WARNING: Drilling bumper shocks.

[Mercury[BKM]]

Im a pretty good shot, maybe mark the area and shoot it with a .22LR from a decent distance lol

[LJ851]

so i was going to do mine at some point next month on the eta.... Ideally whats the best way, remove the whole darn thing and go plastics (if i can even find them?)

Face sheild, mask, cover the shock with a towel and drill a reasonable size hole so the fluid can blast out but vaporize less.

[Mercury[BKM]]

so i was going to do mine at some point next month on the eta.... Ideally whats the best way, remove the whole darn thing and go plastics (if i can even find them?)

[Nick325is]

Funny I should come across this thread. The exact same thing happened to me back in highschool drilling the bumper shocks on my buddy's e28. We had rags over the shocks and goggles on but we still got shock fluid everywhere. I could taste that crap for days! Fortunately, I don't seem to have any ill effects from that disaster.

[MR E30 325is]

Wow, I remember the first time I drilled my shocks. Precautions were taken, but not to any extreme.

After reading this thread I am so glad that I didnt get fucked. Something so little has such a large effect.

My condolences man.

[u3b3rg33k]

This is why I suggest people not use compressed air to disassemble their brake calipers.

[mikeedler]

the worst of the story is- the car doesn't even look better.
hope you do get better though.

[Jean]

That's bad!

I remember 4 years ago I tucked the bumpers as well, but what I did is put the shocks inside a cardboard box....drilled a hole through the box and covered stuff with some old rags so that nothing would come out. Not worth the risks etc.

[LJ851]

Yeah so I have asthma now. That fluid destroyed my lungs.

I keep trying to workout thinking I'll get over it. After a couple months I still can't run/workout for more than 10 minutes at a time. I get so out of breath I almost pass out. Rad.

For real? That sucks, bro. Have you got a professional opinion of your outlook for the future? Is it something that will go back to normal?

[zxert]

Yeah so I have asthma now. That fluid destroyed my lungs.

I keep trying to workout thinking I'll get over it. After a couple months I still can't run/workout for more than 10 minutes at a time. I get so out of breath I almost pass out. Rad.

[klavender1]

I blame Ronald Reagan.

Don't you know it's Bush's fault? :D I hear about all the pressure and now realize why my car had no damage when that Jeep backed into me. :drink:

[Ceeker]

I know this is an old thread but I'm sorry I just couldn't help laughing..though relieved that you're ok...I think??? it is July now..

[Aptyp]

Did anyone else, who's tucked bumpers before, burst into laughter after reading the beginning of the story?

I imagine this happening to everyone doing this for the first time. Luckily for me, I was outside and had some idea of how hydrolic shocks work, so I avoided the disaster, but was still caught by surprise.

[Bene]

I blame Ronald Reagan.

[KenC]

As a registered respiratory therapist, which, yes... I am; this thread should be a warning to anyone doing anything around hydrocarbons.

Hydrocarbons that contain a benzene ring, which virtually all do, (or else they arent hydrocarbons) are one of the worst chemicals to inhale.

So they don't require first term OChem to become an RT?

A hydrocarbon is just a compound that contains solely carbon and hydrogen. Benzene is a hydrocarbon, but not all hydrocarbons contain benzene; only one does... benzene. I highly doubt that there was any benzene or phenyl compounds at all in the shock oil. It was most likely long-chain hydrocarbons.

Regardless, inhaling any hydrophobic compound is pretty hazardous.