Motoring with Robbie

A Raised boot lid or an opened bonnet serves as a good daytime warning that your car is stopped for repairs. Visible a long way off, it gives other drivers time to stop or go around when you are caught on a section of road where it's impossible to pull off. It also serves to attract the attention of the driver of the breakdown truck. Such drivers have been known to rush past the car in distress without recognising it.

You can improvise a piston ring compressor from a worm-gear radiator hose clamp. File off one shoulder from the screw housing, hacksaw the gear band from the gear housing and rivet a strip of steel 9/16" wide and 9" long between them. To use the compressor, see sketch.

Hold a mirror over the cell openings of your car battery to see if the electrolyte levels are high enough. With the vent plugs off, the liquid inside shows up clearly, saving you, with some models, an uncomfortable stretch under the bonnet.

If Your fleece polishing pad is gummed up with cutting compound or wax, just turn the machine on and let it run against a clean wire brush. It will finish up combed and clean again.

A Safe battery terminal puller can be made from a turnbuckle. Discard the left-hand eyebolt and hacksaw the threaded end down the middle. Then spread the sides and file off enough from the split end to make hooks that fit under the cable clamps.

A Cork gasket that has shrunk can sometimes be restored to its original size by dipping in water and laying it flat long enough to absorb the moisture and swell. Don't soak it for too long, otherwise it may crumble.