HINTS
ON
MAINTENANCE
AND
OVERHAUL
There are
Íew things more
rewarding than the restora-
tion
of a vehicle's original
peak
oÍ efficiency and smooth
perf
ormance.
The
Íollowing notes are
intended to help the
owner
to
reach that state oÍ
perÍectron.
Providing that he
possesses
the basic manual skills
he
should
have no
difficulty
rn
perÍorming
most oÍ rhe operations detailed
in
this
manual.
It must be stressed,
however, that where recommended in
the manual, highly-skilled operations ought to be entrusted
to experts, who have
the necessary equipment, to
carry out
the work satisfactorily.
Ouality of workmanship :
The hazardous driving conditions
on
the roads
to-day
demand that vehicles should
be as nearly
perfect,
mechanically,
as
possible.
lt is
thereÍore most importanl
that amateuí
work
be carried out with care,
bearing
in
mind the
often
inadequate
working conditions,
and also
the inferior tools which
may have to be
used.
lt is
easy to
counsel
perÍection
in
all things, and we recognize
that
it
may be settang
an
impossibly high
standard. We
do,
however,
suggest that every care should
be
taken
to ensure
that
a
vehicle
is as saÍe to take on the road
as
it is humanly
oossible
to make rt.
Safe
working
conditions
:
Even though
a
vehicle may
be stationary,
it is still
potentially
dangerous
if
certain sensible
precautions
are
not
taken when
working
on
it while it rs supported
on
jacks
or blocks. lt is indeed
preÍerable
not to use
jacks
alone, but to supplement them with careÍully
placed
blocks, so that
there will be
plenty
of
support if the car
rolls ofÍ the
jacks
during a strenuous manoeuvre. Axle
stands are an excellent way of
providing
a
rigid
base which
is
not
rqadily
disturbed. Piles oÍ bricks are a dangerous sub-
stitute.
Be
careful
not
to
get
under
heavy loads
on
lrÍting
tackle, the
load
could
Íall. lt is
preÍerable
not to work
alone when liÍting
an
engine,
or
when working
under-
neath a vehicle which is
supported
well
off
.the
ground.
To
be trapped,
particularly
under the
vehicle, may have
unpleasant results if heip is not
quickly
forthcoming.
Make
some
provision,
however humble, to
deal
with Íires.
Always
drsconnect a battery
iÍ there is a likelihood
oÍ
electrical shorts. These may start a
fire iÍ
there
is leaking
fuel
about.
This
applies
particularly
to leads which can
carry a heavy current,
like
those in the starter circuiï.
While on the subject oÍ electricity, we must also stress the
danger oÍ using equipment which
is run
off
the mains
and which has no earth or has faulty wiring or connections.
So
many workshops have
damp
floors,
and
electncal
shocks are
of
such a nature that it
is
sometimes rmpossible
to let
go
of a
live lead
or
piece
of equipment due to the
muscular spasms which
take
place.
Work demanding special care:
This
involves
the servicing of braking, steering and
suspension systems. On
the road, failure
oÍ
the
braking
system may be disastrous. Make
quite
sure that there can
be
no
possibility
of
Íailure
through the bursting of rusty
brake
pipes
or
Íotten hoses, nor to a sudden
loss
oÍ
pres-
sure due to defective
seals or valves.
P404
Problems:
The
chief
problems
which may face
an opeÍatoÍ are:
1
External
diÍt.
2 DifÍiculty in undoing tight fixings
3
Dismantling
unfamiliar mechanisms.
4 Deciding rn
what
respect
parts
are defective.
5 ConÍusion
about
the
correct order
for reassembly.
6 Adjusting running
clearances.
7 Road testing.
B
Final tuning.
Practical
suggestion to solve
the
problems:
1 Preliminary
cleaning oÍ large
parts-engines,
trans
missions, steering, suspensions, etc.,
-should
be
carried out beÍore
removal from
the car.
Where road
dirt and mud alone are
present,
wash clean with a high-
pressure
water
jet,
brushing to
remove
stubborn
adhesions, and allow to drain and dry. Where oil or
grease
is
also
present,
wash
down
with
a
proprietary
compound
(Gunk,
Teepol etc.,) applying with
a
stifÍ
brush'-an
old
paint
brush
is
suitable-into all crevices.
Cover the distributor and ignition coils with
a
poly-
thene bag and then apply a strong water
jet
to clear the
loosened
deposits.
Allow
to
drain
and dry.
The
assemblies will then be sufÍiciently clean to remove and
transfer to the bench
for
the
next
stage.
On the bench,
further
cleaning can be carried out.
first wiping the
parts
as
free as
possible
from
grease
wlth old
newspaper. Avoid
using
rag
or cotton waste
which can leave clogging fibres behind. Any remaining
grease
can be removed with a bÍush dipped in
paraffin.
lf necessary, traces oÍ
paraffin
can
be removed
by
carbon tetrachloride. Avoid using
paraÍÍin
or
petrol
in
large
quantities
Íor
cleaning
in
enclosed areas, such
as
garages,
on account oÍ the high
fire risk.
When
all exteriors
have
been cleaned, and
not
before,
dismantling can be commenced. This ensures that dirt
will not enter
into interiors
and orifices
revealed
by
dismantling.
In the next
phases,
where components
have to be cleaned, use carbon tetrachloride
in
pre-
Íerence to
petrol
and keep the containers covered
except when
in
use. After the components have been
cleaned,
plug
small holes with tapered hard wood
plugs
cut
to
size
and
blank off
larger
orifices
with
grease-
prooÍ paper
and masking tape. Do not use soft wood
plugs
or
matchsticks
as
they
may break.
2
lt rs not
advisable to
hammer
on the end of a screw
thread, but
if it must be
done,
first screw
on a
nut to
protect
the thread, and use a
lead hammer. This
applies
particularly
to the removal oÍ tapered cotters. Nuts
and
bolts seem to
'grow'
together, especially
in
exhaust
systems. lf
penetrating
oil does not work, try the
judicious
application of heat, but be careÍul
ot
starting
a
fire.
Asbestos
sheet
or cloth
is
useful to
isolate
heat,
Tight
bushes or
pieces
of
tail-pipe rusted
into
a
silencer can
be removed
by
splitting them
with an
open-ended hacksaw. Tight screws can sometimes be
started by a tap Írom a hammer on the end of
a
suitable
screwdriver.
Many
tight
fittings will
yield
to
the
judicious
use oÍ a
hammer,
but
it must
be a
soft-faced hammer if
damage
is to
be avoided, use a
heavy
block on the
opposite side to absorb shock. Any
parts
of
the
tz3
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