Middletown transcript., 1922-06-24
Dirt IS ANCIENT
ENEMY OF MOTOR
Undesirable Near Working Parts
Of Chassis Because It
Starts Rapid Wear.
KEROSENE BATH IS FAVORED
Unclean Engine Means Loss In e..
fieiency and Premature Trip to
Repair Shop-Startinq Motors
Require Attention.

Dirt Is undesirable no matter where
1t Is, but the average automobile own
er has yet to learn that dirt on the
running gear does more than merely
cover up some painted or unpaihted
metal. Joints seemingly as tight as
a mechanic can get them allow dirt
to pass through. The reason for the
dirt being SO undesirable near work.
ing parts Of the chassis is not SO much
because 1t doesn't look we'll but be-
cause 1t eventually gets to moving
surface and starts rapid wear.
Around the engine and other parts
of the car there are supposedly tight
joints in addition to actual openings.
Take the front end cover. commonly
called the timing gear case cover. vi.
bration may loosen a few of the hold
ing nuts, allowing the cover to move
away from the crank case small
fraction Of an inch. With an accumu-
lation Of dirt over the cover some
oil the dirt is bound to set to the gear
teeth. Dirt and lack of fabrication
Of front end gears are responsible for
rapid wear and noisy operation.
Every owner ought to keep the en-
gine clean by an occasional kerosene
bath. Spray kerosene all over the en-
gine and wipe off every bit Of dirt you
can. This goes for the crank case as
well as the parts that you can see
when you lift the hood. Dirty oil, oil
with sediment, old oil not changed for
some time are all causes of rapid en-
gine wear.
How many owners ever see to 1t
that the combination breather and oil
fller is clean on the inside? In some
designs there is every chance for a
quantity of dirt to settle on the in
side, and that is washed down into
the crank case when the next oil
filling is made
A dirty engine means loss In eff
1ciency and premature trip to the
repair shop, where the cost Of parts
requirements will be higher than ex-
pected. The timers are usually COW
cred with mud and dirt, and this gets
inside, cuts the segments, interferes
with proper ignition, and brings about
the need for q new timer in few
months. Look inside of timer that
is generally dirty on the outside and
one will find dirt also. Generators and
starting motors on the average car
do not get very much attention Of any
kind by the owner, but they deserve
good cleaning. Some starting motors
are not fully inclosed, while others,
even when covered, seem to accumu-
late dirt.
I would suggest to the owner that,
when he has few hours to spare dur
ing any month, he give the engine a
thorough cleaning. removing dirt from
all joints, from oil holes, and the like.
The underneath parts of the car are
admittedly hard to get at. but that
should not be an excuse for total neg
lect. Underneath the car there may be
many places that require oil through
small cups, oil holes, etc. While Some
manufacturers are so far behind as to
continue to use oil holes in exposed
places, the owner Of car using them
should not let them became filled with
dirt. If l owned car with exposed oil
holes on cross shafts and other parts
would have mechanic install auto
matte feed oil cups.
Universal joints at best are hard to
lubricate, and even If covered with a
leather boot are not proof against the
ravages Of dirt and mud. The more
dirt that you allow to accumulate
around these parts the more dirt will
get to the working surfaces.