“MESSY” MOTOR JOBS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 237, 27 December 1927, Page 6

“MESSY” MOTOR JOBS

HOW TO CARRY THEM OUT

PROTECTING THE HANDS AND CLOTHES

TO MANY OWNER-DRIVERS keeping a car in good order is pleasant •work, provided that the various jobs which have to be done are not of too dirty a character. Unfortunately, however, the car has not yet been built which can be oiled and adjusted in white kid gloves, and some of the work which falls to the lot of a careful owner is really “messy.”

Often, for instance, there are little adjustments which can be made only by crawling under the chassis, such as tightening the nuts on a rear universal joint or changing the leather gaiter which covers the spindle joint. The brake spindle greasers may be really accessible only from under the car, -whilst a rattling exhaust pipe points to the necessity for tightening up the clips w'hich hold it to the chassis —another job which must be tackled from underneath. When Access is Difficult. On most cars the clutch spigot and withdrawal mechanism require lubrication periodically, and sometimes can be reached only by lying on one’s back; while, as a final example, one may mention draining the sump. To tackle any of these jobs halfheartedly is foolish, and may, indeed, be nothing more than a waste of time. The owner at the outset must be determined to tackle the work systematically, and he must he suitably clad. A boiler suit or an old lounge suit specially set aside for the purpose are equally satisfactory. The sleeves at the wrists should he tied with string to keep them out of the wwar,3 r , and shirt sleeves may with advantage be rolled above the elbows. A tight-fitting cap or the crown cut out of an old felt hat should be worn and a light muffler tied round the neck; while last, but not. least, for working beneath the car, it is an excellent plan to wear goggles. For a matter of a couple of shillings or so it is possible to purchase what are known as housemaids’ gloves. The | latest examples of these are fitted with i leather grips for the fingers; but, if! amateur mechanics consider that they: hamper the free use of their hands, they should not be above protecting their finger-nails by scraping them lacross a tablet of soap—a precaution which will save quite a lot of scrubbing afterwards. The Inspection Pit. r A boiler suit is preferable to af [lounge suit, for “blues” can be washed/ fairly easily; and, further, they can be slipped over an ordinary suit, thus saving time. Again, one’s ordinary jacket can be removed when a boiler suit is worn, thus giving far greatej: freedom for the arms. An inspection pit is a luxury eff which the home garage seldom boasts; hut when the plans are being prepared for a private building of this nature it will be found that the extra cost of including a pit in the specification is comparatively small. If you are fortunate enough to have a pit, remember that cleanliness is next to godliness. Only too often oily rags, paper, and all sorts of “junk” accumulate on the floor of the pit, which soon becomes a danger to the health of anyone who has to work in it. A warning of another kind is called for also; never have a naked flame in an inspection pit. Petrol fumes, being heavier than air, sink into the pit, and gradually fill it with what may easily become an explosive mixture. These fumes do not disperse quickly, and, for safety’s sake, some form of ventilating shaft entering the pit at the bottom, and in direct communication with the open air, is advisable, if not absolutely necessary. There are a number pf essentials for really satisfactory working under a chassis, one of the most important, in the absence of a pit, being a “creeper.” This, in its simplest form, is a flat board with a small cast-iron wheel at each corner, upon which one can lie and push oneself backwards or forwards. In a more elaborate form the creeper has a cushion top and castered wheels, so that one can move about in any direction. Anyone with the rudiments of carpentering knowledge at his disposal should be able to make a creeper which will give just as satisfactory service as the most expensive article that can he bought. Armchair casters work admirably. A Few “Essentials.” Among essentials arc rags, kerosene, and a stiff brush. The rags should be graded into clean and dirty, the latter being used to clean off mud, oil, and so on, after it has been loosened or partially removed by the use of the kerosene brush. The kerosene should be carried in a flat and fairly large container, which can be kept under

the particular parts which are being cleaned, so that the superfluous kerosene will drain back into it. It is a mistake to trust to the magic properties of kerosene alone when Hie parts to be cleaned are thickly coated with a mixture of mud and grease. On these occasions an old table knife will work winders, skimming off the dirt and leaving the parts beneath so clean as to require only a final wipe over with a piece of kerosene-moist-* cned rag. To tackle a dirty job in the cleanest possible w 7 ay is one of the best ways of doing it in the shortest space of time and in the most satisfactory manner. If the owner has “saved up” a few jobs which necessitate crawling beneath the chassis or using the inspection pit, as the case may be, it is an excellent plan to have the car washed thoroughly as a preliminary, and, although a washer seldom regards the removal of dirt from the underside of the crankcase, and so forth, as part of his job, he will, at any rate, pave the way for the final cleaning operations which have to be carried out. While working under the car it is more than probable that one will come across traces of rust on certain parts where its presence is undesirable, and one will feel in a far happier frame of mind if the rust is removed and a coat of some suitable protecting medium, such as black enamel, applied. The opportunity should not be missed of “trying” all the accessible parts for slackness, and if any show the slightest signs of being loose they should whenever practicable, he tightened up. Examining a “Suspect.” With the kerosene tin and brush handy, it is comparatively easy to clean any suspected nut or bolt, and examine it at close quarters, for slackness is not always caused by a loose nut, and investigation always pays. A final hint for the comfort and convenience of the amateur mechanic may be given. Creepers are seldom fitted with any form of head-rest, but a support of this description will rob an awkward job of much of the discomfort it frequently causes. Any sort of head-rest will do; in an emergency a petrol or oil tin laid flat will serve admirably, especially if an improvised pillow is placed in position to take off the “hardness” of the tin. Here are a few “condensed” hints that may prove of service when really dirty jobs have to he tackled:— An ordinary brush of the type supplied with pots of paste makes a good kerosene brush.

Newspaper tied round the legs, and acting as gaiters, are an admirable protection against grease and dirt when a boiler suit is not worn. A brazing brush, which has bristles of stiff, flat wire, is excellent for cleaning the under-side of the sump or other places where caked oil and mud usually collect. If a “creeper” is not available, the operator should lie on sacking or an old mat, especially when the floor is of concrete. Adequate illumination is half the battle. In the absence of an inspection lamp, a pocket flash lamp will often enable a satisfactory examination of any particular part to be made. Oily rags need not be thrown away. They make good fire-lighters, providing, of course, that they are not damp. Let us now assume that the work has been concluded, that the tool-kit has been tied up and put away, and that there remains nothing for the owner-driver but to make himself presentable once more. Really hot water is the secret of the easy removal of dirt from hands and face, no matter what is used as a basis for gttting rid of oil and grease. There is a selection of patent hand-cleaners on the market, and nearly all of these will be found to work well; but, in the absence of any special preparation of this kind, it is a mistake to use kerosene or petrol. These have to .be applied fairly liberally if they to get all the dirt out of the lines of the hands, and both are injurious to the skin. It is far better to fall b&ck on the domestic stock, and use one of the powdered preparations, such .as . Old Dutch cleanser, which are sold for cleaning pots and pahs. These, when used with ordinary soap, will work into a good lather, while if a nail-brush .is also called into play an even more satisfactory result will be obtained.