🚗 A. Easy Fixers for Your Cars
🧼 1. Silicon
Silicon is a multi-purpose sealant used for sealing or preventing the passage of fluids and other substances from getting into joints and openings in materials. It comes in two colors—black and white. However, black silicone is more commonly used in everyday activities, making it easier to find than white silicone, which is less popular and less available.
🔧 Uses of Silicone:
- Sealing openings or cracks on walls, tiles, or floor tiles
- Used on glass windows
- Sealing pipes
- Also used on sinks, roofs, etc.
There are many uses of silicone, but those are just a few examples. As mentioned earlier, it's a multipurpose substance.
🛠️ How to Use Silicone:
- Ensure the surface is clean and dry before applying
- Remove dirt, oil, and old sealants
- Cut off the tip of the nozzle and screw it onto the cartridge
- Fit into a caulking gun and apply on the surface
- Wipe off excess sealant with turpentine
💡 What’s a caulking gun?
A caulking gun is a tool used to push out silicone from its cartridge. It makes application easier and faster.
⚠️ Caution:
- Keep out of reach of children
- Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and mouth
- Rinse immediately with water and seek medical attention if it gets into the eyes
🧪 2. Araldite
Araldite is a type of adhesive used to join, mend, or seal any openings or broken parts of a material. It’s also multipurpose.
🧱 Materials Araldite Can Be Used On:
- Metal
- Plastics
- Ceramics
- Glass
- Marbles
🧤 How to Apply Araldite:
- Mix equal parts of adhesive and hardener in a container or on plain glass
- Stir carefully and quickly
- Apply on the surface and leave to dry for 8–10 minutes
⚠️ Caution:
- Avoid contact with eyes
- Rinse with clean water immediately if exposed
- Keep out of reach of children
🧷 3. Epoxy
Epoxy is an adhesive used for bonding materials. It provides exceptional strength and durability. It comes in black and white and is resistant to gasoline and most solvents.
🛠️ Directions:
- Clean, dry, and oil-free surface
- Squeeze equal amounts of resin and hardener
- Mix thoroughly to get a uniform mixture
- Apply on the surface to be repaired
🚙 Used On:
- Cars
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Roofs
⚠️ Caution:
- Seek medical attention if ingested
- Skin and eye irritant
- Keep away from children
- Harmful if swallowed
🧼 B. Simple Car Cleaners
🛞 1. Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is a chemical liquid made for all hydraulic clutch and brake systems. It helps them function properly and smoothly. It’s crucial for car maintenance and helps prevent brake failures.
⚠️ Warning:
- Follow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations
- Keep brake fluid clean and dry
- Store in original container, tightly closed
- Contamination with water, dirt, or other materials may cause brake failure
🛢️ 2. Motor Flush
Motor flush removes internal gum, varnish, and sludge deposits found in high-temperature engines. It’s added to engine oil before pouring it into the engine.
🧽 Purpose:
- Removes sludge build-up
- Cleans internal gum and varnish
🧰 Directions:
- Check crankcase to ensure oil is at a safe level
- Add motor flush to a cold engine before changing oil and filter
- Let engine sit for at least 3 minutes
- Drain crankcase and remove filter
⚠️ Precautions:
- Keep away from heat and open flames
- Avoid prolonged skin contact
- Harmful if ingested
- Keep out of reach of children
🌀 3. Carb and Choke Cleaner
Carb and choke cleaner is a liquid used to dissolve dirt, gum, carbon, and varnish deposits that can block moving parts in a machine.
🧼 Directions:
- Remove car filter and spray exterior carburetor linkage
- Spray short bursts into carburetor bowl to clean throttle plate
- Only do this when engine is cold
⚠️ Warning:
- Skin and eye irritant
- Causes respiratory damage with prolonged exposure
- May cause cancer
- Can cause dizziness
- Harmful and fatal if swallowed
🛡️ Prevention:
- Wear protective clothing
- Use in a well-ventilated area
- Keep away from heat and fire sparks
- Keep out of reach of children
🛠️ C. Simple-to-Use Lubricants
⚙️ 1. Gear Oil
Gear oil is a fluid designed for transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials in vehicles and machinery. It protects internal components from wear and heat damage.
🔍 Importance:
- Reduces friction and noise between gears
- Flushes away dirt and contaminants
- Contains additives to prevent corrosion and heat damage
🚨 Other Benefits:
- Prevents metal-to-metal contact
- Reduces wear
- Boosts gear system performance
⚠️ Signs of Bad Gear Oil:
- Vibrations
- Bad smell from differential
- Clutch problems
- Grinding noises
🛢️ 2. Oil Treatment
Oil treatment keeps engines running smoothly. It’s a fluid that protects the engine.
💪 Functions:
- Seals worn rings to improve compression
- Prevents oil breakdown at high temperatures
- Helps worn engines run better
- Stops engine wear
- Prevents oil foaming and burning
🧰 Directions:
- Add one can to crankcase when engine is warm
- Use two cans if engine is excessively worn
⚠️ Caution:
- Eye and skin irritant
- Rinse immediately if exposed
- Keep away from children
🧴 3. Grease
Grease is a thick, sticky lubricant used on machines, tools, bearings, and equipment. It comes in various colors like red, yellow, and blue.
🛠️ Uses:
- Reduces friction
- Prevents rust on metal
- Improves engine performance
Grease is multipurpose used in automotive, industrial, and agricultural settings. It’s especially useful for trucks, vehicles, and tractors that carry heavy loads.
🛠️ D. Handy Car Repair Additives
🚫 1. Smoke Stop
Smoke stop is a fluid-like substance designed to reduce exhaust smoke and quiet noisy engines. It mixes with oil and increases viscosity, helping protect both your car and your health.
🔧 Functions of Smoke Stop:
- Quiets noisy engines
- Increases oil viscosity
- Reduces smoking exhaust
- Improves performance in oil-burning engines
🧰 Directions for Use:
- Add the entire contents to the crankcase of an unengaged engine
- Do not overfill the crankcase—add carefully
⚠️ Cautions:
- Wear protective gear
- Avoid prolonged skin contact
- Seek medical attention if ingested or affected
- Flush with water if it reaches your eyes
- Keep away from children
🧂 2. Grinding Paste
Grinding paste is specially formulated for grinding automotive valves. It comes in two forms: fine and coarse.
🧤 Directions for Usage:
- Apply compound to valve face and seat
- Grind in the usual manner
- Take care to prevent paste from falling into the cylinder head
⚠️ Cautions:
- Skin irritant
- Wash hands thoroughly after use
- Keep out of reach of children
🧪 3. Head Gasket Shellac
This fluid-like substance prevents leakages at threaded connections. It’s used to seal and repair paper, cardboard, metal, and rubber gaskets. Though it dries slowly, it sets into a hard seal.
🛠️ Directions for Use:
- Apply a thin, even coat to gaskets and surfaces
- Let sit for a few minutes to dry
- Assemble parts afterward
- Note: It dries slowly to ensure a strong seal
⚠️ Precautions:
- Causes eye and skin irritation
- May cause drowsiness or dizziness
- Harmful if ingested
🧊 Storage Tips:
- Store in a well-ventilated area
- Keep cool
- Tightly close containers when not in use
- Keep away from children
💧 4. Stop Leak
Stop leak is a powdery substance used to seal open passages in a radiator. Its primary function is to block leakages and restore radiator integrity.
🧰 Directions for Use:
- Ensure radiator is filled to proper level and free of scale
- With engine warm and running, pour stop leak into radiator
- Replace radiator cap
- Run engine at fast idle with heater on for a few minutes
- Leak will be sealed
⚠️ Cautions:
- Do not ingest
- Keep away from children