Circle 102 on Reader Service Card
Straight Talk
undercar areas, it's not a bad idea to wear
a face mask to avoid breathing in con-
taminants that drip or break loose from
the belly. And always wear eye protection,
whether the vehicle is showroom new or
a candidate for the scrap yard. The issue
of undercar rust, particularly in snowbelt
regions, seems to becoming increasingly
of concern to both consumers and techni-
cians. Before a vehicle leaves your hoist,
consider applying a bit of penetrating oil to
fasteners to make your job easier when the
vehicle returns for future service.
Working with rust simply ain't no fun.
Naturally, when fghting stubborn fasten-
ers that are badly rusted, we often resort
to a variety of solutions including the use
of penetrating oils, inducing vibrations and
shocks to the fasteners, as well as concen-
trated heat to aid in removal.
If any of our readers have preferred
techniques to deal with this issue, we'd love
to hear about it. Is the rust issue a major
headache in your shop? If so, how do you
deal with it? Do you, or should you, charge
more when a substantial amount of extra
time is required to deal with rusted fasten-
ers? We'd love to hear your solutions. Send
them to mike.mavrigian@bobit.com. ■