By John Paul| Special to The Journal
Q: Someone threw an egg at my car. I didn't notice for a couple of days and it is a hardened mess. What can I do?
A: Getting egg off a car can be a bit of a problem. Start with plenty of water and car wash soap — do notuse dish detergent — and wash off as much as possible. If there is still some on the car, soak a towel in soapy water (some people add vinegar) and let it sit of the egg to soften it.
As the egg softens, wash again with a soft mitt.Avoid scrubbing the car — the dried egg can scratch the paint.Once you get the car clean, a coat of wax will restore the paint.
If there is still dried on egg, you may need to go to a car detail shop for professional cleaning. At a detail shop, they will carefully scrap away the egg using a buffer and polishing/cutting compound.
Depending on the condition of the paint the detailer may need to go through a couple of paint correction treatments to restore the finish.
Q: I pulled my 1967 Chevrolet Corvette out of storage and checked the oil. It smelled like gas. I changed oil and the oil was very thin — it ran like water, had a lot of gas in it, and was overfilled. Do you think it might be a bad fuel pump? It is at least 20-years old. The motor is a classic 327 300 horsepower V-8. I have not had it running since fall of 2020. Help! I need some direction.
A: The fuel system is relatively simpleand fuel can only get in the oil a couple of ways. The carburetor needle and seal are not sealing, or the carburetor float is faulty. As you point out, the diaphragm in the fuel pump could have failed and is letting gas into the crankcase.
You can buy a decent replacement fuel pump for $20. Considering the pump on the engine is 20-years old, it would be money well spent.
Replace the fuel pump andthe oil and filter and see how this classic runs. If you see fuel dripping into the engine when looking down the carburetor, it is time for a rebuild or replacement.
Q: I have a lawn mower engine question that I hope you can help me with. I am in the process of buying a self-propelled Toro lawnmower, model number 20339. It has a 163cc Briggs & Stratton motor. In the description on Toro's website, it says all you have to do is add oil — there is no drain plug.
I am also going to buy a battery-operated transfer pump for changing the oil because I do not think that just adding oil is good for the life of the engine. I was told that all new mowers do not have drain plugs.
Is this something new that all you do is add oil? It also recommends using 30w oil. I use 5w-30 Mobil-1 synthetic oil in my standby generator. I would also like to use it in the lawn mower. Do you think I can?
A: I have the same engine in my mowerand I was surprised that in the manual it stated change the oil yearly if desired. It also stated that,if you want to change the oil, you tip the mower on its side and drain the oil through the oil fill tube (awkward).
My mower stated use 30 weight oil or 10W-30 SJ oil and I use synthetic. Mobil-1 10W-30 oil meets or exceeds the SJ standard. I think you will find that the oil recommendation is 30W or 10W-30 and that is what I would use.
Q: I was reading an old car magazine about taking a car out of storage. I noticed that they had the car parked on top of what looked like Styrofoam under the tires. What was the reason for this? I'm putting my Florida car away for the summer. Is this something I should do?
A: The foam construction board is to prevent tire flat spots from long term parking. The foam cradles the tires and is much kinder to the tires than just parking on cement.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
