Yamaguy55
No difficult problems, just difficult people
No doubt this is true, which is one of the reasons I'm hiding from Greenpeace right now. However, I have owned this for quite a while ( since the mid 80s), and I'm very familiar with it. When it finally stops working, I'll replace it. I take great care to be sure the Hg doesn't get near the tops of the tubes, let alone the actual hoses to the engine.Twisties said:Mercury is a very poor choice of liquid for three reasons:
At 13+ times the density of water, and even more times the density of oil or ATF it has 13 or more times less sensitivity. for instance if you can reliably discern a 5 mm difference in fliud levels in your manometer that 5 mm will correspond to more than ten times the difference in pressure with mercury than it will with water or a less dense fluid. Another way of putting it: The height difference in your column will be greater the less dense your liquid is. The height difference (sensitivity) is proportional to the density of the liquid.
Mercury destroys aluminum, even very small amounts of mercury can damage aluminum.
Mercury is toxic, both to the touch and the vapor from open mercury. If it get's loose, you will never get it all collected again, and will be getting exposed to small amounts. It is not advisable to use something toxic when a non-toxic or low-toxic alternative is available.
I am very aware of the hazards of Hg. Most of the toxic nature is when it is in a vapor form. Which is why I question the alleged environmentalists that claim the CFL to be a reasonable replacement for incandescent lights. LEDs yes, CFLs, no. But this isn't that forum.
Just like everything else, it needs care in handling and use. I'm not interested in an electronic device to take its place. I work with electronics and test equipment every day, all day. I've done so since the 70s. I have not found that everything electronic is automatically better than some of the older mechanical and analog devices. If I find that I will never need to sync more than a twin, I'll buy the factory analog gauge tool.
I agree with all of your statements about mercury. But right now, it works and is good enough.