MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

IBs Clutch.]

Tires and Hot Weather. In very hot weather it is as well to be extremely careful with the tires, if tboso in use arc somewhat worn, perhaps also rctreaded as well, they should not be blown, up as hard as is usually the case, as the road surface is often extremely warm, which, together with the friction, caused by the rolling of the tiro itself, causes the air in the latter to oxpand very appreciably, with tho result vory often that this heated compressed air, in its efforts to expand, takes the line of least resistance, and bursts the cover at its weakest point. In the case of retreads this is generally at tho bead, as that portion has had the most wear, and is, more often than not, perished. Washing Down. It is not every owner who has the advantago of a hose for washing his car, and the following hint may provo useful in such cases. Take an ordinary garden wator-can, and remove tho rose. Fill up and stand it on the ground. When ready for washing, pass the left-hand and forearm under the handle, gripping the top front edge of the can with the tops of the lefthand fingers. ' Now lift, and it will bo found that the weight of the can rests against the upper part of the wrist; whilst tho finger tips easily con-, trol the tipping angle of the can itself, and so regulate the flow of water from the spout, whilst the right hand is free to use tho cleaning brush at the same time. ... A li gallon watercan is best for the purpose, as its weight is not too great for the ordinary man to manipulate with ease. Tho secret of cleaning a car rapidly and at. tho same time well lies in the plentiful use of water; it also ensures as little scratching of the varnish as possible.Mud should never be removed from the car when dry, as it is apt to take the varnish with it, and it should be washed off with water rather 'than wiped off with the cleaning cloth. If a car comes in muddy it saves time and trouble to swill it down at once while the mud is still soft, besides being good for the car. Body Painting at Home. The following information as to the best way to repaint a car will be of interest to the owner who is not a skilled coach painter, but by adopting simple methods and taking pains hopes to improve the look of his machine at a small cost. The first thing is to clean the whole cyclecar very thoroughly.' The wings and wheels should be taken off, and the body removed if it is easily detachable. All mud and grease must now be cleaned off. The next step is to rub down the panels with either sand-paper or pumice stond. If the latter is used tho part being treated should be kept wet, to prevent the pumice acting too drastically. Tho wheels and frame should be rubbed down in the same way, though as thorough a treatmont is not so necessary as in the case of the panels. This done, a rag soaked in turpentine passed over tho body will remove any greasiness from finger-marks or other causes. If it is desired to repaint the car in the same colour as its, original, tint no "flatting" will be required. The simplost and perhaps best way for an amateur is to use one of tho numerous socalled enamels specially prepared for this class of work. A really good brush is necessary, tho .flat variety being tho best. Tho enamel should bo_ laid on as evenly as possible, and in thin coats. Tho brush marks must be taken out by going over the work with a nearly-dry brush and the lightest possible touch after each panel is finished. If two coats are required it/is absolutely jieces-. sary .to rub down the first, hut sufficient time mu6t be allowed to let tho enamel set before touching it with pumice or sand-paper. About four or live days aro ncccssary for this. Great care must bo taken to avoid dust settling on tho paint whilo wet. Tho floor of tho room should bo kept watered, and no smoking should be allowed. If it is desired to chango the colour, a coat of "flatting" of approximately the required future tint is -laid on. This will leave a smooth, dull surface, and will not requiro rubbing down. Two coats of tho enamel should then com-, plcte tho job. A Cheap Finish. • A writer in the "Light Car and Cyclecar" advocates the use of a specially cheap exterior finish as a means of' reducing tho cost of constructing the poor man's motor, which, it is. suggested, would bo used for strictly utilitarian purposes. War conditions and tho hard school of: experience have taught a great deal as to tho sort of finish that stands hard work. 'Jflie chassis finish as a whole is not by"<any means a difficult problem, tho processes necessary in quantity production automatically lend themselves to a suitable finish. That is to say, stampings and clean forgings and castings have of themselves smooth, uniform surfaces that take paint well, but it is probably not paint so much as a hard enamelled surface that we .must rely upon for durability; -something approaching the surface of ordinary enamelled nietal ware, though it is not suggested that, this actual .process, which requires a high temperature,' would be applicable. It would appear, however, that in U.S.A. t-hey are steadily improving on tho stove-enamelled surface that has been standard for bicycle frames for many years, but this is not tough enough to withstand tho rough usage that car components have to undergo. Here and There. • When a wheel has not been detached for some time, a certain amount of troublo is occasionally experienced in drawing it off the hub. On a new car this may be due to paint or varnish sticking, but.on an older car it is generally due to rust, damp having inado its way into the hub and bolt holes. If the wheel cannot bo detached by hand, tho following method will generally provo successful, although it must bo employed carefully. Tho securing nuts arc slackened off slightly, and the car run for a mile in this condition, when it will gonerally bo found that the wheel has become loosened. If not, then the process should be repeated, and a bumpy stretch of road selected, which is sure to havo tho desired effect. Once the wheel is detached, the hub and bolts should be carefully cleaned and liberally greased or oiled boforo replacing the wheel. No further trouble will then be experienced with tho particular wheel. , Every cyclccarist has experienced tho aunoyanco of a seized sparking plug, compression tap, or valve cap. Boforo inserting a sparking plug or valve cap, it should bo smeared with graphito; if this is not available, finclypowdercd chalk will give satisfaction, but it is important that the chalk .be powdered very fine. A case was recently noted in .which a light car engine ran short of cooling water owing to tho drain-tap at the bottom of the radiator opening. Tho first intimation that tho driver received was when tho bad pulling of tho machino demanded investigation, and tho engino was then found to bo dry and very, hot. The procedure to be adopted in such cases is simply one of waiting, for should cold water bo poured into the radiator and water-jacket tho cylinder casting is almost sure to crack badly. Th-3 bonnet should bo removed, and tho engine allowed to cool naturally, and while waiting tho time could bo advantageously employed in

opening the compression taps or removing valve caps, in order that a spot or tiro of oil can be injected into tho cylinder boforo starting up again. This is advisable because the bad pulling of the engine is probably due to insufficient lubrication of tho cylinders, owing to tho oil burning, as well as overheating. The radiator drain-tap should bo closed and screwed up tight, so that a recurrence of tho mishap is impossible.

In England a law lias been passed making it compulsory that a lHit shall bo carried in front of any animal or animals on the roadway. If tho herd exceeds moro than twenty head of eattlo or one hundred sheep, a second lamp must be provided. If similar provision was mado in this country. it would add to tho safety of travelling on our roads during night hours, and be greatly appreciated by motorists and cyclists.

Self-starting devices for automobiles liave practically reached a stago of perfection, but i£ remained for an American company to develop and place on the market the first, "self-stopper," which they have, just announced. This latest convenience is a vacuum brake, which, it is said, enables tho motorist to bring his car to a gradual stop with ca.se and smoothness, or to stop it instantly with a minimum of personal offort. The effort necessary, it is claimed, is about the same as is required .when operating the ordinary hand or foot accelerator, or sounding the horn. Tho driver is relieved of all physical strain, an advantage which will appeal to all motorists who have experienced the muscular tension of driving a heavy car down a long, steep grade. . . Lighting-up time: To-day, 7.41 p.m. Next Friday, 7.41 p.m.