The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-13
HINTS FOR BUYER
OF A USED MOTOR
Simple Tests That Will Save
You From Getting Costly
Experience.
ny II. CLIFFORD BROKAw,

q
Technical Director, West Side Y. H. C.
A. Automobile School
When you bought that used automo-
bile did you get a second hand car or
Just a bunch of junk? Was it used"
so much that there was little more go to
II. or were you shrewd, or fortunate.
enough TO get your moneys worth? Il
you haven't bought vet. how are you
10 make sure that you really get some-
thing when you lay down your money?
There is a big demand for second
hand cars, because the factories have
not yet caught UP with the shortage
occasioned by the war and new cars
are not available TO MI the demands.
Because Of this condition the business
OF the used car dealer IL hourishing.
The second hand car proposition Is
something OF a lottery, because there
are certain parts of car which it Is
practically impossible to inspect, as,
for instance, the inside OF the cylinders.
The cylinder might be scored by the
wrist pin getting loose. which allows oil
to leak into the combustion chamber
and cause excess of carbon and misfir-
Ing by short circuiting the spark plugs.
The condition also affects the COM
pressicc and allows Gasolene to leak
into the crank case, being lost SO far
as power of production Is concerned,
while II thins and destroys the quality
of the lubricsting oil. II the cylinder
is worn much out of round It would
give practically the same result.
1t would be unreasonable TO ask the
owner to disassemble the engine, 80 that
II is impossible to determine accurately
the condition. but some idea OF the con-
dition may be obtained by turning over
the engine with the starting crank ham
die and noting he degree OF compress
sion and whether the compression
seems to leak into the crank case.
Loss OF compression might be caused
also by leaky valves. and in case there
10 poor compression ON cranking or II
seems to disappear quickly II would be
well to ask the owner to correct this
fault. If he cannot do II by grinding
In the valves IL il pretty good indi-
cation that the cylinders are worn or
scored.
In some cases the transmission is so
situated that it is very difficult to open
II up for inspection OF the gears. Some
idea of the condition may be obtained.
however, by driving the car in first. sec
ond and reverse, noting II there is ex-
cessive noise. Where II is possible to
open up the case II should be done. Ex-
anime the gear teeth for wear and see
II the shaft bearings are worn.
In the usual type of transmission gear
the shaft on which the gears slide has a
| bearing on the forward bed. n projection
| which runs In a bearing in the shaft to
| which the clutch is attached. This bear
ing is the weakest part OF the gear. be-
cause of the difficulty OF lubricating il.
II II wears the shaft gets out Of align
ment, the gears become noisy and may
Jump out of mesh. Ford gears are of the
| planetary type and defy examination
| without tearing down the whole assem-
| bly, but a test under driving conditions
will give fair idea of their condition.
II possible the cover should be removed
| from the rear axle housing to expose the
| differential that tho condition OF the
| gear teeth may be seen. A good test for
all parts of the transmission system
| may be made BY lacking up ono OF the
rear wheels. meshing the gar in high
speed and leaving the clutch engaged II
the hub cap and differential cvvers can
be removed so much the better. Then
rock the raised wheel back and forth Wig