoline. Fluid dirty from use should be accepted. A little water in ATF is not a problem: it floats to the top. Gasoline in ATF is hugely dangerous.

Brake fluid: some auto stores - if they have a repair center - can recycle brake fluid.

Gear oil: recycle the same as motor oil.

Lead/Acid Batteries: Sears automotive centers takes used batteries. Some Wal-Marts will take a used battery. Indeed, at some stores, if you buy a car battery, there's a "core charge", rebated when you turn-in the replaced battery.

Some municipalities may have re-cycling centers - usually at a landfill - where oil, coolant, etc., is collected, put into drums, and sent for re-processing.

I'm no chemist, so cannot say if brake fluid contaminates used oil. However, coolant surely contaminates used oil, ATF, or gasoline, and so should be re-cycled separately.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

Where I live, the county has a "recycling center" that will take oil, brake fluid, etc. They like you to put it back into the same sort of container (used brake fluid in the bottle got your new fluid in, for instance), just so they can readily sort it.

They also publish a sheet of what and how to recycle and I was surprised that it says that car antifreeze can simply be disposed of down the drain.

When I had a house furnace that burned fuel oil, I used to put my used motor oil in that tank. That probably wouldn't have passed the EPA's sniff test either.
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Andy in St. Paul - '91 745 218K mi, '91 745 210K, '90 744 183K, all Rex-Regina - past 240s