Regardless of who you are and what your background might be, you too can learn to service an engine. Although there may always be problems that you need a professional to fix for you, the truth is that basic engine maintenance is something you should be able to do yourself relatively easily. Although it can seem complex, it’s one of those things that can really be made quite simple and clear, so it’s worth looking into. In this post, we’ll take you through a very basic guide to servicing your own motor, so you can ensure you are keeping it in good shape.
Change The Oil
This is one of those jobs that you are going to need to do every now and then. Ideally, you’ll do it once a year, but as long as you are doing it from time to time it is going to help. It’s important because the oil that lubricates your engine naturally dirties over time from the debris inside the engine – even when you regularly change the filter. So you’ll need to drain the old oil from the engine – usually there will be a nut or even a sump pump for this – and replace it with oil of the correct grade. That is already going to make for a happier engine.
Change The Fuel Filters
Your engine will also have fuel filters, and you’ll need to change these ideally around every six months. The fuel filters are responsible for keeping dirt out of the fuel, which means that the engine can continue to run clean. Usually it’s a case of removing the old fitler and simply screwing in the new one, but you might also need to bleed the fuel system afterwards. If you are struggling to find the appropriate places to bleed, you may want to find the appropriate manual, whether it’s Cummins service manuals you need or whatever other brand you are working with.
Replace Or Clean The Air Filter
An engine draws air in which later gets pressurised and combusts with fuel, so you need to also make sure that the air is filtered properly at all times. For this purpose, there is also an air filter, and this is going to need to be replaced or simply cleaned, depending on the model of engine and what kind of air filter it has. Again, checking in with the service manual is going to be the best port of call when you are doing this.
Inspect Belts
Any alternator or fan belts that the engine has will need checking too. If they are frayed then they might need replacing before they crack completely. And you should check that they are tight enough, otherwise the engine won’t be working at full capacity. Make sure you are checking this every time you service the engine, as it is really going to make a huge difference to the functioning of the engine as a whole.