KEEPING ENGINE CLEAN

Hawera Star, Volume L, 20 December 1930, Page 14

KEEPING ENGINE CLEAN

LESSEN RISK AND REDUCE REPAIRS. So many labour-saving devices now are on modern cars that it is amazing how dirty the average engine is liept. Cleanliness with all machinery is a major rule 'for maintaining efficiency .jud for quickly remedying faults.

The spotless' engineroom of a ship is kept spick-and-span not for the sake of appearance, but to enable faults to be most easily seen and remedied, and the same should apply to every car engine unit. In pre-war days a dirty engine was excusable, as the owner had so many other parts to keep in good appearance. To-day, however, there is no excuse for a dirty engine, for owners have been relieved of most maintenance tasks. In the past the average owner-driver had to spend many hours each week in hosing, cleaning and polishing bis car. To-day the ducoed body can be cleaned in lialf-an-hour and a rub with a damp cloth will restore chromium plating to its original brilliance. Air cleaners, oil and petrol filters, also have reduced the time that once was spent on decarbonising and cleaning carburettors ail'd sumps. 1 Part of the time thus saved should be devoted to keeping the engine dean. Eucalyptus in hot water will keep the aluminium parts like new, while rubbing with kerosene soaked rags will do the same for all other parts, and also remove metal particles and abrasive grit. Cleanliness of engine and chassis is an excellent guarantee against, breakdowns, and also helps to avoid big repair bills. For example, when cleaning the chassis a nut may he found missing from a steering pin, and it can then be replaced at small cost- If the car is driven with the nut missing, the pin, and possiblv other connections, eventually might' have to be renewed, and the risk of a serious accident would always be present.