Smoke in the Wires February 2017

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I have to confess, I’ve always wanted one of these. The full kit has options to test any system based on oil, water or refrigerant. Anyone who has spent hours trying to chase a slow leak around a dirty engine probably could have justified this kit on hours saved alone. I have lost sleep wondering whether my fresh E-Type engine had a leaky rear main seal demanding a heartbreaking engine removal and disassembly or merely a weepy banjo bolt to the cam that could be cinched up without even having to set down your freshly-mixed old fashioned. Good news, it was the banjo, in the garage with the old fashioned! While I won’t share my UV Leak Detection Kit because it was pretty spendy at $104, you can find my old fashioned recipe at the end of this article. The tools you use say a lot about you. Walking around with a Mighty-Vac brake bleed kit just tells the world that you have no friends (to help you bleed brakes) and that you are easily duped into buying under-performing tools. Showing up with a complete UV test kit (all three options, naturally) instantly makes you the most interesting man in the garage. I’m not really a $125 an hour mechanic (that’s what the BMW shop wanted last week!), but I could play one on TV. The stylish and glossy amber goggles that come with the kit instantly convey a Smoke in the Wires February 2017 Page 22
sense of detached professionalism. My car may be mid-century modern, but my diagnostic gear is allbusiness, 21 st century business at that. So what do you get in this kit besides the stylish goggles? While the original elements were earth wind and fire, in the automotive world they are oil water and refrigerant. The complete kit comes with three containers of marker dye for petroleum-based liquids, water-based liquids and refrigerant dye. With the oil dye, you can test gas and diesel fuel systems, oil systems, brake circuits, transmissions and power steering systems for leaks. The water dye lets you test cooling systems and even windshield washer systems. Finally, the refrigerant dye helps determine whether it will take hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix the air conditioner. NAPA’s scientists have not left British cars out in the cold with respect to their unique leaks. Their new liquid smoke dye is almost consumer ready and will surely help us quickly isolate where the smoke is escaping from the wires. In addition to these items, a super-cool anodized aluminum UV flashlight is the central tool to actually finding the leak. How does it work? Just select the bottle with the dye for the type of fluid you are testing and pour it into the system. Start the vehicle and run it up to temperature or even drive it for a couple of days if you are chasing a really slow leak. When you are ready for the examination, find some shade, don your goggles and start shining the UV flashlight around the engine bay. You’ll know when you find the leak, the leak will light up the color of a yellow highlighter marker. The dye lasts for months, so it will help find subsequent leaks as well. Once applied, you don’t need to remove the dye from your system; just change your oil, coolant or whatever fluid on its regular maintenance cycle. There are noteworthy alternative uses for elements of this kit. The UV flashlight is useful for hunting scorpions as they also glow in UV light. Similarly, most body fluids fluoresce as well, so the flashlight can track down a misbehaving pet’s dirty deeds. For your sanity, I don’t recommend using the light in the next hotel room you stay in. Some things are better unknown. The dye itself can be used in testing drain systems or for pranks. I won’t say how I know this, but a tiny bit spilled in a shoe will create a lasting green foot. Telephone earpieces and eyeglass nosepieces are also good candidates, as well. The possibilities are endless! Or, you could stick with auto repair. Smoke in the Wires February 2017 Page 23
Page 1 and 2: February 2016 Volume 5 #1
Page 3 and 4: Where There’s Smoke There’s Fir
Page 5 and 6: PBCA UPCOMING EVENTS SCHEDULE March
Page 7 and 8: March The British Line submission f
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Page 11 and 12: PBCA logo. As we needed five metal
Page 13 and 14: sanded and polished them to gleamin
Page 15 and 16: Brits on the Bay Volunteer List Apr
Page 17 and 18: Set Up: Marc Cherry, Tom Matsoukas,
Page 19 and 20: He also set out to modernize the ve
Page 21: Rarely has there been this kind of
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Page 27 and 28: Join the Panhandle British Car Asso

Smoke in the Wires February 2017

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