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- Jun 30, 2012
- Messages
- 13,701
The effects of methanol are cumulative. I usually get a bit on my fingers when I remove the caps from the bottom of the carbs after a race meeting. The amount absorbed through the skin would be almost nothing. All solvents are dangerous. I would be more worried about benzene in petrol. Washing your hands after using solvents does not do much. Just drying your hands would do similar. I was brought up doing chemistry in laboratories - I should be totally brain-dead by now. We used to almost swim in solvent. It was the reason I left one job. We were on the 14th floor of a high-rise building in Melbourne and the fire risk was huge.Ok. When you said any bike into a shit heap I wasn't considering the specific cases of exposed valve gear. However you may find methylated spirits can help with cleaning that regard. I would certainly not risk using methanol to clean an engine. It is definitely poisonous and I immediately wash my hands if I touch it.
Many of the replica motors have also now incorporated covers to control the oil. The original hairsprings having been converted to coil.