Your Buick Six— Its Care and Maintenance

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 172, 11 October 1927, Page 7

Your Buick Six — Its Care and Maintenance

A SUN special feature to assist the oxener-driver to ** obtain the maximum results in performance by the proper care and treatment of his car.

If the individual treated his car as it demands it would spend far less time in the hands of the repair man. All drivers, however, are not mechanics, hence the necessity for garages and repair shops. Maintenance, though, mainiy is a problem requiring only the application of common sense, and giving to a car a little attention at regular intervals. The expending of this time and care will be repaid owners in large deductions from repair bills. The attention required normally by a car includes regular oiling and greasing, the adjustment of brakes, carburettor and the ignition system, and the checking of certain mechanical details, all of which are simply and quickly effected. The following article—the first of a series dealing with popular cars—tells how the owner-driver may maintain his Buick Six in its most fit condition . The advice given is intended for the owner-driver who has covered the important first 750 miles, and has adhered strictly to the instructions of the Buick advice manual issued with each new car. The lubricating system can be best attended by the application of a simple routine. Starting with the engine, check oil level in sump and steering gear box. Add a small quantity of engine oil to the fan bowl. Grease where necessary. Clean the interior of the distributor head, then add a light smear of vaseline to the track of the main distributor button,

being careful that no fouling is left on the breaker points. Commencing with the forward end of the front spring on the steering side, grease each part in turn, so working right round the car. The next move is under the car, where the greasing should be completed. Check drain plugs of sump, gear-box and differential. Tighten where necessary. Oil level in gear-box and differential should reach the edge of the filler plugholes. Oil all small working parts, particularly the brakes, lever pins and controls. All these operations should be carried out weekly, if possible. With an effective oil filter as fitted to the -Buick it should not be necessary to drain the engine sump more them three times a year, under normal running connections. Use only high grade oils, and greases bearing reputable trade marks, as quality is always preferable to cheapness. The following may also be included in the weekly inspection by the owner who has a slight mechanical knowledge:— Raise each wheel in turn and test with brakes in “off” position. Wheels should spin freely. Tight brakes spell loss of power and burnt linings. The brakes should be adjusted to hold the car when the pedal is depressed five inches. The clutch pedal should have one Inch of travel before operating on clutch thrust, thus eliminating undue wear on thrust race.

Valves should have .008 in clearance between stem and rocker arm. The distributor points should have .OlSin to .023 in gap when fully open. The spark plug gap should not be less than .025 in nor more than .030. If the ear is used frequently it is advisable to open the radiator drain cock and flush the system with clean water every 10 or 12 weeks. Should occasion arise when the driver is forced to use impure or muddy water, resulting in a partially or fully choked system, the following steps should be taken as soon as possible to remove the obstruction. Warm up engine, drain radiator, and refill with clean water to which has been added a small percentage of common washing soda. Start engine again and run for not less than five minutes. After stopping engine drain off and refill with clean water. This process may be repeated if necessary. Keep your fan belt moderately tight. The Buick carburettor should be adjusted with engine temperature equal to ordinary running conditions. Average fuel and running conditions demand approximately one full turn of the jet needle, which is located at base of carburettor, with the air screw Cimmediately above float chamber) level with the ratchet stop.

TYRES IN WINTER During the rainy season, care she Id be taken to keep the tyres as dry as possible, because rubber will cut easily v.'hen the edge of the cutting surface is wet. Glass or even sharp si ones are far more dangerous during or after rain than they are when the roadway is perfectly dry. Kven a short drive along a sharp gravel road on a wet day will cover the tyres with small cuts into which dirt will creep and cause indue friction heat. Water tends to rot the base on which the rubber trend is applied. weakening the entire casing and leading to premature blow-outs. Scraping against the kerb often wears away the thin layer of rubber on the side of a tyre, and leaves the fabric exposed. Sharper cuts in the tread of the tyre will have the same harmful effect. • • • WHEN THE CURRENT SKIPS Moisture or grease on the surface of a distributor housing will sometimes cause serious missing, because the high tension current skips across the surface of this foreign matter instead of through its regular channels. The remedy Is to wipe off the surface.