[BC] Cleaning bullets and teflon with brake shoe cleaner

[Cowboy]

On Saturday 23 May 2009 11:51 pm, wpio wrote:
>  A tower crew in our area likes to wipe down the bullet and connector 
>  Teflon parts with brake shoe cleaner fluid.
>  
>  Sometimes crews don't understand RF, and I've been told by old-timer 
>  engineers (maybe read it in Radio World by one) that Mineral Spirits is 
>  the best stuff for HV and RF parts cleaning.
>  
>  Does your gut, or your knowledge know of anything in brake shoe cleaner 
>  that may have residue that hurts the dielectric aspect of Teflon?

 Brake cleaner used to be 1,1,1 Tri-chlor. It's a great solvent, and evaporates
 100 % but will attack some plastics, and does have some toxicity.
 The answer depends on exactly what that brand of brake cleaner is, or
 more correctly what chemical(s) is/are in it ?

 I've always used denatured alcohol, as it's cheap, but the denaturing product
 may not be what you might like, so finish with rubbing alcohol.

-- 
Cowboy