MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 301, 15 September 1922, Page 4

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By

"Clutch.”!

Hints to Drivers. Pleasure and comfort in touring depends to a large extent on the driving position. The best position for riding is tho easiest —sitting up straight, resting easily against the seat back and keeping the body relaxed. Slouching, phychologists say, retards the activities of the brain. An easy, upright position keeps the. mind alert and the body ready for every emergency. It is not necessary to grip tho steering wheel tensely. A loose hold helps to maintain riding ease. Especially in changing gears the eyes should be on the road ahead and not on tho control lever. Tho clutch pedal should not bo touched except for actual use. and use of the clutch should be limited. It is better to throttle the engine whenever possible, instead of throwing out the clutch. Tho average driver uses the clutch about twice as often -as he should with the result that the clutch collar becomes worn and the clutch slips within the fly-wheel. Sudden application of the brakes is always bad practice, and is especially inadvisable on any kind of greasy surface, Sometimes when descending a steep and slippery hill, a car may slide bodily with wheels locked, and the best way to regain control io to ease the brake pressure momentarily so as to allow of tho wheels revolving, and then to gradually reapply tho brakes. Straightening a Bent Axle.

A correspondent to the “Light Car and Cycle” (Eng.), finding that tho front axle of his car sacked badly in tho centre, so much so that tho wheels had a decid’d cant inwards, received the following suggestion as the‘best method of straightening it. Tho essentials are a. pick, two lengths of chain, and b. baulk of timber or other material of suitable strength. If the axle is first ? heated it will give more readily to the leverage exerted by the jack ; but heating is not absolutely necessary. The chains should be amply strong, as in tho event of a link breaking and flying it is quite conceivable that serious personal harm may result.

Adjustment of Brakes. ' Brakes should bo so adjusted that with a moderate pressure on tho foot pedal they will bring the car to a standstill, but will not lock the wheels, yet should operate so that with additional pressure they will grip sufficiently to lock tho wheel when required. Brakes which, act too harshly will cause premature wear of tho rear tires, but if they are not quick enough in action the car and its passengers will be in danger whenever the brakes aro called upon to act. Great pressure should not bey necessary to operate them efficiently. Hopes for Alcohol Fuel.

From tho scientific point of view alcohol is an excellent fuel for motor-cars and other machines driven by internal combustion engines. In view of the importance of the subject, Groat Britain has organised careful research not only into the uses of alcohol of different and in different types J>f engines, but into tho possibility <u finding some source of alcohol which will bo cheap and abundant.. This research is being assisted by a Government grant, mid it has already produced some highly interesting results. Ihe efficiency of fuel alcohol is, in fact, higher than that of either petrol or benzol. A new series of experiments is now in hand, with a view to investigating the influence of ether on alcohol and also tho influence of alcohol mixed with petrol, benzol, paraffin, and other familiar oils. Discoveries of oil deposits have rewarded the patidnt investigation which has been carried out for some time in Great Britain. In one part of Scotland oil has been met with at a depth of over 1800 feet, and the oil is stated to be of excellent quality, with a high percentage of petrol, keipsene, and lubricating oil.

Experiments with Alcohol Fuel. Tho practical value of research in matters pertaining to the motor-car is 1 well illustrated in the material collected by the Empire Motor Fuels Comm>.ee as the results of. a large number of experiments carried out on the dingle-cylinder, variable compression engine, specially designed and made by Messrs. Riardo and. Co. for that purpose. The main object of tho committee was to determine the practical value of alcohol as a motor-car fuel, ami tie conditions essential to its most efficient and economical combustion. “Wo believe,” says, the Field, “that the experiments made demonstrated that alcolml can be satisfactorily employed at all practical compressions. from the low limit employed on petroleum eng uos to fic-metlnng very much more excessive than is practicable with petrol or benzole. The lower the compression, however, tho greater the fuel consumption for equivalent work although the thermal efficiency of alcohol exceeds tl»t of petrol. One of tho most interesting matters determined is that ignition must bo more advanced for alcohol than petrol or benzole, arguing that the process of combustion is slower, particularly when tho mixture is weak; but nevertheless it Is sufficiently rapid for any and every purpose of tho internal combustion engine of to-day. Another was that, contrary to assertions made and accepted in tho past there is no cylinder corrosion accompanying the use of pure alcohol. Other points are a necessity to maintain a relatively lower temperature in the water-cooling system in order to secure maximum power output. Heating tho carburetter reduces the power output, but raises the thermal efficiency, and the admixture of water with the alcohol up to 10 per cent, in volume, is an advantage when high compressions are adopted. A .further series of experiments are in 'process with a view to determining the influence of admixtures of ether, petrol, benzole, and petroleum.” 1

Wear of Motor-Cyclo Chains. Slack motor-cycle chains caiiso excessive wear. As soon as “chain clank” is noticed when running, spend a few moments in chain adjustment, and you will save, many miles of life in both chains aiid sprockets.

Lighting-up time To-day, 5.39 p.m. Next Friday, .5.46 p.m.