LUBRICATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1925, Page 23

LUBRICATION

A subject whirl) if uhviiys iif interest Lo .molovihts .is thai; of lubrication, 'ij'anuUcli'iVGta cwiLkuLiilly eltcss thu %iLnlly iTO.pad.ini tart cased- lubri&aliaa -playo

in the successful operation and life of the units manufactured by them, so that owners should give this important detail every attention.

When "it is considered that the amount required to take care of by far the most important item of the annual up-keep of a car represents in the vicinity of 2 per cent, of the total outlay, it will be appreciated that nothing but a reputable brand of the very best quality oil ot the correct body and character to meet fundamental requirements should find its way into the crank-ease. This in itself - means economy, .as by its use the, maximum factor of safety is obtained, while the principal causes of increased cost of running—i.e., depreciation and repairs, are kept down to the absolute minimum.

With the advenli of the cold weather, another- very, important undertaking.-.is regular periodic-draining ..of the crankcase. Motorists' must realise that the tendency for choking is-'more'often resorted to during the winter months, with I its attendant evils—dilution of the crankcase oil.. It is,-therefore essential to have ,the crank-ease drained and refilled with" the correct grade of oil every 500 miles during the winter. When "draining of the crarjk-cafo oil is neglected in winter. weaLher serious trouble may also.result from accumulation of sludge, which may cover up the screens or stop up the oil . lrae or' drillings, thus, cutting down the |; supply, and causing burnt-ont bearings. j-. Finally, the best time to drain the .crank-caso is when the engine is hot just after-a inn, when the oil'is in a state of agitation. This will carry off ; . most of the sediment—all'that you can ' .reasonably expect.to get ri-d of'"without dropping the oil pan.'.: ,-' .. . : '„

Many service stations and garages to-day have a towing or wrecking truck which can be sent to assist customers or to tow in cripples or wrecks. It has been found that the sending of the truck to answer all emergency calk is not economy. The reason is that tho majority of calls for help are found to be lack of gasoline, electrical trouble, carburettor ""trouble, or some other class of trouble" which can be fixed rijbt on i.the road.. A. number of service stations i-which., handle a. lot of emergency calls | have found it to.their advantage to maintain a motor-cycle and tide-cur in addition to the wrecking truck, and when an. emergency call comes in the nature of the trouble is . ascertained over the telephone.: Then, if it is not a towing case, the motor-cycle goes out instead of the truck. It costs less to run the lighter vehicle out, and tho wrecking truck is; held in reserve for more serious ■work that may come in in tho meantime.

According to the ■ Now York correspondent of the London " Times," Dr. Juliuu Sears, of the "United States Geological Survey, considers that American oil-production methods are of a very wasteful, character. Dr. Sears estimates that 80 per cent, of the original oil content remains in the field after it has been abandoned as exhausted.

A - motorist was proceeding along a country road near Oamaru when lie collided, with a cow that was lying on tho thoroughfare.' One of the horns of the cow penetrated the radiator of the car and was broken off. The cow got up and shook herself,- and -appeared to bo little the worse for her adventure. The car had to be taken to a garage to have the horn removed.

}<ov the tlirco months ended 3lst March, the imports of British motor vehicles of ail classes exceeded by over I £100,000 the value of those iniported from tlio United States of A mcricii. The" actual figures are:—United Kingdom £3-18,373, United States £245,715. Tlio imports from Canada for the same period were, in value, £492.095. Tlio improvement in the position of Britishmade vehicles will be pleasing to all who desire to see the Old Country recover her place in the motor trade of the Dominion. It is all the more regrettable that a prominent British manufacturer should use the columns of the "Daily Mail" to charge Dominion agents with profiteering in British cars. Mr. G. H. Scott, one of the pioneers of the motor trade in the Dominion, has dispatched a dignified denial of such an imputation, pointing out that British cars are sold in New Zealand on a lower, percentage of profit than is the case with foreign cars. The original allegations will only do harm to the cause of the British car overseas.