Motor Road Transport For Commercial Purposes
(Liquid Fuel, Steam, Electricity)

158 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT Tuning-up the engine should be done as a matter of course. Details such as cleaning the petrol filter and float chamber, scraping and setting the sparking plug points, overlooking all the electrical wires and connections, fan belt, and so on, will well repay the time spent on them. Unless the driver is a really skilied man, tlie inspec- tion should be done by an engineer, although in most cases the van driver will be able to undertake the actual work. This weekly examination is in the nature of “ a stitch. in time,” and its importance cannot be emphasized too strongly. It is advisable to keep a chart for each vehicle, as this will show at a glance what has been done and when it was done. After definite periods the engine and gear-box should be washed out and fresh lubricant put in. The period will depend on the mileage which. is being done and on the quality of the lubricant, and can be best determined by experience. It should be borne in mind that it is false economy to continue to run any piece of mechanism with oil which has been in use for so long that it has practically lost its lubricating properties. The Annual Overhaul. The annual overhaul is naturally the most serious operation, and it is well to spare no trouble or expense over it. Both. chassis and body should be brought up to new standard, for they have a fresh year’s work in front of them. A point, seemingly trivial, but in reality by no means so, in favour of good work being put into the yearly overhaul, is that of advertisement. It is quite extraordinary how additional business