Car Parts and Accessories

The clutch is engaged and disengaged with the left-hand pedal. The pedal can be connected to the thrust race assembly by one of several methods: rod, cable or hydraulic.

Rod clutch

The rod method of operation is the simplest, as can be seen in the diagram. A steel rod is connected between the pedal and the clutch cross-shaft. When the clutch pedal is depressed the rod is pulled and the cross-shaft rotated. (more…)

It is designed so that the drive can be engaged and disengaged smoothly and easily. By disengaging the drive, the clutch allows the gears to be changed smoothly and it provides a temporary neutral position. This allows the transmission gears to be engaged or disengaged whilst the engine is running. (more…)

The wheel cylinders are attached to the brake back-plates and operate the brake shoes against the brake drum. Wheel cylinders are sometimes referred to as slave cylinders, being subordinate to the master cylinder. (more…)

Disc brakes have several advantages over drum brakes, namely:

1 Less likely to ‘fade’ (reduction in braking efficiency through an increase in temperature of the friction surfaces after several brake applications). (more…)

Brake-adjustment should be carried out every 7500 km (5000 miles) to compensate for wear of the friction surfaces. With the car jacked up, the adjusting screw should be turned until the wheel can no longer be turned by hand. The adjuster should then be backed off until the wheel rotates freely. (more…)

Battery

The battery forms the central energy store of the electrical system. All the vehicle’s electrical components are either directly or indirectly connected to the battery. This leads to the rule which must be carried out when working on any electrical component or section of wiring:

Before carrying out any electrical work always disconnect the battery. (more…)

The dynamo is situated along the side of the engine. It is driven by the fan belt from the crankshaft pulley. The dynamo generates electricity for the following uses:

To power the electrical components when the engine is running (for example, the lights and the windscreen-wipers). (more…)

The function of the starter motor is to turn the engine over fast enough to initiate combustion. It does this by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. The starter motor is bolted to the lower rear part of the engine. The main parts of the starter are shown. These are the casing, the armature, the end plates and the driving pinion. The internal construction of the starter is very similar to that of the dynamo. (more…)

Horn

The horn is fitted as a warning device to other road-users. It is positioned somewhere at the front of the car, just behind the radiator grille. The horn is operated by a horn-push or ring on the steering wheel or column. This is situated so that it is very easily reached by the driver’s hand. (more…)

1 Clean the whole area first, whatever the type or degree of damage, as this may show up secondary bruising. (more…)

1 This scratch is fairly deep. The metal is exposed and it has started to rust.

2 A jelly rust remover is applied to kill the rust in the scratch. (more…)