CHAPTER
II
ROUTINE
MAINTENANCE
[Spreading
the Work] [Lubrication]
[Occasional Attentions]
Regular
maintenance — which implies both lubrication and
routine servicing — is the best insurance against
early repair bills. In the case of the Minor, the
official service scheme calls for attention at intervals
of 1000, 3000, 6000 and 12000 miles. There is a
considerable body of technical opinion, however,
to support the contention that most manufacturers'
lubrication charts err on the side of safety, necessarily
making allowance for the owner who tends to postpone
routine servicing to the last minute: provided that
maintenance is carried out conscientiously, the
periods between the various jobs can, in many cases,
be appreciably extended. On a car in good condition,
for example, it should not be necessary to lubricate
the various chassis points more frequently than
at 2000-mile intervals unless it is operating under
very adverse conditions of heat and unsurfaced roads,
or continuous mud and slush; similarly, the use
of modem engine oils and efficient oil filters should
enable an oil change to be deferred until 5,000
miles have been covered. At least one major car
manufacturer has simplified his maintenance schedules
by grouping the jobs under 2,000 and 5,000-mile
headings and the owner of a Minor could rearrange
his schedule on similar lines, as shown in the chart
below, by carrying
out the 1000-mile service at 2000-mile intervals,
combining the 3000-mile and 6000-mile schedules
in one 5000-mile service and deferring the 12000-mile
items to 15000 miles, including, of course, the
5000-mile jobs that would then become due.
Spreading
the Work.
Anyone who carries out the
work at home, on the other hand, will quickly discover
the shortcomings of any conventional system of maintenance
when he finds, for example, that at the official
6000-mile service there are 31 jobs to be done and
that the work may well take up the better part of
a full weekend! There is a lot to be said, therefore,
for spreading the load by making a list of all the
items that require attention and incorporating these
in a chart in such a manner that two or three jobs
can be done comfortably once a week — say, during
the course of an hour or so on a Saturday. The manner
in which this is arranged will, of course, depend
on the average weekly mileage but it is not difficult
to devise a programme which will ensure that every
item will recur at the appropriate period — say,
once in every 5, 10 or 20 weeks, as the case may
be.
A
further advantage of such a system is that it is
flexible; if mileage should accumulate unexpectedly,
it is a simple matter to bring the series of jobs
forward by the appropriate amount. In practice,
too, an enthusiastic owner usually spends a good
deal of time at weekends or in the evenings on tuning
and adjustments so that a number of items receive
more frequent attention than was anticipated by
the manufacturer when drawing up the servicing schedule.
A
final point: only experience can show, of course,
whether or not it is necessary to vary the inspection
periods on a given car. For example, worn steering
bushes, which are still serviceable, will allow
grease to escape more quickly than closely-fitting
bearings and will require more frequent lubrication.
The same applies to a greater or lesser extent to
other aspects of maintenance.
The
points at which lubrication and other routine attentions
are required are shown in Fig.
3, but the more specialized aspects of servicing
are dealt with in chapters devoted to the individual
components. It should be sufficient to deal
here, therefore, with one or two general points
that are not covered elsewhere.
The
routine checks that cannot be tied down to a strict
schedule should not be forgotten: the engine oil
and water levels and tyre pressures, which should
be made at frequent intervals, and always before
starting out on a long run.
Service
A
1.
All nipples (except steering rack): lubricate.
2. Engine, gearbox and
rear axle: top-up oil levels,
3. Carburettor piston
dashpot: top-up.
4. Carburettor controls:
lubricate.
5. Air cleaner: check
oil level: remove sediment if necessary.
6. Battery: top-up cells
with water; make hydrometer test if possible.
7. Brake fluid reservoir:
check level of fluid.
8. Brake pipes and unions:
inspect for leakage of fluid.
9. Shock absorbers: examine
for leaks.
10. Tyre pressures: check.
11. Wheel nuts: check
tightness.
Service B
Carry out items 1-10 and
following additional work —
12.
Engine: change oil.
13. Sparking plugs: clean
and adjust.
14. Water pump: remove
plug, lubricate with a few drops of SAE 140
oil, replace plug. If nipple is fitted, apply
grease gun (2-3 strokes).
15. Distributor: clean
and adjust contact points; lubricate driving
shaft, cam, and advance mechanism; check action
of latter.
16. Dynamo driving belt:
check tension.
17. Dynamo rear bearing:
lubricate.
18. Clutch: check pedal
free travel; adjust.
19. Door hinges, locks,
etc.: lubricate.
20. Wheels: change round
to even-out tyre wear.
Service C
Carry out items 1-20 and
following additional work—
21.
Gearbox and rear axle: change oil.
22. Oil filter: fit new
element.
23. Valve rockers: check
clearances: adjust if necessary.
24. Carburettor and fuel
pump: clean filters; check piston for freedom;
check and if necessary adjust idling speed and
mixture strength.
25. Front hubs: check
condition of bearings and seals; repack with
grease.
26. Trafficators: lubricate.
27. Door hinges and striker
plates: check adjustment and tighten screws.
28. Rear springs: tighten
securing bolts.
29. Brakes: check and
adjust.
30. Front suspension:
have height and steering geometry checked by
Morris dealer.
31. Shock absorbers: check
for leaks; top-up if necessary.
Service D
Carry out items 1-31 (except
items 3 and 12) and following additional work
—
32.
Steering gear: lubricate rack and pinion.
33. Engine: remove sump
and clean oil intake filter; refill with new
oil (see Removing
the Sump).
34. Carburettor:
clean suction chamber and piston: top-up
dashpot; remove and clean float-chamber.
35. Sparking plugs: as
a precaution, fit new plugs.
36. Radiator: de-scale,
drain, flush and refill.
37. Engine Test: make
compression and vacuum tests to determine engine
condition.
LUBRICATION
There are many arguments in
favour of the practical owner carrying out routine
lubrication himself. Only two items of equipment
are required, apart from the usual hand tools: a
pair of ramps, on to which the front or rear wheels
can be driven in order to provide adequate clearance
for working beneath the car (assuming that a pit
is not available); and a good high-pressure grease
gun. Messrs. Bowser, Monks and Whitehouse, Ltd.,
of Spring Gardens, Doncaster, make an excellent
pair of steel drive-on ramps. Although the
ordinary type of grease gun is quite efficient the
side-lever type of gun that enables a very high
pressure to be developed with little effort, and
which has also the advantage of being fitted with
a long extension tube making it easy to reach less
accessible nipples, and a snap-on hydraulic connector
which provides a perfect seal without the need for
applying pressure against the nipple, is well worth
its higher cost. The Colley Pup (obtainable from
Messrs. Colley Nockolds, 41 Whitehall, London, S.W.1),
is a good example of this type of gun at a reasonable
price.
These
items will render the owner virtually independent
of a service station, and their cost will probably
be more than recovered during the first few months
of home servicing. There will be the added
satisfaction of knowing that the work has been carried
out conscientiously, that no greasing points have
been overlooked or scamped and also that any signs
of impending trouble have been detected in good
time. Apart from a saving of upwards of £20
during a year (more, perhaps, if a large mileage
is covered) the do-it-yourself owner is also freed
from the need for making an appointment to have
his car serviced (sometimes weeks in advance) and
being deprived of its use for the better part of
a day while it awaits its turn for attention in
a busy service station.
A
large-scale lubrication chart, printed on stout
paper and suitable for hanging on the garage wall,
is always an asset. It is worth recording that such
charts, covering a very wide range of cars and models
in addition to the Minor 1000, can be obtained free
of charge from the Castrol Chart Library, Castrol
House, Marylebone Road, London, NW1
Chassis
Lubrication.
The most suitable lubricant
to use in the grease gun is one of the modern multi-purpose
lithium-based greases, which are suitable not only
for the steering connexions, swivel pins, propeller
shaft nipples, brake cables and pivots, but- which
also should be used for packing the front wheel
hubs. Each grease nipple should be wiped before
the gun is applied, to avoid any risk of grit being
forced through the nipple into the bearing. If the
nipple is dented or otherwise damaged it is a simple
matter to unscrew it and fit a replacement, which
can be obtained from your Morris dealer. In an emergency,
however, it is possible to obtain a satisfactory
seal even on a damaged nipple if a piece of cheesecloth
or other light fabric is first placed between the
nipple and the end of the grease gun.
Many
owners are unaware that every lubrication nipple
contains a small spring-loaded ball valve which
prevents the grease from escaping from the bearing.
If a "worm" of grease exudes from the nipple when
the grease gun is removed this valve is not functioning
correctly and it is advisable to renew the nipple
as soon as possible. It is an advantage, when greasing
each steering swivel, to jack up that side of the
car until the front wheel is clear of the ground.
This will allow grease to reach the thrust faces
of the bearings that carry the weight.
For
oil-can attentions a good-quality light engine oil,
or preferably an oil which has anti-rust properties,
can be used in an oil can. Another excellent
lubricant is an upper-cylinder oil such as Redex
which tends to prevent gumming. Such parts as the
distributor automatic-timing mechanism should not
be forgotten; the small weights housed within
the distributor body greatly influence the whole
behaviour of the engine and the power output, fuel
consumption, and performance that will be obtained,
and should be lubricated as described in Chapter
VI.
On
parts such as door hinges and catches, surplus oil
should be wiped off to prevent soiling of the driver's
or passengers' clothes. A solidified lubricant,
which is rather cleaner than ordinary oil, can be
obtained for this purpose.
Gearbox
and Rear Axle Lubrication.
Heavy oil should not be used
in the gearbox. Engine oil of the same grade as
that specified for the engine (see Chapter
III) is the correct lubricant.
The
teeth of the hypoid gears in the back axle, on the
other hand, are subject to much higher stresses
and require an oil containing special additives
to maintain an adequate film of lubricant between
the working parts. However good this oil may
be initially, it begins to lose some of its properties
after a period of service and the axle must, therefore,
be drained and refilled at the mileage specified
in the chart. Moreover, it is not advisable to mix
"extreme pressure" oils, as they are termed. The
correct grade is SAE 90 EP.
As
the combined filler and level plug is at the side
of the axle casing, it is rather an awkward job
to inject oil unless a piece of rubber tubing is
fitted to the spout of a forced-feed oil can.
Alternatively, one of the inexpensive polythene
oil cans obtainable from multiple stores, from which
the oil is expelled by pressure on the sides of
the container, will fill the bill admirably. Oil
should be injected until it begins to overflow from
the hole. Wait until the drips
have stopped before refitting the plug.
OCCASIONAL
ATTENTIONS
Under this heading it is convenient
to group those jobs to which it is difficult to
assign any hard-and-fast mileage periods.
Occasional checks and inspections are particularly
valuable in enabling the owner to detect and forestall
trouble. Small faults, which initially may
only reduce efficiency, can lead in the end to more
serious and expensive breakdowns. By keeping the
engine clean, for example, oil leaks can be detected,
while the removal of the accumulated road dust or
oil from terminals and insulators will go a long
way towards preventing leakage of electrical current
— especially high-tension current in damp or wet
weather.
A
careful inspection of the engine compartment, from
time to time, will often reveal a loose nut or clip
which might allow a cable to chafe, resulting eventually
in a short-circuit.
The
Fan Belt.
The fan belt, which also drives
the generator, should be kept free from grease and
should be correctly tensioned. There should be a
free movement of one inch at the centre of the belt.
If the belt is too slack, it will slip; on the other
hand, if it is too tightly adjusted, excessive wear
will occur on the fan and generator bearings. It
is a simple matter to adjust the tension by loosening
the two upper mounting bolts on the generator and
the clamping bolt on the strut, allowing the generator
to be swung towards or away from the engine. To
increase the tension on the belt, lever the generator
gently upwards with a short length of wood. After
the mounting bolts have been tightened, re-check
the free movement of the belt.
Clutch
Adjustment.
As the friction linings, on
the driven plate of the clutch, wear, the slight
free movement that should exist at the clutch pedal
will gradually be taken up. When all the free play
has been eliminated there is a risk of the clutch
beginning to slip under load, causing overheating
and rapid deterioration of the linings. A free movement
at the pedal of at least 1" should be maintained
by releasing the locknut shown in Fig.
7 and screwing the adjusting nut the required
amount towards the front of the car. If the clutch
does not free properly when the adjustment is correct
the trouble must lie at some point within the clutch
mechanism and will call for specialist attention.
When
clutch judder develops the most likely cause is
worn or glazed friction linings, a defective centre-plate
or internal release mechanism. Before deciding to
have the clutch overhauled, however, check the adjustment
of the engine tie-rod (Fig.
8). The central hexagonal section should be
adjusted so that the rod is neither in tension nor
under compression when the end nuts are tightened
with the engine at rest. The end nuts (which are
self-locking) should not be pulled up too tightly
as the rubber bushes are intended to give a certain
amount of resilience.
Of
course any companies or products mentioned in the
text may not exist today and any prices listed are
of course no longer valid, so take company and product
refernces with a grain of salt.