MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2533, 6 August 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

— IBy Clutoh.l Dazzling Headlights. Tho dazzling headlight nuisance was discussed at this week's meeting of tho Canterbury Automobile Association. Tho discussion aroso on a copy of tho Lights on Vehicle® Bill received from Mr. G. Witty, M.P. Regarding tlie proposal in the' Bill that lights must not bo of such brilliancy as to dazzle, it was stated that this applied to electric lamps. _ It was decided to recommend motorists wliose cars are provided with electric lights to switch off .the headlights and slow down when approaching motor or other traffic on tho highway. ■ The Eight-Cyolinder Engine. An English r-ugineer resident in America, writing iu. the "Autocar" on tho eight-cyclindor engine, says:—All the American makers who are producing eigiit-cyclinder cars are selling .them much faster than they can be built; thoy arc all being compelled to refuse orders, and, so far, there is not much complaint from those purchasers wlio liavo already taken delivery. Of course it is- oarly days yet, and no doubt somo weak spots will show up, but to giva an idea of tho volume of business being done, tho Cadillac Co. have sold and delivered 8000 cars already this year and are making from jiinety to olio hundred every day at. the present timet The King output is much smaller, but themakers have orders for maiiy' more than they can take up; tlie new Hollie'r, which has recently been taken over for England by Messrs. Guy Lewin, Ltd., lias been sold out for this year almostbefore tho first half-dozen cars are out of thofactory. It is perhaps interesting that Messrs. Guy Lewin, Ltd., liavo had the courage to order no fewer than 500 of these carsj though they do not expect to get this number delivered totliem during 1915. So the eight-cylin-der is success, beyond all question, and the bad ones, which are. sure to appear, are more likely to be useful as engineering data on what not ito do, than they ar'o likely to.upset tho public. The latter, having taken to-the eight-cylinder, is, not likely ,to .change ik mind till something still bettor comes along. The position is complicated a little by the fact that most.'of the eight-cylinder engines are of a far higher. standard, of design than tho majority of tho sixes they displace, so the owner is getting an engine with a lot of qualities previously unknown to him —over and above tlie extra- cylinders. For this reason tho American user is apt to credit the eight-cylinder engine with more than its due, since in it 1 he gains hifv firsfi experience of light reciprocating parts, good valve passages, and high crankshaft speeds. Manufacturers, too, wlio have put in new plant to produco eight-cylinaer engines are using more up-to-date processes and find their costs reduced, whence some of them have been persuaded that the eight-cylinder is a cheap manufacturing job; tho fact that tliey 'have changed their tool equipment for something better has been a little' glossed. over. This is perhaps absurd, both. on the part of the maker and user, but- it is very, very human, and I mention it to show that there is enthusiasm for the new thing on every hand, <ind for excellent reasons. Motor Cycle Relay Rids. "When, tlie latest files left America great interest was being taken in the big motor cycle relay ride which was to take place across America from Wash? ington to San l<'rancisco, the dispatch leaving the former city on July 18. The schedule drawn up for the 39 relays into which tho 3577 miles journey was being split, allowed 160 hours, or 6 days 16 hours for the transcontinental trip. This gives an average for the full journey of about 22 miles an hour, which is practically tho same speed at which the Australia Motor Cyclists carried their dispatch from Adelaide to Sydney (1149 miles) in tho Dunlop Rubber Company's Military Dispatch Ride, held across the threo States in April, 1912. Two motor cyclists were to take charge of tho dispatch over each relay, tho rido progressing day and night without stop. A rehearsal tost over all stages was to be held from ocean to ocean, a week previous to the big rido, so that all couriers \vould bo well acquainted with their respective section of the. routo. Hints and Tips. In refitting a valve spring it may bo nipped in a vice and then secured in its compressed'form by means of a piece of copper wire at each side, so that when the vice is opened out the spring remains compressed and can be fitted into place without, trouble. When the valve has been inserted, and the cap and cotter put into position the copper wires can bo cut to release the spring, tho wires being drawn away with a pair of pliers. It. is advisable when replacing valve springs to ensure that what has previously been the upper end of the spring should be placed next to the cylinder, as this end of a spring tends to lose its ; temper, i.e., degreo of hardness, and if | what has been the lower end is placed against the cylinder, both ends will in time be softened, and tbo spring be weakened in consequence. It very often happens that it is required to remove a bolt or pin that holds two movable parts- together. Usually, knocking out tho bolt is not much trouble; tho difficulty is to get it back into place again. There is always somo risk that, in knocking out the bolt with a hammor, the threaded end will be damaged. Tho proper way is to cut a piece of hard wood to approximately the diameter of the bolt, and let it follow tlie bolt in the socket as it. is knocked out, leaving it in place when tho bolt is removed. Then, when the bolt is replaced, the wooden plug will act as a guide, and enable the bolt to bo dropped home without that careful manipulation of tho two sockets until thoy are in line, which would be necessary otherwise. Here and There. Legal lighting up time for niotor-cars and motor-cycles:—To-day, 5.3 p.m.; next Friday, 5.10 p.m.What a reinarkablo money-making proposition the American -Ford Motor Co. is! This company was only incorporated in Juno, 1903, with a capital stock of £20,000. 11l August this year dividends totalling £9,600,000 will bo distributed amongst its eight shareholders, somo £5,568,000 going to Henry Ford, tho originator and moving spirit of this wonderful motor car manufacturing concorn. One of tho best, ways of . cleaning aluminium surfaces is to rub it with a rag dipped in methylated spirit, afterwards polishing with a dry cloth.