On Friday morning our local newspaper had a Quick Fix hint that stirred my curiosity. It said "To remove sticky substances, even gum, from carpet or fabric, use brake cleaner. It is the same chemical dry cleaners use. This is also great for removing auto grease from carpet or clothing." I wondered if it would work on sluggish center pins. So I bought an aerosol can of it to experiment with. I have 2 Steinway shank/flange assemblies that were so sluggish that I could hold the flange in my fingers and the shank stuck straight out. I sprayed the brake cleaner on the flanges and let it soak for a few minutes. In no time at all the flange was free and the shank swung freely. That was Friday evening and it's now Sunday and the flange still moves freely. I know this is not what one would consider a test of time so I'll let this sit for a week or 2 and see what happens. It would be a good idea if others did a similar experiment to back up the results. The WD-40 craze of the 60's and 70's for center pins was a dud, so I'm leary of using this stuff. The brake cleaner I used was Prestone Heavy Duty Brake Parts Cleaner with fast dry high performance formula. The ingredients are Acetone, Heptane, Xylene, Ethylbenzene, and Propane. Got it from Wal-mart. It is extremely flammable and should be used in a well-ventilated area. (I think I just scared myself from using it again) Ted Simmons Merritt Island, FL
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