i do not have a regular maintenance schedule other than every couple of years
taking the generator and starter off every couple of years and checking
brushes and bearings and doing a general cleaning up. however, i was a
fighter pilot for many years and i learned early on that strange noises,
strange smells, vibrations, erratic indicators, etc., usually forecast
impending doom and required immediete action. i am the same with my autos and
my old cushman motor scooter. when i check the oil, i look at the brake fluid
and coolant. if i notice an excessive amount to add, i investigate. most
brake and clutch problems can be detected early before the become
catastrophic. i check all wheels for leaks, then the floor mat up under the
master cylinders, then pull the rubber caps off to see if any fluid leaks out.
brake fluid on the floor by the right front wheel is of course the slave
cylinder. if all of this is ok, then it is probably the servo unit sucking up
the fluid and then getting sucked into the manifold. find the problem area
and fix it asap. save a lot of money in the long run. check any wheel
vibration. could be wheel out of true or a weight knocked off. find it and
fix it. anytime i wash the car i am looking in all corners and recesses for
any foreign stuff. i look for "excessive" oil leaks from the engine or trans.
sometimes it is just loose bolts or a bad gasket. easy fix. every time i have
the front end jacked up, i check all suspension and steering apparatus. grease
when necessary. if you cannot get grease into a sert, find our why. if a new
sert doesn't do the trick, you probably are in for some disassembly and
cleaning. do it asap. if the fuel pump starts to stall, replace the points
immedietly. my pump is many years old, but i have replaced points two or three
times. my fuel filter is visible and i change it when it starts to look
dirty. i change rubber fuel line when i notice it loosing its flexibility. a
big item to change when you think it has been in there long enough is the
flexible oil line to the gauge. i have seen two or three nice shiny metal
covered oil lines start to spew oil because the rubber inside is old and hard.
same with brake lines. if they look bad or you do not have a good feeling
about them, replace them. i never take chances with brakes or steering. who
cares how fast your car will go if it will not stop!!! same with wheel
bearing. check them whenever you have to change brake pads. only takes
another hour or so to pop the calipers and pull the hubs off. if heavy black
oil is coming out of the rear brake backing plate, order a new seal and change
it out. years ago i could remember when i did all these things, but now i
have started to keep a log of what i do. just helps keep me from doing
something i have already done. again, investigate anything not normal and
save big bucks. healeymanjim
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