From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine detailing post-storage car recommissioning procedures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0291 | |
| Date | 21th March 1941 | |
| March 21st, 1941 BP The Autocar 259 The fuel pump, as a rule, should be in working order, but fuel left in the tank for a long time may cause a very nasty gummy deposit to form all over the fuel system, and even on the inlet valve ports. This occurs most often if the tank is half full, or if there is much brass or copper in contact with the fuel. And if it does occur, then you may be in for a great deal of trouble. In any case it would be wise to drain off any petrol in the tank before turning the engine over. The fuel pump will usually prime itself; if it will not, a number of the mechanically operated diaphragm pumps have an external lever which will cause them to function normally, while the removal of the delivery pipe from the electric pumps seems to cure any air lock which may have occurred in rare instances, if these are then switched on until fuel comes. Don't take the fuel pump to pieces if you can avoid it, as it is a complicated piece of mechanism and should be dismantled or assembled only by people who know what they are doing. The fuel lines may need a certain amount of inspection, especially those in which there are flexible pipes or pieces of special rubber tubing at intervals to reduce the likelihood of breakage due to vibration. It is not probable that there will be air leaks in the induction system as the result of the car being out of action, but it is just possible, and so this point should be verified. With an S.U. carburettor watch that the piston slides easily up and down. Handle with Care Be very careful with both the ignition and the fuel systems, by the way, and handle the various small nuts and connections gently. It is quite easy to do a surprising amount of damage if you are heavy handed with these parts. It is certainly worth making sure that the oil level is correct before you attempt to start the engine in any case, but there doesn't seem to be any clear reason why the oil in the sump should be changed unless something unusual was added to the oil during the storage period. But there is the point that people might forget that they have drained the sump altogether, and so do irreparable damage when the engine starts. Engine controls, pedal connections and small mechanical parts of that sort, will probably be the better for a drop of oil. Use Old Plugs Then comes the great moment when the engine has to be started. Now, if the owner has been wise, the plugs have been removed, and at stated intervals a small amount of light oil has been injected into the cylinder bores just to make perfectly certain that these do not get rusty, the oil being distributed by turning the crankshaft with the handle. When the moment comes to start the engine again, however, this usually means that there is quite a lot of oil on top of the pistons. It is no use, therefore, putting in a set of new plugs for the moment. The effect of that will be that the nice new plugs will be dirty oily plugs inside five seconds. It is far better to use a complete set of older plugs, provided that they are giving a satisfactory spark, and the “softer” the plugs—that is, the hotter they become when running—the more they are likely to withstand the oil. B 17 ILLUSTRATION TEXT: MODERN CAP OLD STYLE CAP VALVE MODERN VALVE TOOL The tyre valves may have deteriorated ; take them apart to see. PEDAL BEARINGS Minor bearings of the chassis, such as those shown for the pedal in this illustration, should be lubricated. STARTER PINION Starter withdrawn from its housing to reveal the Bendix pinion, its worm gear and spring, which may have to be cleaned. When the switch is put on just note that the warning light appears and that the fuel pump can be heard operating if it is of the electrical type. It is possible that the starting motor Bendix pinion may have rusted on its shaft. It is not very likely, but if the only result of pressing the switch is a high-pitched whining noise, this is probably what has occurred. That means, as a rule, that oil has to be applied somehow on the worm gear of the Bendix, which is none too easy a job with some cars. But remember there is always a starting handle, and it isn't essential to use the motor, although perhaps six people out of ten cannot be convinced of the fact. When the engine fires, huge volumes of smoke will arise from the exhaust, so that if the car has been pushed out into the open air first, so much the better. The smoke will be dense, and it is almost certain that one or more plugs will oil immediately. It is as well to keep the engine running for a little while and not clean the faulty plug at once. But, on the other hand, the faulty plug must not be left inactive too long, or even more oil will probably be pumped up into that cylinder. The moment the engine begins to run, take a glance at the oil pressure gauge just to make sure that the oil is circulating, and while you are about it have a look at the ammeter, which will tell you whether the dynamo is in active operation as well. If the oil pressure gauge registers nothing, stop at once and investigate. It may be that you have forgotten to check whether there is oil in the sump, which happens to be as dry as a bone. Final Check Just try the clutch while you are in the driving seat, because the splines on which the clutch slides may have become rusty, which means that the clutch will not disengage properly. And while the engine is running check over everything you can in the way of instruments. Incidentally, you may find that the clock has ceased to function. You will then realise that it would have been much better to have removed it to some warm, dry place. Once you are satisfied that the engine is running as it should, and that no harm has occurred generally, the car can be cleaned up thoroughly, which means a good deal of elbow grease and one of the special preparations sold to clean chromium plating. Ordinary water ought to serve, but when there is a curious looking salt effect on the metal nothing but a special cleanser will do much good. Upholstery and Glass The upholstery may need a little attention, and some restorative if the garage has been damp at any time, and very often there is a deposit on the glass of the windows and windscreen which makes one think that something has gone wrong with this important part of the car. When once, however, you get the machine into the fresh air you will find that the deposit disappears and the glass is as good as new. At the earliest possible moment take the wheels off, because they, too, have a habit of rusting on, rust affecting the screw thread of the bolts of the ordinary steel wheel, and the splines inside the hub shell of the knock-off wire wheel. Some wire wheels appear to be definitely locked in position from this cause, and great care has to be taken when driving them gradually off the hubs. The eared cap of this type of wheel seems to be remarkably subject to attacks of corrosion. Even the most frightful-looking cap responds to the special chromium-cleaning substances now obtainable. Another point that needs special attention is usually the arm of the windscreen wiper, which again for some unknown reason is unusually liable to corrosion. | ||