Brake fluid/cleaner side effects?

[XC92]

I was working on my Talon's clutch slave cylinder the other day, which appeared to have a leak that was letting in air that was preventing it from disengaging the clutch. So I took it off and saw that it was pretty dirty, and cleaned it with shop towels and brake cleaner.

Naturally this meant getting some brake fluid on my hands, which was hard to avoid even with nitrile gloves, breathing in whatever fumes it gives off, as well as getting brake cleaner on my fingers and breathing it in. Both are known to be pretty nasty substances. Brake fluid dissolves paint, which says it all, and brake cleaner breaks down into phosgene and hydrogen chloride when heated above a certain temperature (not a factor when I used it), both capable of killing you. I worked on the car outdoors, but some exposure to both was impossible to avoid without specialized PPE, which I don't have.

Anyway, later that day I felt a burning sensation in my lungs. I attributed it to a short run I went on after I was done working on the car, after nearly a month of not running. But it may well have been the brake fluid and/or cleaner. The next couple of days, though, I felt extremely tired, like I could barely stay awake. Turns out that one of the side effects of brake cleaner is fatigue.

Has anyone else here felt either of these or other symptoms after exposure to either substance?

 

[twicks69]

Dude seriously??? I use at least 2 or 3 CASES of brake clean daily and have zero issues. Unless you are insanely hypersensitive to chemicals and you were using chlorinated brake clean in excess, I think you would be better off going and getting a covid test.

 

[motomattx]

Lol dont be a hypochondriac about it, guys spray paint, brake cleaner, paint stripper, paint thinner etc all day for a living for years with little or no face or hand coverings, gasoline and used motor oil has worse things in it than your brake fluid does, brake fluid is mineral oil based, so is baby oil, I wouldn't give it much thought.

 

[pat white]

hey the lungs can be sensitive ...you could be like borderline asthmatic and the brake fluid cause a mild attack ...I worked on this one site where the air quality wasn't so good and did a lung function test and failed even though i had no classic symptoms ...got checked out by a doctor and was told i was borderline for asthma and lung irritants could possibly trigger an attack ..since then it's 3m masks with charcoal filters for the dirty stuff....so far so good can still run a couple of miles no problem

 

[twicks69]

Yes, to be fair, you could be asthmatic. But typically there should be no issue with very limited contact with brake fluid or brake cleaner, especially in an open air environment.

 

[Mech Addict]

The VOCs in brake cleaner are more often associated with chronic exposure carcinogenic effects (cancer; lung, liver). In the body, VOC are absorbed quick through skin and lungs, and also eliminated through the lungs To a large extent. May explain the burning.
Brake fluid is toxic, but not volatile, so you don’t really breathe it so much. It is water soluble, though, so more easily gets absorbed in skin.
As far as safety, sure you can point to folks using it for years w/o apparent consequence. You could say the same about seatbelts or cigarettes, but the manufacturer puts those warnings on the labe for a reason. Don’t fool yourself. Nitrile gloves and good ventilation go a long way.

 

[XC92]

I'm not asthmatic or have ever had lung issues. And, I suppose it could be covid or even the flu or something else even though I'm not showing any other symptoms.

But I've noticed that whenever I've used brake cleaner or worked with brake fluid and any got on my hands, I didn't feel "right" for a day or two afterwards. Unlike mechies who work with these things daily in much higher quantities for years on end, my body hasn't acclimated to them.

It's mainly the fatigue I'm wondering about. Something just didn't seem right and it was right after being exposed to both. I guess it's time to get tested for the Big C again. Covid, that is.

 

[twicks69]

Again, everyone has their sensitivities to certain things. I have been around stuff for 20 years between the automotive side as well as my environmental geology side that I have had a lot more experience than most with these chemicals. As well, I do use my PPE and actively ventilate and I know exactly what chemicals I am working with, their exposure limits and what symptoms to watch for.

 

[XC92]

I guess I need to invest in a decent ventilator/respirator as I'm going to be using brake cleaner and be exposed to other noxious volatile chemicals in the future. Still lots more to be done on my car. Clearly worth the investment if I'm showing symptoms and to avoid longer-term issues.

 

[streetraceboi]

How bout you just go to the doctor and find out? Or...go get a Covid test? Or...GO TO THE DOCTOR

 

[twicks69]

If you really need to be wearing a half mask, get yourself sized up, do a fit test to make sure it is properly sealing, and run it with 3M 60923 pink / yellow cartridges. They do have a lifespan, so when you are not using the mask, seal it in a gallon ziplock bag to extend its lifespan. If you are very irregularly using the mask a pair of cartridges should last you quite some time. I would use mine very regularly when I was doing HAZMAT related stuff for my environmental career and would replace them typically bi-weekly to monthly intervals. You can feel when they are ready to replace as it is harder to breathe through the mask.

If you are literally only using it to spray a little or minimal contact with these chemicals, in active ventilation, you likely are fine with nitrile gloves and safety glasses. Wash exposed areas with soap and water thoroughly. Simple as that.

 

[XC92]

The symptoms have passed. I seriously doubt it's covid. I'm pretty sure it was the cleaner. I can't be running to the doctor every time I feel tired or run down, especially with them being swamped with actually sick people. Not only do I bog down the system but I risk actually catching something nasty.

If you really need to be wearing a half mask, get yourself sized up, do a fit test to make sure it is properly sealing, and run it with 3M 60923 pink / yellow cartridges. They do have a lifespan, so when you are not using the mask, seal it in a gallon ziplock bag to extend its lifespan. If you are very irregularly using the mask a pair of cartridges should last you quite some time. I would use mine very regularly when I was doing HAZMAT related stuff for my environmental career and would replace them typically bi-weekly to monthly intervals. You can feel when they are ready to replace as it is harder to breathe through the mask.

If you are literally only using it to spray a little or minimal contact with these chemicals, in active ventilation, you likely are fine with nitrile gloves and safety glasses. Wash exposed areas with soap and water thoroughly. Simple as that.

Thanks. If it's not super expensive I'll probably get some sort of active mask, to be extra safe. I'm normally not allergic or sensitive to most substances and my lungs are in excellent shape, but I suspect that this stuff just doesn't agree with them or my body. If in doubt, play it safe, I say.

 

[twicks69]

Never hurts to play it safe. Safety should always be first.

It's the dumb stuff that typically will get you or someone else hurt, e.g. working on car lifted up without jackstands and something happens, using a cutoff wheel without safety gloves / full mask / eye protection and proper apparel and the wheel explodes, basic hearing protection when using an air hammer, welding stuff up without proper apparel, mask and gloves, etc.

If you are working on something with another person that literally says or does safety third.....well....use common sense and step away from that person.

 

[XC92]

I try to be as safe as possible. E.g. jack stands, check everything several times, eye, mouth and hand/arm protection, etc. But looks like I need to take extra precautions with some things.

The one thing I know has hurt me is repeated uses of abrasive and wire brush wheel and grinder drill attachments to derust a bunch of parts that were pretty badly rusted, e.g. control arms, brake calipers, center and cross members, subframe, etc. To speed things up I often used an impact driver instead of drill, sometimes with hex attachments and sometimes with a 1/4" hex to drill bit chuck adapter, which created and amplified vibrations to my fingers, hands and arms.

The repeated and cumulative effects have created a numbing sensation that's starting to go away but is still quite noticeable, especially, oddly, when I'll lying down or waking up in the morning. Hopefully the damage isn't permanent and I don't have lifelong RSI as a nice reminder of all this work. I'm guessing that the way to minimize this in the future is to invest in an angle grinder with the proper wheels, which would decrease vibrations by having a shorter axis as well as speed things up. Or at least switch back to a drill with no attachments. Impact tools are not limb-friendly!