So I spilled brake fluid on myself last night without realising it (just a drop or two - I was tapping the catch can with my foot trying to get it in the right spot.).

Needless to say - about 2 hours later I thought I had a ripping mosquito bite - it ate through my sock (1" long hole) and now I have a whelt on my ankle about 1" by 0.5".

So - like you really need to be told: be careful with brake fluid.

oh, and just in case you wonder, trust me, it doesn't taste very good either ....

Andy

celebrity stalker, eh?

Andy

Yea I hate that stuff it makes your hands hot for a few seconds right before all the feeling in your fingers goes away.

I pretty much bath in it.

ya and unless you're into sadomasochism, keep the petrol off yer balldinis (pleaseohplease don't ask me how i know)

Keep petrol off just about any part of your anatomy. I was struggling mightily with a fuel filter on an Alfa awhile back, my clamp slipped off and I had about a gallon of gas pour out of the line and down my arm, my side, my leg, which soaked nicely into the sweatpants I was wearing. I kept on with the filter, and started to feel my entire side from ankle to hip to wrist burning like I was on fire. Finished the filter, ducked into the garage, and off came everything and directly upstairs and into the shower. I had a nice chemical burn all down one side for several days, after just 5 minutes of exposure.

Not to mention the fire hazard...

And to think some people want us to use methanol as fuel instead. Just reading the toxicity notes on that would make me want to buy a full-body chemical suit to go anywhere near it...

One spark from static cling and woof, you'd be roasting like a marshmellow. (picture smoke as fire)

Keep the brake fluid off your paint too. Unless you want to repaint your car. I'm not sure about todays paints but laquer paints would be eaten in a matter of hours if you spilled brake fluid on it. Trust me, I found out the hard way as a teenager!!

Brake fluid seems to help close up cuts when you get them pretty well though.

OK, here's the real deal, whenever working with brake fluid, especially when bleeding them, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!!!

'Had brake fluid , just a touch of it get into me eye while I was bleeding the brakes. Some fluid streamed out and splashed, the splash got in the eye. Dispite immediate flushing with cold water for 10 - 15 minutes, it still burned, Went to the emergency room, and they flushed more, and had me put medicine in the eye for several days. It kept burning, hurt for a long time.

It was just a bit of brake fluid, not even really a big splash, so I was lucky, but would have been much better off with glasses, so now, years later, I still always wear safety glasses when working with brake fluid. Same goes for solvents, gasoline, power tools, and compressed air.

Do not loss your eyesight for lack of glasses.

Silicone brake fluid (you must change all rubber parts to new, and flush out all metal lines if converting) is non corrosive to paint, less damaging to human flesh (but I'd still rinse it off) I have it in one of my cars, good stuff.

dave