Reborn in 1982: I Became the Richest Man by Repairing Cars

Chapter 148: Cast a long line to catch a big fish, but the money can't be too little.

Throughout 1983, China's Santana production was limited to about one hundred vehicles assembled at a Shanghai automobile manufacturing plant.

Most of them are still used in Shanghai, with only a few dozen units handed over to various ministries for trial use.

Therefore, neither BAIC repair shops nor other state-owned repair shops have mastered the repair methods for Santana.

Under the egalitarian system, most repairmen were content with avoiding mistakes rather than seeking merit.

I certainly wouldn't easily take action against a Santana that I've never disassembled before.

Therefore, this Santana in front of us can only be repaired by Jiang Hui.

Or we can just wait and see if the Shanghai car manufacturers send someone to take a look.

Or perhaps they asked engineers from Volkswagen Group in Germany for help.

"How much will it cost to repair this car?"

As expected, the other party didn't have many other options.

"Normally, the prices for repairing imported cars in my shop are not cheap."

"Your Santana is a CKD assembled car, it's no different from an imported one."

"However, since it's a vehicle from a ministry, I'll offer you a discounted price for the sake of long-term cooperation between the two parties."

Jiang Hui wasn't lying when he said that.

If only I can repair this car, even if I ask for an exorbitant price of 1000 yuan, the other party would probably reluctantly accept it.

However, if they want to cooperate again in the future, it will be impossible unless they can't find a suitable mechanic.

Otherwise, there is basically no hope.

"What is the discounted price?"

The other party persisted in asking the question.

"If you don't need to replace any parts, then I'll charge you 100 yuan."

"If you need to replace parts, you'll have to figure out how to prepare the spare parts yourselves."

"We don't have spare parts for this car in our store."

Upon hearing Jiang Hui's words, the other party breathed a sigh of relief.

Although a repair cost of 100 yuan is not cheap, it's worth it considering that we haven't been able to find anyone to repair this car.

It's good that someone finally dared to repair it.

The key point is that they quoted such a high price that it subconsciously makes people feel that they can definitely fix it.

"Okay, 100 yuan it is."

Soon, Jiang Hui heard the answer he had been hoping for.

Once the price is agreed upon, it's time to start repairing the car.

At this moment, Lin Yuanwu and the others also gathered around.

Considering that the Santana will be the most important model among the subsequent official vehicles.

Everyone in the shop needs to master the corresponding repair methods.

Therefore, Jiang Hui is prepared to explain the repair methods and precautions to everyone in detail throughout the entire process.

This can be considered using the car in front of them as a teaching prop.

After preparing the car repair tools, Jiang Hui picked up a clean rag and laid it on the fender next to the engine compartment.

"Come over here, look carefully and listen attentively. Today we're not just going to fix this car, but also give you a practical lesson."

"This Santana will become a common official vehicle for ministries and even the whole country in the future, so you should learn how to repair it now."

"Whether it's for our factory's future development or for you to establish yourselves, these are essential skills."

To put it bluntly, Jiang Hui's words were the epitome of kindness and righteousness.

If you change your boss or mentor, they'll be eager to keep everything secret, preferring that only they know the core technology.

However, if Jiang Hui wants to grow and expand, he certainly can't rely on himself.

While imparting technical knowledge in this way might create some competitors.

But overall, the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

Jiang Hui quickly opened the engine compartment cover.

"Look, this is the Santana's 1.6L carburetor engine, it's different from the BJ212 engines we usually repair."

"It is front-engine and front-wheel drive, with a more compact engine compartment layout and more precise parts, especially the carburetor, which has a dual-chamber structure and is much more complex than the single-chamber carburetor of the BJ212."

He pointed to the shiny metal part in the middle of the engine and said, "The car's problems are that it's hard to start when it's cold, the idle speed is unstable, the acceleration is weak, and it can suddenly stall. It's even worse when the engine is warm."

"Based on the technology we've already acquired, can you guess where the core problem is most likely to lie?"

The group looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

After a while, Lin Yuanwu stepped forward and said, "Jiang Hui, you said before that imported cars are difficult to start and have unstable idling speeds, which is mostly related to the carburetor. Is the carburetor clogged?"

Jiang Hui nodded approvingly: "Brother Yuanwu is right. The problem is probably with the carburetor, but we can't ignore the intake system and ignition system."

"The purity of gasoline nowadays is not high enough, and there are many impurities. It is easy for gum deposits to form in the jet orifice and nozzle of the carburetor, clogging the fuel line and causing poor fuel atomization."

"However, difficulty starting a cold engine could also be due to a stuck auxiliary air valve, while stalling when the engine is warm could be related to the thermal decay of the ignition coil."

"Today we'll take it one step at a time, from easy to difficult, checking each step carefully and marking each one clearly. We absolutely cannot mess things up."

Jiang Hui prepared to list out all the possible problems.

We'll use the most basic method to investigate step by step.

That would naturally solve the Santana's current problem.

As for efficiency, repairing the first Santana doesn't require such a high level of efficiency.

As Jiang Hui spoke, he picked up a wrench and began to work.

"Just like repairing other imported cars, we need to take precautions first. These imported parts are expensive, and it's hard to find replacements in China if they get damaged."

"When disassembling, each part should be placed in order and preferably labeled."

"You absolutely cannot mix up which screw corresponds to which position. Otherwise, if you miss a screw or put it in the wrong position when you put it back, it may cause the engine to not work properly or even damage the parts."

Jiang Hui quickly repeated the things he had previously told him.

Instead of removing the carburetor first, he opened the air filter cover first.

This is the most basic and easiest step to check.

This is also a good habit that experienced workers have accumulated over many years: first eliminate simple faults, and then deal with complex problems.

"You see, the air filter is for filtering air. If it gets clogged, the air intake will be insufficient, and the air-fuel mixture will be too rich, resulting in unstable idling and weak acceleration."

Jiang Hui removed the air filter element, and sure enough, there was some dust and impurities on the filter element, and even some small sand particles.

Of course, these problems may not be the direct cause of the Santana's malfunction.

But cleaning it up certainly won't hurt.

He picked up the filter cartridge, gently blew away the dust with an air pump, and then wiped it with a clean cloth.

"Remember, when cleaning the filter, blow from the inside out, not the other way around."

"Otherwise, dust will get inside the filter and clog the air intake channel."

"In addition, if the filter is damaged, it cannot be used and must be replaced. Otherwise, dust will enter the engine, wear down the cylinder and piston, and cause greater malfunctions."

After cleaning the air filter, Jiang Hui put it back in its original position and then began to check the intake system.

He pressed the connector between the intake manifold and the vacuum tube with his fingers, and then applied soapy water to the connector to carefully observe whether any bubbles would appear.

This can be considered a makeshift solution when equipment is not readily available.

Don't underestimate this simple method; it's the most commonly used and practical approach in car repair shops.

Even in later generations, gas companies would use similar methods when checking for gas leaks.

"An air leak in the intake system will cause the air-fuel mixture to be too lean, resulting in insufficient power during acceleration and easy stalling while driving, especially when the engine is warm. As the temperature rises, the gaskets age, and the leak will become more serious."

As Jiang Hui inspected the manifold, he explained, "Look, the gasket on this intake manifold isn't installed quite right."

"Although it's just a very minor leak right now, it's still a potential hazard. Once we've fixed the carburetor, we'll replace this gasket while we're at it. We can use an asbestos gasket; they're easy to buy and very cheap."

Since we're using the Santana as a teaching tool, we should definitely make good use of it.

After inspecting the air intake system, no significant leaks were found.

Clearly, the main cause of the car's malfunction is not here.

Next, Jiang Hui focused his attention on the carburetor.

This was also the most critical maintenance point in the era of carburetor engines.

There are problems with the engines; six out of ten have carburetor issues.

"Now, we'll start disassembling the carburetor. This is the core part of today's meeting, and it's also the most technically demanding."

He picked up a special wrench and skillfully loosened the carburetor's fixing bolts.

During this time, he naturally continued to give instructions on some precautions.

A few minutes later, the carburetor was successfully removed.

Jiang Hui placed the carburetor on a clean worktable, wiped the surface of oil off with a cloth, and then began the decomposition process.

I've talked about the structure of carburetors several times before, although the structure of each carburetor is not exactly the same.

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"But no matter how they change, they all consist of the same parts: float chamber, main metering orifice, idle metering orifice, accelerator pump, and auxiliary air valve."

"Let's disassemble it one by one and inspect it one by one."

He first opened the cover of the float chamber, and the gasoline inside flowed out instantly, carrying some black impurities.

"Look, there are so many impurities in the float chamber. This is because the gasoline is not pure enough."

"These impurities can clog the metering orifice and affect fuel atomization, which is one of the main reasons for this vehicle's malfunction."

He took out the float, pressed it gently with his hand to check if it was damaged, and then used a ruler to measure the height of the float.

"The float height is crucial. Too high, and the fuel level will be too high, causing fuel to overflow and flood the cylinder," while too low, and it will result in insufficient fuel supply and sluggish acceleration.

"The standard float height for this Santana model is 28 millimeters. Please remember this, as you will need to adjust it according to this standard when repairing your Santana in the future."

This is very crucial information.

Jiang Hui blurted it out unintentionally.

After all, there will definitely be many Santana cars in the store that need repair in the future.

"If the float is damaged, water will get in, causing the float to malfunction, and in this case, the float needs to be replaced."

"Imported floats are hard to come by. If there is a large demand in the future, we can find a machining plant to make a replica out of brass."

Jiang Hui has been working on securing sources for spare parts himself.

This action will definitely need to be further strengthened in the future.

They even need to have certain parts processing capabilities themselves.

Otherwise, if I want to enter the complete vehicle manufacturing industry in the future, I won't be able to do it without understanding parts processing.

After checking the float, Jiang Hui took out the main metering orifice and the idle speed metering orifice.

These two parts are extremely small, covered with countless tiny holes that are almost invisible to the naked eye.

"Look, these orifices are covered with gum and impurities, almost completely blocked, so fuel can't pass through at all. This is the core reason for unstable idling and weak acceleration."

Jiang Hui picked up a thin copper wire and carefully cleaned the impurities in the metering orifice. "Remember, when cleaning the metering orifice, you can only use a thin copper wire, not a steel wire. Steel wire is too hard and will enlarge the small hole in the metering orifice, causing abnormal fuel supply. In that case, the car will be completely unrepairable."

Some things, if not emphasized several times, are easily forgotten by those who are not familiar with them.

Jiang Hui didn't want his shop's staff to damage parts due to carelessness.

Therefore, I always remind everyone of some precautions so that they can incorporate these precautions into every operation.