WINTER STORAGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 June 1928, Page 15

WINTER STORAGE.

hOME USEFUL POINTS. Cold, dampness, and rats must be . onsidered when storing the car for the winter. The machine should he stored in a dry- place, or as nearly dry as possible. All cracks or openings should he. closed with burlap or boards Holes through vvliich rats enter should pre.erably lie closed with tin. Remove the battery to the house for monthly charging, or to a battery service station." The water should be thoroughlydrained from the radiator, ancl one quart of denatured alcohol poured into the radiator. The car should be set , n bricks or props under the axles, and the air let out of tyres not touching the- floor to take the strain off the casings. All grease should be removed 1 com the rubber. Place a spoonful of .cv Under oil in each cylinder, and turn the engine over to coat the cylinder walls and prevent rust. With cup • 'reuse or vaseline cover all bright •netnl surfaces, including the nickel, with a light coat. If a. closed, car, raise all windows and close doors, as an extra precaution against rodents. A.ter this work is completed there is an assurance that the car will he in good condition when the touring season again arrives.

A NEW INVASION. AM FT!: CANS TAKE THRU! CARS TO EUROPE. According to the ad.ance estimates of motor clubs and steamship companies, it is indicated that as many as iour thousand American cars will be shipped across the Atlantic this season, and that motor tourists from every .state in the Union will be seen along die highways of the Old "World. A swift and almost revolutionary change in modes of tourist travel in Europe has set in. Another ave .tears bins .air to witness the same abandonment. ch trains I<5V motor-cars by American sightseers abroad ns has taken place i<i t tis country. Only a few years ago, when European travel by motor was undertaken by a few brave automobile owners, it was found that the miles of red-tape necessary to transport a car from this country to foreign lands, together with the additional, red-tape required to drive it irom one country to another, made European train travel seem UTightful by comparison. To-day all this has been reversed. European Customs systems and European roods have Leen subjected to tlu steam roller, and from the time tin. American motorist leaves the home nock until he walks down the gang plank on his return the path has hoei. cleared for him, with his mo tor-car i_.ro.ing an asset rather than a liability. To take an average-sized car uncratt d as excess baggage- from Montreal to Glasgow and back, and to secure the ne essarv document for an international tour, now costs about. £59. A writer in bne ‘ American M'-torist’’ re .ently stated that his running expenses on a 43!X)-mile tour through Britain, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, and France were only £54 odd. this sum including petrol, oil, and repairs. The car was landed in less than an hour after arrival, and the international touring number-plate system, and Customs pass, etc., enable a motorist to pass the frontier from one country to another with no more than ten minutes’ delay or so in each case, and nothing to pay. These conditions are very different from those obtaining in New Zealand and Australia. A New Zealand motorist who wishes to take his car for a tour in Australia, has to plank down the lull duty on arrival and register as i, he were going to stay for ever, and an Australian who brings liis car over here has the same periormance to go through, and, judging from Sir Benjamin Fuller’s experience last year, is lucky if lie gets the car from the. ship to the registration office without being fined for not having New Zealand number plates on. Perhaps the idea is that if the local inhabitant will not patronise the railways the tourist must he compelled to.

CORROSION TROUBLES. SOME USEFUL SUGGESTIONS. IY/INTS FOR OWNER-DRIVERS. Valuable information dealing with corrosion troubles is offered by Mr. James Cruse, manager, Parts and Ser- . ice Department, General Motors New ..ealanu, Ltd., in the following letter to ‘'Chassis” : Since the corrosion ol' metal part.-, that may tax© place inside the motor _is largely di pendent tipon the presence Oi water in the crankcase, and the possibility of it combining with oxidized sulphur compounds to form sulphuric or sulphurous acid, it follows that every precaution possible should be talien to prevent the presence of these .agents in the'crankcase. The following suggestions are offered to minimise the occurrence of corrosion troubles : First: In cold weather use shields or covers on the- radiator to assist in maintaining normal operating temperatures. Lo not permit excessive idling. Second: Endeavour to minimise the i ilution o. the lubiieating oil caused by uel reaching the crankcase. Use the \hoke” as little as possible. Maintain proper carburettor adjustment and perfect ignition to secure complete c-om-bi.stion of the fuel charge. Third: Drain the engine crankcase regularly, hollow instruction book recommendation on this for the respective car lines. Keeping the oil supply ior engine lubrication in good condition by draining and replenishment at j -roper intervals will dt> much to remove l he contaminating conditions that promote corrosion. Drain the oil while t lie engine is hot and the oil agitated. Do not flush with kerosene. Refill to proper level with fresh high quality oil of the grade recommended for the engine. Fourth : Maintain proper oil level by ferment replenishment with correct oil. If the oil supply is permitted to -ecoine low, the oil is recirculated more requentlv than is desirable, which tends greatly to increase its contamination and to- destroy its quality. Fifth: Keep engines in good mechanical condition. It is impossible to maintain proper piston seal in worn or scored cylinders. These conditions per-i mit excessive blow-by and dilution to occur. Sixth : Use good grades of fuel, t oitling those having high sulphur content. Se.enth : When storing units for prolonged periods, drain the engine crank-j nse. refill with fresh oil, and run the eneine only long enough to assure thorovildi distribution of the fresh oil to e ery working part. Eighth: When protecting bright j varts with oil, avoid touching them| with the hands after cleaning and be- , ore applying the protective coating. |