MOTORS and MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 189, 8 May 1931, Page 6

MOTORS and MOTORING

By

“SPARE WHEEL”

Motorist i That garage man says we’re carrying entirely too heavy a load. .

Back-seat adviser: Couldn’t you throw out the clutch dear?

Have a care while accelerating and breaking.

Few motorists realise that a variation of three or four' pounds pressure will make a vast difference to the life of a balloon tire. Pressure should be checked frequently with a reliable gauge—it is not possible to estimate pressure by ,-ppearance

The steering box, king pins, link rod, ball joints, and the bearings on the cross-tie rod and steering pivots should be lubricated thoroughly and frequently with heavy oil or grease. Any noticeable slackness in this assembly should be taken up at onee.

The vibration on most cars is so severe that nuts will loosen occasionally, in spite of all precautions. A loose nut may cause breakage of an important part, or may even be the cause of the wrecking of the car. It is a worth-while safety measure to go over the nuts on the car about once a month, making sure they are all tight.

Always switch ignition off when engine is not running, as if the engine stops' with the contact breaker points closed the battery will be short circuited. This will run down the battery In a very short time, with the consequent result that it will be Impossible to start the engine again until the battery has been removed and recharged. A short circuit to a battery is also very detrimental, as it causes buckling of the plates and considerably shortens its useful life. DUAL PURPOSE MOTORS For Use on Road and Rail Away back in 1905 Ml Charles Glidden, a wealthy American motorist, girdled the globe in a Napier car. An unusual feature of the Glidden tour — which exceeded 40,000 miles—was that many thousands of miles were ridden on rail-tracks—the Napier having a duplicate- set of light metal flanged wheels, which at times were substituted for the pneumatic shod wheels, so that the car could travel along the railroads when used as a rail vehicle. The steering wheels were held rigid by a metal rod.

.The success of this dual purpose car resulted at the time in one American railway company issuing a regular tariff for the use of its tracks during certain slack hours of the day. The charge was threepence halfpenny per mile, with no limit to number of passengers. Cars were allowed to run as special trains with a conductor aboard and undej regular train orders. Now, after a lapse of a quarter of a century, the Glidden idea has been revived and there appears to be quite a possibility of the dual purpose motorvehicle yet helping to solve some of our transportation problems., .According to a recent report an interesting experiment is shortly to be conducted by an English railway corporation, which, if successful, may enable the railway authorities to reduce some of the heavy losses now piling up ou nonpaying lines. The English experiment is certainly an interesting one, and features the use of a special dual purpose motor-bus which ean be driven either on the highways or railroads. The motor-bus is orthodox in appearance, and is so constructed that when it reaches a railway terminus, or derailing station, the pneumatic tired wheels are changed over to flanged metal wheels, the whole operation, including locking the front wheels, taking only two minutes. The bus is then a self-contained railway vehicle, capable of maintaining a high speed at a low running cost. When used on the rails, a subsidiary gear-box is brought into operation to permit of higher speeds than are desirable on the highways.

The tests to be carried out in England will, if successful, have a wider application, for it would mean a development that has great possibilities in the way of co-ordinating rail and road transportation. It is not difficult to visualise the wide field of usefulness and the many services a dual motor vehicle could render. It could pick up passengers or goods along a route, then run on to the rails, thus transporting passengers or light goods to railway destination, and again, if necessary, take to road, delivering people or freight right to their journey’s end. Speedy and comfortable service would be assured passengers, while light go'ods could be transported without handling from door to door. A feature that renders automobile transportation so popular. Particulars of the outcome of the experiments shortly to be conducted in England will be awaited with interest in this country, for if successful under English conditions, then the potential value of the dual motor vehicle would be far greater in New Zealand with its many miles of little-used rail tracks' Here, maybe, is a development that is fraught with great possibilities in the near future.

MAKESHIFT FUSES it should always be remembered that when a fuse burns out there is a definite reason for it, and this should bp traced out and rectified before putting the new fuse in. Look for loose connections in the wiring, also for any two wires touching each other, which may cause a short circuit, or partial j short, siitticient to allow a strong, current to be passed through and burn out the fuse.

The fuse is a safety device 1 which .Is fitted to prevent damage to other parts by excessive current flowing through them. This should never be ignored when replacing a burnt fuse. ? On many cars a supply of fuse wire is. carried, but this is sure to run out sooner or later. A satisfactory method of- effecting temporary ‘fuse repairs is as follows: Several strands of sufficient length to fit in the fuse-holder Should be cut off from a piece of high-

tension cable —as a rule, two strands will be sufficient for a 6-volt circuit These should be jammed in the holder, which is then refit ted.

WHEEL WOBBLE

Wheel wobble is frequently due to

the front axle being moved out of truth or by a bent dumb-iron. The only remedy is to have the dumb-iron straightened and the axle trued up by an experienced mechanic. Cars fitted with quarter elliptic or transverse front springs are very prone to wheel wobble, owing to misalignment of springs or wear in the radius rod joints.

TRACING AN OIL LEAK Did you ever notice on a concrete road that there are two dark streaks on it—one on each side of the centre? They are caused by oil leaking out of engines as they pass. The drivers of the majority of the road-marking cars complain about the low mileage they get from a quart of oil. The average driver seems to think that the outside of his engine is supposed to be covered with oil, and fully 80 per cent, of the engines are smeared with it However, that oil is not supposed to be there, and is an indication of a leak which is cutting down your oil mileage. In some instances the oil on an engine is thrown out of the breathertube, the opening through which is cutting down your oil crankcase. If this is the case, it is an indication that the oil level in the crankcase is too high or that the dippers, if the engine employs them, on the lower end of the connecting rods, are set at such an angle as to throw too much oil. The best way to locate a leak, and they should be located without delay, is to clean the engine thoroughly and watch for the oil to appear while the engine is running. HELP THE GARAGE MAN When you take your car to the garage to have a number ,of minor repairs or adjustments, made, some of them are likely to be overlooked. If you write out a list of .the things to .be done, and paste it lightly to the windscreen, this trouble will be overcome, as the mechanic can tick off each item as it is attended to. '

LAMP TROUBLES Should your lamps fall to light, check the condition of your battery by trying the self-starter. If it will swing the engine, the battery is in good condition, so the trouble will be either in .the lamp fuses or globes. Should the lamps burn brilliantly, but fail to illuminate the road, they require re-focusing. This is done by moving the lampholder backward or forward in relation to the reflector. If the lamps burn very dull, or not at all, the battery probably requires attention. If the lamps flicker, or the ammeter vibrates, look for a loose connection in either the light wire circuit between battery and generator, or a bad connection in the lampholder or fuse clips, or a bare wire earthing intermittently. the rear axle The oil in the rear axle casing should be inspected every 2000 miles. Use only a clean, light-bodied transmission dll. The oil-level should always be maintained to the height recommended by the makers, and usually Indicated on the side of the axle housing, but should not be allowed to exceed the height of the level plug. If the axle casing is over-filled, the lubricant will travel along to the outer end of the axle, and eventually work into the brake shoes.

The axle casing should be drained, and the oil replaced, once in six months. The rear axle should be drained when the car has come in from a considerable run, as the oil will then be warm, and will run freely.

DETACHABLE WHEELS Wheels of the detachable type should be removed at regular periods and lubricated at the points where they come into contact with the hub and locking device. Detachable wheels are of three general types:— (1) Artillery. (2) Wire. (3) Disc. What is said above in regard to tightening up and lubrication applies to all types of wheels which are fitted with stud attachments. Many of the wire, disc and artillery wheels are attached to the hubs by means of patent locking caps or rings. It is wise to observe the maker’s Instructions. It is essential that they be kept tight, and all metal surfaces brought into contact be kept clean and well lubricated. MAGNETO LUBRICATION A magneto requires only two or three drops of oil every 1000 miles. Overlubrication will lead to ignition troubles. If the Instrument has been unduly over-oiled, it will probably save time and money if it is dismantled and thoroughly cleaned. It is not wise for the average owner-driver to attempt this work, but an alternative method, which "he can adopt with safety, is to clean carefully with a camel’s hair brush and petrol. After using petrol, the magneto should be carefully dried with a piece of soft cloth (which will not leave fluff or fibres on the working parts), and then left to stand for some time before using the car.

Except in those cases when automatic lubrication Is provided, the valve rocker arms should be oiled regularly and frequently. It is a good practice to oil them once a week, when going over the This work takes only a little while. It may save hours of adjustment, and certainly prevents undue wear.