MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 6

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By

“SPARE WHEEL”)

Lady driver: Tell me, George, quick! Which is the right side of the road to keep on when you’re running down a hill backward like this? • » ♦

Change down directly the engine labours. The pressure set up on the engine bearings by the stresses of overhigh gearing is enormous, and tends to squeeze all the oil out of them.

If a car is fitted with a vacuum tank, this needs draining off occasionally, which can be done by opening the plug or cock at the bottom of the tank and allowing a small quantity of petrol to run out, and the sediment which has accumulated at the bottom will drain off.

Should ignition failure be caused by a worn carbon brush and should no spare brush be available, it will be found that by breaking up an ordinary flashlamp battery the sticks of carbon inside can be removed. From one of them a brush can be fashioned quite easily with a penknife to replace the worn component.

Keep your motor oil tin sealed "be tween whiles,” so that no dust can get into it. Keep your oil can and your funnel clean. Dirt clings to oil, and dirt is bad for your engine. The best of oil is so “messy” that the average motorist thinks of it as “dirty,” and takes little or no care to prevent its becoming so—a wholly mistaken view of an Important matter.

Little attention is required to the gear box other than examination to see that the oil level is maintained at the height specified by the maker of the ear. The gear box should be drained after about 3000 miles running. Use only clean, light-bodied transmission oil when refilling. Avoid the use of grease in gear box. The gear box should be drained when the car has come in from a considerable run, as the oil will then be warm, and will run freely. ULTRA-SPORTS BODIES Fully Streamlined Cars “Slowly but surely the cult of the stream-lined ultra-sports body is gaining popularity,” states a leading article in a recent edition of “The Motor.” “There are even a few standard sports cars which really look faster whatever their capacity in speed may be. Generally speaking, however, the enthusiast who wants the aero-dyna-mics of his coachwork reduced to the nth degree, and insists on multi-coats of paint and varnish to reduce skin friction, has got to have the body built specially. “A number of enthusiastic motorists are now greatly interested in fully stream-lined cars, an incentive to which has been given by record-breakers’ cars like the Golden Arrow and the Blue Bird. One or two have been built, and others are now in course of construction. “Some of our correspondents are very concerned about the object of designing cars of this type and ask for an explanation, reduced to terms of miles per hour gained, or the saving of power, in comparison with an ordinary saloon body. “At the moderate speeds possible on British roads the gain in miles per hour is actually not of much Importance. The power that can be saved is, however, considerable. A roomy saloon car requires, in round figures, 50 b.h.p. to drive it at GO m.p.h. Fully 30 b.h.p. of this power is necessary to overcome wind resistance. If the resistance could be halved, which is quite feasible by scientific streamlining, the total power required at 60 m.p.h. would be reduced to 32 b.h.p. At higher speeds the difference is more marked, for the resistance increases with the square of the speed. No doubt the chief incentive in designing and building stream-lined cars for ordinary use is the pleasing appearance obtained, and in a car intended for fast Continental touring it has its practical value as well.” , WHERE IS THE FUSE? A comparatively rare happening is the “blowing” of a fuse in the. electrical equipment; but when it does occur It is usually after dark. So a wise precaution is to find out where the fuses are and whether and where there are spare ones available. Fuses are of different types, e.g., wire, cartridge and strip. In the garage, with the instruction manual In hand, there will be no difficulty in finding them and noting how renewals are fitted; but an initial attempt made on the road In the dark is quite another matter. COMMUTATOR BRUSHES ’ When the commutator brushes of the generator become slightly worn, arcing is liable to occur. This may be prevented by filing the brushes with a small file until they make a good contact with the commutator. It Is a mistake to adjust the brushes so that the springs are stretched too much, as this causes rapid heating up, due to excessive friction. VALVES AND TAPPETS The correct setting for inlet tappets is from 4/1000lbs to 6/1000tlis of an inch, and for exhaust tappets 6/100(>ths to 8/1000ths of an inch. This setting should be done with “feelers,” a set of which may be obtained for a few shillings. If no feelers are available a sliding fit with an ordinary visiting card gives the approximate clearance. Tappets should be finally adjusted when the engine is hot. If a tappet has too much clearance it will he noisy, and if there is insufficient clearance the valve is liable to remain open and the valve scat Ix'conie burnt. THE RECORD IN POLICE POLITENESS Switzerland is not always looked upon as a country of sweet reasonableness in its treatment of touring motorists, but there are cantons—and cantons. An English motorist, returning to his homeland from a holiday on the Continent, related that when stopping for lunch in the town of Appenzell he parked his car in the wrong place. On returning he found a card placed on the driving seat with this inscription:— “In the interests of our traffic arrangements, we would ask you, in future, not to leave your car here. Car parks are arranged in front of the Central Bank and also in the Balin hofstrasse, and these places are indicated by special plaques. “Assuring you of our respectful consideration. “.(.Signed) Police Officer,* '

RESTFUL DRIVING Comfort in the Car THINGS THAT MATTER The modern motor-car Is so well equipped and the seating accommodation is so well designed with the aim of affording adequate passenger and driving comfort that it might seem almost superfluous to discuss the matter from a constructive point of view and useless to deal with it critically (writes “F.H.8.” in an English motoring journal). Personal views differ so much according to the individual, however, that it is difficult for the standardised car, produced in quantities, to meet all tastes. Despite the provision of adjustable seats, a body of generous size, lavish legroom, interior fittings and soft upholstery, there are nearly always small details which can be improved to give the user little personal comforts peculiar to himself or herself. For example, in large and expensive cars the seats are often too deep from back to front for real ease when the car is travelling, although they ay seem the ideal of luxurious lounging when the vehicle is at rest. In such a seat a posture which affords good back support may make It Impossible for the feet to reach the floor or may constrain the knees to occupy an uncomfortable position. Often enough the curve of the back squab Is such that it throws the centre of the back—the waist —too far forward while leaving no support for th 6 shoulders unless a too reclining position be adopted—a position which, If we want to view the road and the country, Involves a strain on the neck. In some of the best of cars this personal inconvenience may be noticed. In the smaller and cheaper cars there Is paradoxically a better and more comfortable upright posture. Latterly, however, builders of high-grade coachwork have shown a liking for rear-seat adjusters which enable the angle of the squab to be varied. The difficulty of the "lounge seat” can often be remedied by the use of one of the wedge-shaped leather cushions which are now available. These can also be so arranged as to give side support when two people are seated in an extra wide rear seat—a real threeseater. Even when a fold-down (or fold-up) central armrest is fitted greater comfort can be obtained by using a cushion placed against the central support. When used at the back of the seat the wide end of the wedge should be pushed down under the receding bottom portion of the back squab. It will then have the effect of bringing the back forward and giving a more comfortable position for a short person on a wide seat. Footrests are a great convenience, and are a real aid to car comfort. They should preferably be of the adjustable kind. When no footrest is fitted an excellent alternative consists of using one of the wedge-shaped cushions as a footrest. A great deal of draughtiness and leg discomfort in big cars is due to the excessive distance between the front of the rear seats and the back of the front seats. This Is especially true in the case of seven-seater bodies fitted with folding seats in the rear compartment. The close-coupled saloon type of body is one which gives greater comfort in the rear, but obviously it cannot be used for more than five people, including the driver. Draughts are difficult to deal with and are less noticeable in saloons with a rearwardly sloping top. This rearward slope does not interfere with headroom forward of the front edge of the rear seat. Consequently, although this type of car may look exceptionally low, the headroom is actually ample and the appearance is attractive. Pneumatic upholstery, now so largely fitted, must be inflated to suit exactly the weight of the passenger. This is an important point and experiments should be made to determine the most comfortable amount of inflation. Too high a pressure will increase bouncing. Too little results in discomfort. It is well worth while to make fairly extensive experiments in this matter when tlie car is in use on normal roads. One cannot judge any of these things when the car is standing. USEFUL TIP For the motorist who is unfortunate enough to find repairs to the under part of his ear necessary while he has no movable light available, this suggestion may prove helpful: By placing a sfflnll mirror on the ground and training the spotlight on it, a powerful light can be reflected to any part of the car. Variations of the spotlight and mirror position will be found to give a strong light wherever it is desired.