MORE HINTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 782, 1 October 1929, Page 6

MORE HINTS

The Care of the Car Test Your Compression Every now and then the owner should revolve his engine with the starting handle, testing the compression of each cylinder in turn. The compression should be approximately the same in each cylinder and should hold sufficiently to afford plenty of “bounce” for a considerable period. Compression leaks may be due to the fact that a valve has stretched, and is being partially held open by the tappet, or the valve may be working stiffly in its guide, which results in an imperfect closure. These conditions cause the valve to burn and rapidly render it useless. The loss of gas past the rings causes the lubricating oil to lose much of its value. To detect these little weaknesses is well uigh impossible iu their incipient stage, unless the starting handle is used at regular intervals. First thing in the morning is a grand time to diagnose these defects. Clean Hands To prevent getting dirty oil over the hands when removing the sump drain plug, loosen the plug in the usual way with a spanner and wind a piece of string, about a yard long, round the thread. Then, by pulling the fr&e end of the string quickly, the plug will not only be unscrewed, but will be thrown clear of the receptacle placed beneath to catch the oil. Scraping Piston-Ring Grooves Carbon is often very difficult to remove from piston-ring grooves if a suitable tool is not to hand. An easily made instrument for this purpose can be found in a piece of umbrella rib. One end should be filed on the convex side until the point is quite sharp. Then, by hammering or squeezing in a vice, the prepared end should be made V-shaped. This tool will be found very effective, for it will remove all carbon from the angles of the grooves.