Asbestos in e30s?

[Kyle95]

Is there any part/panel on e30s that are manafactured with asbestos? I just picked one up and am wondering if I need to take any precautions working on the car.

[roguetoaster]

Long ago it is possible that friction surfaces, insulation & gaskets would have had asbestos compounds, however, that has not generally been the case for almost 40 years.

Therefore you should be safe, but it may still be advisable to follow safe working practices with any substance that can be inhaled, such as original hood insulation, cushioning, brake dust, metals and of course fumes.

Further, limited exposure to asbestos (like in the school you went to, your granparent's house, or that cool old abandoned building) is probably not going to kill you, especially considering all of the other toxic crap we are exposed to when working on cars.

[ELVA164]

You're fine.

[PKile]

Asbestos is one of those hazards that has been blown way out of proportion by the media, regulatory agencies, and the legal profession, because there is lots of money to be made keeping people in a constant state of fear about it. Look at how many scheister ads bombard us on TV about mesothelioma. Most people who get it worked in areas with huge exposures to it, like pipefitting in shipyards and working every day around old brake systems, blowing them clean with compressed air. Take reasonable precautions like cleaning brakes with solvent, and you will be fine.

[bangn]

the only thing that MAY have any in it is the underbody coating.. some manufacturers used it to bulk it up. However the E30 has a pretty rubberised bottom so its most likely just a spray on rubber base

[fiveightandten]

I'm a State of CT licensed Asbestos Inspector, Management Planner, and abatement project monitor. There are a lot of misconceptions about asbestos. Lets get a few things out of the way:

-Asbestos is not outlawed in the United States. There was a ban and phase act put into place in the late 70's, but it was repealed. There's simply no way to police every product imported into this country. You can walk into an auto parts store and buy brake parts or exhaust gaskets that contain asbestos right now. You can walk into Home Depot and buy roofing, caulking, or floor tiles that have asbestos in them, right now. Most of our products don't have it though, and that's directly due to public awareness of it, which stems from the regulatory laws (disturbance and disposal) that we have in place. This is a good thing. But the only way to be certain is to look at the MSDS/SDS for the product, or get it tested. I've found it in brand new buildings (floor tile, roofing, joint compound...)

-Asbestos is not blown out of proportion. We have the laws we have because countless people have gotten asbestos-related diseases from exposure to the stuff. If we didn't have public awareness and laws, people would be out for blood, considering the health affects it's had on many many people. Though, your risk of exposure (and risk of disease) varies greatly depending on what type of asbestos you're exposed to, how much, and for how long. There's a big difference between inhaling a puff of brake dust with 10% Chrysotile in it, and ripping down your old basement piping insulation that's made of 90% Amosite. Also, people's physiological responses vary widely. The initial studies showed some pipe fitters that would have zero health issues, while their wives would get asbestosis just from doing the laundry and washing their work clothes (which were covered in fibers).

-When in doubt, like the OP is doing, be safe. Once it's in your body, it's in there. You inhale the fibers, and they never go away. Your white blood cells die trying to evacuate it from your lungs and form scar tissue around each fiber (asbestosis). Google "Libby, Montana" and look at the asbestos-related disease stats there. Then tell me asbestos doesn't affect people's health.

-To avoid exposure to asbestos, keep the material wet. If you want respiratory protection, get yourself a 1/2 face respirator with P100 (purple colored) HEPA cartridges. In fact, I wear mine whenever i'm grinding stuff that will make dust. Asbestos isn't the only thing that's bad to breathe in. You can get these at Home Depot, or walk into any construction/safety supply store. 3M and North are the 2 most widely used brands.



The most likely sources for asbestos in a car like the E30 are:
-Exhaust gaskets
-Clutch disc
-Brake pads
-Undercoat

The exhaust gaskets currently sold are listed as being asbestos free. I'm not sure about the factory gaskets. I've seen E36 exhaust gaskets that are 1 digit off from one another with one saying, "exhaust gasket', and the other saying, "exhaust gasket, asbestos free".

Clutch and brake pads will depend on what's in the car. Again i'm not sure.

Undercoat...I tested the undercoat on my E36 and it did not contain any asbestos. I never tested the stuff on my E30, as I have not had a reason to grind any off (welded RTAB plate in my E36).

If anyone would like E30 materials tested for asbestos, you can shoot me a PM. Mail a small sample (quarter size) out to me and i'll have it tested. Alternatively, you can find a lab in your area that will do the same thing. It's called PLM bulk analysis (Polarized light microscopy) and usually costs anywhere from $15 to $35 for analysis of a sample.

Hope that helps.

[nando]

Asbestos is one of those hazards that has been blown way out of proportion by the media, regulatory agencies, and the legal profession, because there is lots of money to be made keeping people in a constant state of fear about it. Look at how many scheister ads bombard us on TV about mesothelioma. Most people who get it worked in areas with huge exposures to it, like pipefitting in shipyards and working every day around old brake systems, blowing them clean with compressed air. Take reasonable precautions like cleaning brakes with solvent, and you will be fine.

tin foil hat please..

[TobyB]

To avoid exposure to asbestos, keep the material wet.

It's the dust. And then add a carcinogen.
THEN it's pretty ugly.

But no, on an E30, wear your respirator if you decide to use air to
clean out your brakes (not a good idea anyway) and wear it if you're
going to burn the bushings or undercoat (not a good idea either)
and otherwise,

worry a LOT more about dropping it on yourself, cutting yourself on it,
setting it (and/or yourself on fire) killing your pets with the antifreeze,
and so forth.

t