Recent content by Kestas

I restore old tube radios.

Nobody does BMW keys.

I believe key replacements and headlamp replacements are another scam automakers have created for the dealerships to make money. At this point I believe it would be cheaper to go with the old key technology and tolerate stolen autos. 30 years ago enhanced key technology gave rise to the new...

In our metallurgical laboratory we sometimes use a product called Micro-90. It's specifically made for ultrasonic cleaning. It's also expensive... $90 per gallon the last time I ordered it. It's mixed with water to make a 1% solution. I also use it in my antique radio hobby. It's taken heavily...

The hardened surface of cam lobes typically has substantial thickness. I can't imagine the lobe metallurgy being designed with a thin nitride layer. Thin nitride layers are usually designed for sliding applications where there is little load and no Hertzian loading. I've seen many camshaft...

I'll be the optimist here. The corrosion pitting is somewhat even on the surface, and may act as reservoirs for lubrication. My biggest concern was for the scuffing I see near the lobe tip in the very last picture. That is not good and would likely progress in service. I'm curious, do the...

I bought my BMW X2 a few years ago. When talking to my insurance agent I asked why the insurance was so cheap, he told me that this car was one of the safest on the market.

After spending my teenage years battling rust, I decided that prevention was a better use of my time and rustproofed everything I was tasked to take care of.

If the oil was attacking brass it wouldn't cause it to flake off. It would turn the brass surface brown. I agree with bubbles and the suggestion to let the fluid settle and see if the particles float the the bottom or float to the top.

I used to sandblast the rusted surfaces down to bare metal in order to prep it for further treatment. Phosphoric acid is chiefly a treatment used on bare metal to provide an adherent surface for paint. Here's a picture of a zinc phosphated surface at 250X.

I've had a bad experience with Pagid brakes. They had an embarrasing loud squeal when stopping. A search on the internet revealed it was a problem across the board with other makes as well.

I had that experience when the front flex disc went bad. I had an intermittent shake. But you said the the flex disc is good. Did you check for elongated holes?

Are you sure it's not discolored steel flakes? Check and see if a magnet attracts these particles.

Today I was working on the vapor lock issue with my 1971 Cutlass. I dropped the tank in preparation of installing a fuel return line to prevent fuel boiling.

Weight, value. These figures are at the fingertips of the DMV. It may not be completely fair to those who travel little, but so is licensing and insurance. It's the simplest solution. All other suggestions seem complicated and carry high administrative effort or still aren't completely fair.