The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-08
LONG LIFE TO BE FOUND
IN MANY AUTOMOBILES
Some Advice to Owners About Getting Everything
Possible Out of Car and Keeping 1t
! Going for Long Time

There Is no doubt the production of
passenger cars will be reduced con-
nderably between now ana the irst of
ths year. especially unless manufac-
turers Of such vehicles can obtain suf-
ncient material and labor diverted from
strictly war work. This will mean thai
inc American public will have to use
rs means OF transportation those
vehicles already produced--the 5000, 900
cars now being driven over the roads.
~ has been assumed heretofore that
the life OF a passenger car Is five years.
that Is when Ave years service ha,
peen reached the car no longer is fit
Tor service and has value only as Junk.
We have been accustomed to think IN
terms OF five year life, but erro-
neousiy so. because the actual life Of a
car 10 indeterminate; It depends as much
upon the care and attention Il re-
ceives as upon anything else 1t has
oeen said, and with a certain degree
OF truth. that car can be kept run
ming almost indefinitely IL it Is cared
Tor properly and parts replaced at the
proper time. And there Is little reason
70 believe otherwise. Just because the
soles Of your shoes are worn through
end repaired once or twice is no reason
Why they cannot and should not be re-
placed third or fourth time, pro-
vtding tho uppers are good. So with
the automobile. I have seen cylinder
blocks used for eight to twelve years
and still being used They have been
rebored twice in that time and new
pistons and rings have been fitted as
many times. but the cylinders and
plstons are giving as good service now
a. when new-perhaps little better
considering tho large size.
Tho major parts of a car, such as
the cylinders. crankcase. crankshaft,
camshaft. dywheel. large clutch parts.
transmission case and shafts, axle
housing. propeller shaft. frame, &C..
can be made to give more than ten
years service. Some of them, such as
the frame and propeller shaft. can be
given limitless existence. Why not
Motorists must learn to make more use
Of the processes which up to this time
have been neglected because of the ease
OF getting a new car and the ease Of
making a trade. Welding must be re-
sorted to more to repair broken parts.
Many motorists will be surprised at the
kind of work a welder can perform.
Broken front axles, broken crankca SEES,
even cylinders. axle housings, &C, can
be repaired and again repaired to keep
them in service. Regrinding of bear
ings must be another step. New bear
ings are not so low in price as they
were before the war. so the nrotorist
should not hesitate to get acquainted
with this method of prolonging the
life of these vital parts. Cylinders
wear oval and pistons out OF round
but a regrind Job on the cylinders and
set of new pistons and rings and
you have practically a new engine.
Crankshafts can be trued ant welded
II broken, and even gears may be IN
this way repaired to keep them in ser
vice longer.
Some engines are said to be 'all in
because so many troubles are evident
that only a careful going over Of each
and every part with perhaps lot Of
repairing and replacing will again Mt
them for service. In these war times
Il Is worth going to a lot Of trouble to
keep such an efficient transportation
medium in service. End play in the
crankshaft and camshaft may be due
to the bearing wear and not TO the
shafts; noisy valves may be due to
wear in a small part Of the valve gear.