Special attention should be given to regular lubrication, as this, more than any one thing, not only determines the life but also the economic up-keep of the car.
Whenever you hear an owner say that his car is a gas eater, or that it uses twice or three times as much oil as his neighbor’s, which is the same model and make, you know at once that he, or some one who has used the car before him, either did not give sufficient attention to lubrication, or used a poor grade of oil. It is almost impossible to impress the importance of the foregoing facts upon the minds of the average motorist, and we have, as a direct result, a loss of millions of dollars annually through depreciation.
The manufacturers of automobiles and gasoline engines have earnestly striven to overcome this negligence by providing their products with automatically fed oiling systems which alleviate some of the former troubles. These systems, however, also require some attention to function properly.
Grease.—A medium grade of light hard oil grease is best adapted for use in grease cups, universal joints, and for packing wheel bearings and steering gear housings. The transmission and differential operate more successfully when a lighter grade of grease is used, such as a graphite compound, or a heavy oil known as 600 W.
Oils.—Great care should always be exercised in purchasing lubricants. None but the best grades should be considered under any circumstances. The cheaper grades of oil will always prove to be the most expensive in the end. The ordinary farm machinery oils should never be used in any case as an engine lubricant, for in most cases they contain acids, alkalies, and foreign matter which will deteriorate and destroy the bearings of the motor.
An oil to give the best satisfaction must be a purely mineral or vegetable composition which will flow freely at a temperature of 33° Fahrenheit and also stand a temperature of 400° Fahrenheit without burning. Always choose an oil which is light in color as the darker oil usually contains much carbon.
Lubrication (Lat. Lubricus, meaning slippery).—-Lubrication is provided on all types of automobile engines, and at various other places where moving parts come in contact or operate upon each other.
Three different types of lubricating systems are found in common use.
[Fig. 24] shows the splash system. The oil is placed into the crank case and maintained at a level between two points, marked high and low, on a float or glass gauge at the lower left-hand side of the crank case. The oil is usually poured directly into the crank case through a breather pipe provided to prevent excessive vacuum pressure.
The lower end of the connecting rod carries a spoon or paddle which dips into the oil at each revolution and splashes it to the cylinder walls and various bearing surfaces within the motor.