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Ideas About Maintenance

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16th September 1960

Page 151

Page 151, 16th September 1960 — Ideas About Maintenance

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Many Ways in Which Existing Servicing Methods Can Be Improved : More Attention Needed to Certain Aspects

m-R. DYSON concentrated on a broad review of servicing and maintenance equipment and methods. He interspersed several ideas of his own. Some of the paths in which he suggested future development might tread were: Two-tier servicing garages; more thought about frothing and spillage during fuelling; mechanical drying and polishing of bodywork; and built-in hosing for cleaning interiors.

The need to store vehicles under cover, he said, appeared to be essential when they were not on the road—the hours when servicing maintenance work had to be done. In designing garages, the first essentials were to ensure weather protection for vehicles and staff and to provide proper heating and lighting. Because of the importance of ground space, said Mr. Dyson, it might be that in the filture two-tier garages would have to be built.

Heating could prove very unsatisfactory and wasteful unless carefully planned and installed. He devoted a part of his paper to calculating the efficiencies of the types of fuel available for heating purposes. Coal generally was cheapest, then oil, coke, gas and electricity. If labour costs were added, oil would become cheapest followed by coal, coke, gas and electricity. But the disparity in annual costs would be much less.

Heat Distribution Losses

It was in the design of the heat distribution system that most losses could occur. Apart from the conventional methods, two newer systems which had been introduced in recent years were small-unit space heaters and underfloor heating. An attraction of space heaters was the induction of cold air and exhaust of warm air out of and into the actual space to be heated. By using thermostat control, this method of heating would prove attractively economical. An advantage of underfloor heating was that it could be switched on in off-peak hours because the garage floor acted as a heat store.

Should fuel tanks be above or below ground-level? The underground storage method had much to recommend it, but sludging or eldaning could become quite a problem. Above-ground tanks did not rely on power pumps, which could be said was an advantage; they were easily accessible for sludging.

Frothing and spillage were two major problems in any fuelling system. With above-ground installations, Mr. Dyson thought manufacturers might well make larger-diameter dispensing equipment and wider vehicle tank apertures. This meant that speed of delivery depended on bulk rather than on velocity. Dial registers seemed more positive and more adaptable to finer limits. He hoped that some method might be devised to eliminate spillage and frothing: more thought should be given to this matter.

Vertical Washers Best

A comparison of capital costs showed vertical washers to be more expensive than horizontal ones by anything from 150 per cent. to 400 per cent. The vertical machine was two or three times more expensive to install. It would appear that vertical rotary washers were the most efficient and economical, although wheels still proved a problem. Attention could be paid to means of cleaning wheels. Lighter and less expensive roof washing equipment should be produced. A machine to dry and polish vehicles immediately after passing through washers was not beyond the bounds of possibility.

Opinions varied very much on the efficiency of suction cleaners compared with hand-sweeping. It did seem that the industry could benefit by the introduction of lightweight and more streamlined suction equipment. " It is interesting to consider whether the insertion of permanent hosing or trunking in the bodywork of a vehicle, with suitable tappings for main and secondary hoses, might be a practical proposition," he remarked.

The ideal chassis cleaning arrangement was to steam-clean within a bay or cubicle inside the garage, so that dirt and steam would be isolated for disposal. Chassis should be cleaned at least twice a year.

Although salvage equipment was used only occasionally, it was an important insurance. Municipal operators could with benefit discuss salvage methods with their Civil Defence counterparts. An excellent tool was a hand-operated winch on the ratchet and pawl principle. It was less expensive and more mobile and versatile than the orthodox crane. '

"An operator is compelled by law to keep certain records of mileage and fuel and he should be equally compelled by himself to organize an efficient record system to maintain his fleet," commented Mr. Dyson. Although in most undertakings tyre maintenance was the responsibility of the contractors, the well-being of footwear could be greatly influenced— for good or evil—by vehicle maintenance. It was hoped that the general introduction of heavy tubeless tyres would reduce even the present low figure of service stoppages due to punctures.

The "hardy annual" of what statistics to base maintenance upon brought this comment from Mr. Dyson: "A more certain reflection of a vehicle's need for attention, and the surest base for maintenance, is that of fuel consumption . . . in gallons." Operating conditions and faulty mechanism were all reflected.

A maintenance system, unless controlled, could become very expensive. Mr. Dyson suggested: nightly topping-up of sumps; general inspection every 2,500 miles; oil change every 5,000 miles; injectors changed, fuel and air filters cleaned and valve gear checked every 10,000 miles.

Black Smoke Problem

The relationship of maintenance to air pollution was discussed by Mr. Dyson at some length. It seemed unfair, he remarked, that public service operators, who had been servicing their diesel engines so as to avoid pollution for the past 30 years, should be included in the present spate of exaggerated claims about diesel engine fumes. The question of exhaust smoke was not only one of hygiene but also one of efficiency and economics. Indeed, it could be said that the beginnings of today's maintenance systems stemmed from the early days when diesel engines were introduced.

Complaints had originated largely from sources where adjustment of a special rich-mixture control was in the hands of the driver. The second factor that could influence the emission of smoke was the maintenance system in operation. Smoke emitted from a diesel engine exhaust was an indication of an inefficient power unit, for smoke meant unburnt or partially burnt fuel. He felt there" was room for developments in the field of smoke detectors to assist in assessing externally what was happening within the power unit.