Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
BY III. CLIFFORD BROKAW,
Automobile Technical Adviser.


In becoming adjusted to a new auto
mobile, the matter of fabrication should
come in for serious consideration. II
is probably not putting it too strong
to say an owner can do more to get the
longest possible use out of his car with
satisfaction by looking carefully after
his cars fabrication than in any other
way. If one could see the difference in
the appearance of a crank shaft bear
fabrication during the first thousand
miles and one which has had the
proper amount of oiling the contrast
would be very impressive. Manufac-
turers of automobiles furnish complete
| fabrication instructions usually by
means of a chart which shows exactly
every point which requires grease or
oil and indicates the time for giving at
tention to various places. 1t is recon-
mended that the owner paste this chart
on the wall of his garage or in some
other fashion make it easily accessible
| for consultation.
SkiIlfuI Use of Choke Necessary.
The engine is the most important
part of an automobile from the stand
point of adequate fabrication. SuggeS-
tons concerning this will be found in
following article. The manufacturers
instruction sheet will suggest the fire.
quency for changing the oil in the
crank case. It may not be commonly
known to automobile owners that Or
binary gasoline, such as is used in auto
mobiles nowadays, has properties APP
preaching those of kerosene. This
means that such gasoline does not
evaporate as quickly or vapor1ze as
readily as fuel in common use a decade
ago. However, fuel must be vaporized
before it will readily ignite. Conse-
quently, engines require more care In
starting at the present time than a
number of years ago. This explains the
principal reason why it is now neces-
Sary for drivers to use the choker more
Skilfully than formerly.
When the choker button is pulled out,
as is usually done when starting the
engine, and Is left out for some time
with the car running, a quantity of
liquid gasoline is drawn into the engine.
AS there cannot be sufficient oxygen
present to cause its combustion only q
small portion of this fuel is burned, the
balance finding its way past the pistons
and down into the crank case. Here
it mixes with the lubricating oil and
produces what Is commonly termed
crank case dilution. Crank case dilu-
ton is the common experience to vir-
tually all automobiles, as an analysis
of oils taken from crank cases from a
number of different kinds of cars
proves.
Water Increases Wear.
Another constituent of oil in the
crank case after it has been used for
while is water, this being one of the
products of gasoline and air combuS-
ton. A small portion of water will al
ways be found mixed with the libricat-
ing oil in the crank case after the oil
has been used in running a car 500
miles or more. There are three un-
happy effects of crank case dilution.
It increases the wear on parts. 1t IN
creaseS oil consumption and it pro-
duceS corroSion.
It can be readily understood that
crank case dilution being largely due
to the use Of the choker, its effects are
likely to be much greater in Winter
than In Summer and greater in city
driving, where many starts and stops
are made during the day, than on
longer tours. Consequently extra care
Is required under these more unfavor-
able circumstances.
While the manufacturers charts indi-
cate the need for a change OF oil at
about a certain number Of miles, this
cannot be taken as entirely final, since
the condition of the oil itself should
really determine when it needs to be