AUTO SUGGESTIONS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 July 1936, Page 3

AUTO SUGGESTIONS.

Difficult Gearshift. Should the gearshift of an old model become difficult, causing noise and jainbing, try pulling on the gear lever simultaneously with the depression of the pedal. The tendency for clutch bind to jam!) the gears is often overcome in this way. Essex, Dodge and Morris cars respond to this method. Closing of Doors. Pitting door stop rubbers is a good method of eliminating rattles, but it tends to prevent full closing of the doors, and permits the entry of draughts and water. To achieve the desired result without these undesirable conditions it is frequently possible to fit new striking plates for the locks, or to adjust the existing ones further in.

Body Lubrication. Body lubrication is equally as important as other details of routine attention. Squeaks and rattles are obviated to a greater extent, and doors are more easily opened and closed when this matter is properly handled. Door locks and bumpers, dovetail stops, wedge plates, mechanical door checks, bonnet lacings, and certain bonnet catches require small applications of light grease, or a special door ease grease. Bonnet hinges, plain typo clips, sliding seat mechanism, door locks (key type) and screen wipers are lubricated with a light oil in most instances. Use of the Choke. Like fire, the choke is a good servant but a bad master. Do not use it when the motor is warm if starting is reasonably easy otherwise. During warm weather use of the choke should not be necessary except for cold starting. Jacking the Car. Jacking up the rear of some of the new models is simplfied in the garage by running the jack in just ahead of the rear wheel. The same advantage might be obtained by entering the rolling floor jack at the rear of the front wheels. When a new car is taken over, study the construction carefully to find out whether any special jack mounting points have been provided. Better still consult the service station people. Fouled Cooling Water. Pronounced and rapid fouling of the cooling water with oil or grease should not be treated lightly. The cylinder head gasket might be defective or the head in need of tightening. There may even be a degree of warp in the head, which is remedied by machining off a few thousandths of an inch of the face. The use of low boiling point grease in the water pump or the forcing in of an excessive amount will also tend to foul the cooling water, and should be avoided.

Oil for Winter. A lighter grade of engine oil is recommended for most engines in the winter months.- Not only is more power developed, and less drug imposed upon the starter, but the warming up period is shortened, and there is less likelihood of gumming and carbonisation. When making the change always drain the sump when the motor is hot to ensure that all the sludge and dirty oil are removed. Clutch Pedal. Have you ever found that the clutch pedal moves with the brake pedal, or vice versa? This will take place on certain older cars where one shaft or pedal pivots upon the other. Lack of lubrication is invariably the cause. The remedy is liberal dosing with kerosene to free the working parts, then lubrication with oil or light grease, the latter if a fitting is provided. Tail Lamps. 1 The best tail lamp becomes dusty internally after a while, so watch for any sign of dim number plate illumination, which is sometimes productive of a fine. The tail lamp cover is usually easy to remove, using a screwdriver. If dust and mud enter rapidly, some means of sealing the white and red glasses and the cover must be devised. Dim Lights. Dim head or dashlights will result from a number of causes, but first of all see that twelve-volr globes are not fitted in a six-volt system. When driving at night for any consideiable distance along strange country reads, it is advantageous to direct the nearside headlamp beam towards the edge of the road. Engine Mounting. LMost motor car power units are now rubber-mounted, but this does not mean that they should be allowed to become very loose. By having the through bolts tightened a little from time to time uncontrolled engine and gear lever pitching will be avoided without sacrificing smooth and vibrationloss engine performance." Oil Leaks, An air vent is often the solution of oil leakage problems in the vicinity of the rear axle. There are numerous types of vents, a simple one being tc drill a 3/16in. hole in the •‘top-mosi screw of the rear .axle back plate o: ( the differential carrier. Vacuum 01 pressure cannot then develop if this hole is kept free from hard grease 01 mud-