[diesel_mercedes] Re: my 2 cents on headlights. toothpaste

 

Good thing he didn't brush his teeth with it!

Jim

--- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, audiolaw@... wrote:
>
> It's VERY important to remember that toothpaste is abrasive, and
> 'whitening' toothpaste is more abrasive than average toothpaste. The result of
> polishing headlights with toothpaste should be the same as polishing any metal
> or glass with abrasives.
>
> Even fine abrasives leave groove patterns in what is polished. The
> finer the polish, the finer the grooves. And whether you polish in a
> straight line or swirl or circles, etc. will also affect the grooves that are
> left.
>
> Look at a CD or DVD. The groove in one of those (one groove, from
> edge to center) is too fine to be visible to the naked eye. But tilt the disc
> in the light and you will see rainbow patterns reflected, as the light
> refracts off the groove.
>
> I expect that you can achieve good results with a fine abrasive. I
> don't know that toothpaste is fine enough. But now that they're clean, get
> an LED minimag lite and shine it through from the bulb socket. Move it
> around and see how the light comes through the lens, and whether it is getting
> refracted or the lens focus is affected.
>
> You might want to get some very fine silver or other polish to follow
> the toothpaste.
>
> ALSO, notice that the refracting grooves also happen whenever anyone
> uses emery paper or a fine file on electrical connections. It doesn't take
> much to cut through any coating on the connection and expose the base
> metal, thereby decreasing the electrical conductivity AND opening the door to
> corrosion starting.
>
> That's why electronic engineers always say NEVER 'clean' any
> electrical connection with anything harsher than a pencil eraser.
>
> Tom
>
>
>
> In a message dated 3/9/2013 9:52:51 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> jcrcpa@... writes:
>
>
>
>
> Last week I cleaned the headlights on my cars based on a utube video.
> colgate whitening toothpaste. rub on rub off. made them clear as ... well
> it made them clear. I will report back after a few weeks.
>
> Chuck
> 84 300sd
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : Electric Contact Cleaning

 


Tom WROTE :
>
> That's why electronic engineers always say NEVER 'clean' any
> electrical connection with anything harsher than a pencil eraser.
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
Nate does too ! and he's as far as you'll ever get from being an Engineer =8-) .

-Nate

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[diesel_mercedes] Re : Pleastic Headlight Cleaning

 


In general ;

Plastics can easily be cleared up to look near new by gentle application of a mild abrasive polish .

Toothpaste is a gentle abrasive , the cheaper brands tend to be more gentle .

Avoid " whitening ! " etc. brands at all costs .

The polishing medium used makes a difference too ~ I use plain Scotts tissue paper or lens tissue when I can find it cheaply (war surplus , salvage freight etc.) as towels and old T - Shirts tend to leave tiny scratches .

You'll prolly be well pleased with the job you've done for years to come Chip .

-Nate
Chip wrote :
>
> Last week I cleaned the headlights on my cars based on a utube video.
> colgate whitening toothpaste. rub on rub off. made them clear as ... well it made them clear. I will report back after a few weeks.
>
> Chuck
> 84 300sd
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re: Rebuilding a Diesel Engine

 


You'd be well advised to break it in on Dino Diesel Fuel and run it at least 5,000 miles before going back to whatever alternative fuels you prefer .

If , once you have the cylinder head off , you find ovaled cylinder walls , you might be ahead $ wise by exchanging the entire engine for a rebuilt one from Mercedes Benz .

-Nate
Rusty wrote :
>
> Bobby,
>
> Thanks for the suggestions. We have monitored oil over the years but have not seen any obvious indications of pollution beyond normal diesel oil wear. I am considering sending off some for chemical analysis.
>
> Oil consumption was "normal" according to MB before the failure. My experience with this engine started with about a half a quart consumption every 3000 miles (my typical oil change intervals with diesels). Peaked at around 2 quarts at point it failed.
>
> I have had starting issues with car that originally pointed me at the starter. Engine would seem to be locked and starter would not spin the flywheel. We determined that the starter was bad and replaced. (Note: the starter on this engine is too heavy to handle with one hand overhead and under the car - unfortunate near miss was learning opportunity here) Rebuilt the starter and all was good for about a year. May not have been entirely the starter as car started to feel "locked up" once or twice which a bump or two with starter would "free" the engine and it would start right up.
>
> Mechanic felt that the car ran too smoothly for a bent crank arm when this started.
>
> Additionally for some reason we started to experience a loss of coolant a 30,000 before failure. No sign of water in the oil. Eventually we found some pin hole leaks in water pump that prompted replacement
>
> I am not ruling out an issue with #1 cylinder. Regardless we are planning to replace all the crank ams with larger ones if they are not already there.
>
> Where would you look for after market fuel warming add ons?
>
> I am pretty sure that some of the bio d we make is sub par. I have had 2 incidents with glycerol in the fuel. Removed, cleaned and replaced tank and all lines and filters and pumps on 2 of 3 diesels.
>
> Am also interested in options on injectors. My bio d partner has an elsbett kit in his VW that seems to eat anything it is offered. Question is would some modification to the injectors offer any engine performance improvements?
>
> Thanks for your input,
> Rusty
>
>
>

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[diesel_mercedes] Re:LBC's ~ DELETE NOW !

 


Those Austin Princess Saloons can be easily turned into serious money makers , just clean it up and paint white , rent out with driver in tux (you) for weddings.....

I've not seen one in a junkyard for about three decades , it too was 100 % complete but had holes rusted everywhere .

All those Hillmans & etc. sold here in fairly large numbers from the mid 1950's through the mid 1960's , were serious fuel sippers , that's why they didn't need to stop well and were out of breath by 50 MPH ~ those few that weren't ruined by running on America's 55 + MPH highways , rusted out in short order . those few remaining , can easily be made into good daily drivers that return at least 35 MPG's.....

Some can be coaxed to run reliably @ 65 ~ 75 MPH with some tinkering and upgrades , my old Austin Metropolitan Nash FHC is a good example ~ it runs all day long at speed but , tends to not like high speed corning very much .

A Citroen Mechanic friend of mine has been trying to make me save a Sunbeam Station Wagon , it's a desert car and so is rust free , cheap too but I'm getting to beat up to keep rebuilding old vehicles , sad to say .

I bet he'd sell it to you for less than scrap value...

-Nate
Mark wrote :
>
> The only English car I've ever owned was a '58 Minx DeLux sedan. Kinda fun; it was obvious it was came from a land in which acceleration, high speed driving and quick stopping were not especially valued. Probably just the thing for a leisurely jaunt in a country with few, if any, Interstate/Autobahn/Autoroute/Autostrada-type roadways.
>
>
> When I was in 2nd grade, my dad bought a then-new 1968 Sunbeam Arrow wagon from some Bay-area Dodge dealer (we lived in Sonoma county for 9-months when he took a job at Fireman's Fund). This was when the Rootes Group, the parent company of both Hillman and Sunbeam, was acquired by Chrysler Corporation. The "Sunbeam" moniker was for US audiences only, as the Sunbeam name had a sporty connotation here. The rest of the world knew it as the Hillman Avenger. (A few years later, the same car, slightly updated, was again sold in North America as the Plymouth Cricket.)
>
>
>
> The last time I was at Colorado Auto and Parts (one of my favorite P-A-Ps; they still let you in for no charge) about a week ago, they had a '61 Austin Princess in their used car section. RHD, so boated in from the homeland; pretty car, looked complete, but I can bet it would need 'bout everything just to be a daily driver. I looked underneath and didn't see any obvious signs of major rust, but didn't try (literally) poking around. I didn't bother to ask the price: was afraid I'd end up with a lightened wallet and yet another weird-car project to store at the shop....
>
>
>
> Mark in Lakewood, CO
>

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Re: [diesel_mercedes] my 2 cents on headlights. toothpaste

 

I've used toothpaste on my windshields with great sucess, and my infared door locks.
 
 
Tennessee Nate
From: "audiolaw@aol.com" <audiolaw@aol.com>
To: diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, March 9, 2013 10:15 PM
Subject: Re: [diesel_mercedes] my 2 cents on headlights. toothpaste
 
    It's VERY important to remember that toothpaste is abrasive, and 'whitening' toothpaste is more abrasive than average toothpaste.  The result of polishing headlights with toothpaste should be the same as polishing any metal or glass with abrasives. 
 
    Even fine abrasives leave groove patterns in what is polished.  The finer the polish, the finer the grooves.  And whether you polish in a straight line or swirl or circles, etc. will also affect the grooves that are left. 
 
    Look at a CD or DVD.  The groove in one of those (one groove, from edge to center) is too fine to be visible to the naked eye.  But tilt the disc in the light and you will see rainbow patterns reflected, as the light refracts off the groove. 
 
    I expect that you can achieve good results with a fine abrasive.  I don't know that toothpaste is fine enough.  But now that they're clean, get an LED minimag lite and shine it through from the bulb socket.  Move it around and see how the light comes through the lens, and whether it is getting refracted or the lens focus is affected. 
 
    You might want to get some very fine silver or other polish to follow the toothpaste. 
 
    ALSO, notice that the refracting grooves also happen whenever anyone uses emery paper or a fine file on electrical connections.  It doesn't take much to cut through any coating on the connection and expose the base metal, thereby decreasing the electrical conductivity AND opening the door to corrosion starting. 
 
    That's why electronic engineers always say NEVER 'clean' any electrical connection with anything harsher than a pencil eraser. 
 
Tom 
 
 
In a message dated 3/9/2013 9:52:51 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, jcrcpa@tx.rr.com writes:
 
Last week I cleaned the headlights on my cars based on a utube video.
colgate whitening toothpaste. rub on rub off. made them clear as ... well it made them clear. I will report back after a few weeks.

Chuck
84 300sd

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