BUYING A USED CAR

BUYING A USED CAR

Because new cars are expensive, most people find

themselves in the market for a used vehicle when they need

wheels. And buying a used car isn't easy; you want to get the

best car you can for the best deal you can. Read on to find

out how you can handle your used car purchase.

CHECKLIST OF QUESTIONS TO ASK ON THE

TELEPHONE:

Why are you selling the car?

How long have you owned it?

Does it need any repairs?

Is there any rust on the car?

CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO LOOK FOR BEFORE YOU

TEST DRIVE:

Rust, holes, gunk in tailpipe

Mismatches in paint (may indicate a past accident)

Tires in poor condition, uneven tread wear

Door locks work without sticking

All headlights and other lights work

Upholstery not sagging

Suspension doesn't sag

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO WATCH FOR ON THE ROAD:

Clutch doesn't slip or make any noise

Exhaust pumping out black or blue smoke

Emergency brake holds on hill

Make sure the car doesn't pull to one side, i.e., that the

wheels are properly aligned

Make sure steering doesn't wander or make noises

Accelerate on a hill to determine engine

strength

CHECKLIST FOR THE MECHANICAL TEST

Engine system, compression, spark plug reading, fuel pump,

ignition, oil condition

Electrical system, wiring, alternator, regulator, air conditioner

Brakes, lining, pads, drums

Driveline, transmission, universal joints

Suspension, shocks, springs, ball joints, wheel balance of

Frame and body, check for rust and evidence of structural

damage.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE AND THE CURE FOR:

WHAT IS THE CAUSE AND THE CURE FOR:

STRANGE NOISES; CAR STARTS, BUT

STALLS; CAR DOESN'T START

Anyone who owns a car knows they're not foolproof mechanisms; they sometimes break down. Being able to diagnose a problem and to cure it can make your life a lot easier.

If your car is making strange noises, this could originate in several different parts. There may be a problem with your valves; check all parts relating to oil and check the valves. You may have a problem with the connecting rods; check all parts relating to oil, check the bearings, crankshaft and connecting rods. Or the strange noises may be caused by the main bearing; in this case check all parts relating to oil and check the bearing and crankshaft.

If your problem is that your car starts and then stalls, you car may be suffering from one of a few problems. Check the carburetor to make sure it is getting an adequate fuel supply. Clean your spark plugs; dirty ones may be causing the problem. And perhaps you need to replace a worn distributor wire or worn distributor rotor. A faulty coil can stop your vehicle engine from turning over. Also, faulty ignition wiring should be replaced.

If your car just won't start, your problem may be with a faulty battery. Test your battery and either recharge or replace it. Remember that loose or corroded battery connections may also be keeping your car from starting properly. Clean and tighten them.

Knowing how to diagnose these problems may save you some time, concern and money in the long run. Taking the mystery out of your car's engine, knowing how to handle little problems, can make motoring much more of a pleasure.

SEVEN TIPS FOR CAREFREE BOAT

SEVEN TIPS FOR CAREFREE BOAT

TRAILERING

1.Make sure when you are buying a boat, that you get a

minimum of 13 inch wheels and a drive on trailer. Most

people spend 10,000 bucks for their boat and 300 on their

trailer. You can't enjoy the boat when you always are having

trouble transporting or loading it. Spend at least a $1,000 for

a good trailer. Ask around - talk to people before buying.

2.If you already have one of those trailers that's a pain to load

your boat on, think about making some guide on's for it. Two

2x4's five feet long covered with carpet attached to 4 inch

angle iron bent to attach to the trailer frame will cost about 50

bucks to make and install. Make sure before mounting them

that your boat is on trailer correct, then mount them carpeted

surface first flush against the side of your boat. This way your

boat will automatically center itself as you drive on the trailer.

3.If your boat is light in weight, small tires less than 13 inches

will probably do. I would carry a spare anyway, but if you have

a heavy boat with small tires, care two spares. Check your

air pressure often, inflate to maximum load pressure. At any

sign of abnormal wear, get them off the trailer and check for

the reason.

4.Always! Always! Put bearing buddy's on your trailer (big or

small) and also install bearing buddy caps to keep the

grease from being thrown all over your wheels.

5.Always carry a set of spare wheel bearings. Frequent

grease with Lubriplate-Auto/Marine-Lub 'A' - Part number

12298 (tube type). This fits into the heavy duty 3-way lever

grease gun, made by Lubrimatic Products Co., Omaha, NE

68110. Since I started using buddies with this grease,

greasing about every 3 trips, I've never (knock on wood) had

any trouble. I haul a bass boat several thousand miles each

year.

6.If you are using a truck type vehicle with a bumper ball to

haul your boat, may I suggest having your ball welded to the

bumper. Also weld your bumper to the frame of your truck.

My trailer and boat kept working my ball loose. It also kept

pulling my bumper down crooked in relationship to my

bronco. So I had it welded. I also had them weld a couple

large links of heavy chain to my bumper about a foot on each

side of my ball sticking out from under the bumper. This was

for the safety chains I installed on trailer. In case something

broke, I would not lose the trailer.

7.Get a bigger winch, with a strong nylon strap and replace

the small one. Trailers don't come with ones large enough to

do the job right.

FREEBIE: I extended my trailer tongue by three feet using

the next size up square steel tubing. This allows me to keep

my feet dry during launching and also allows me to use

shallow ramps better.

Make sure you put some sticky back rubber matting on it so

you won't slip. This can be purchased at most good boat

dealerships. Remember if you extent your trailer tongue you

will have to swing wider on right-hand turns!!

TROUBLESHOOTING ONE-CYLINDER

TROUBLESHOOTING ONE-CYLINDER

ENGINES

Living on a farm, homestead, or just a small country estate,

we often find much of the repair work falls on us. Home

repairs, appliances, and oh Lord, that ever-present one-

cylinder engine.

One-cylinder engines are most common in sizes from 2 to 12

horsepower, carrying with it the same basic characteristics

of any gasoline engine. Trouble-shooting the one-cylinder,

however, is somewhat different from the 4, 6, or 8-cylinder.

When larger engines (those in autos with 4 or more

cylinders) are having problems, they will usually run. Not

always smooth, but they run. The one-cylinder, when

something is wrong, may not even start, let alone run. For

that reason the one-cylinder engine is a harder one to

trouble-shoot.

Trouble-shooting the small engine, if you know how, can save

you quite a bit of your hard earned cash. Usually when one

doesn't start we buy a tune-up kit when it needs nothing more

than a new plug. Worse yet, the plug may just need cleaning.

If we decide something is wrong withe the carburetor we

usually buy a new one. Needless to say, much of the work

and expense that goes into the repair of a small engine is

unnecessary. We work by trial-and-error until we've spent the

price of a new engine and then take it to a mechanic who

works on it for 20 minutes and charges us for a full

hour at $24 per hour or more - just for labor!

Another important thing to remember about a small engine if

you live close to a small town is it's sometimes a hard one to

get repaired. Even though there are more mechanics today

specializing in small engines, there are still towns that don't

have a single small engines mechanic. Auto mechanics

usually don't work on lawn mowers or power chain saws.

There are only two things that a small one-cylinder engine

must have to run. It must have an adequate supply of fuel,

and the fuel must be getting into the engine. Then there must

be an adequate supply of ignition spark. These two points

are known to mechanics as "gas and fire".

First, let's take a closer look at the gas. Before you go a

single step farther, find the air adjustment valve on the

carburetor. Turn the screw to the right as fall as it will go. Now

turn it back to the left 2-1/2 turns. If the carburetor works

function at all, it'll work right there.

To test to see if the carburetor is getting gas, remove the air

breather. Set your troddle of choke (or start) and pull the rope

starter. Look into the top of the carburetor. If gas is visible it

is unlikely that the problem is with the carburetor. If you think

the problem might still be gas, try this one. Using the palm of

your hand, cover the opening on top of the carburetor. Pull

the rope starter again. Pay close attention (by feel) which

way the air is going through the carburetor. Is it sucking your

palm into the carburetor or is it trying to blow it out? If it

blows, you have problems with your valves. Chances are one

of them is burned and will need replacing - a charge of $100

or more if you take it to the shop but less than $20 if you do it

yourself.

The next point to check if the engine still isn't running is the

fire. The fire consists of the coil (or magneto), the breaker

points and the plug. A coil will usually outlive the engine

twice-over. The points and plug, however, are a different

story. They usually need replacing at least one a year - call it

an annual tune-up.

To check the points in the engine, remove the plug wire. Hold

it with insulated pliers about 1/4 inch from the end of the plug.

Pull the rope starter. If the points are breaking properly, you

will be able to see the spark as it jumps from the wire to the

plug. If no fire is seen, replace your points.

When you check the wire, there might be a spark coming to

the plug. If it is getting to the plug, it is possible that it isn't

getting through it. Remove the plug from the engine. Put it

back on the plug wire and pull the rope starter. Be sure the

plug is grounded against the engine. If no fire is visible

coming from the end of the plug, replace the plug with a new

one.

The small engine is popular all over the world and will be with

us for many years to come. You would do well to learn to fix it.