MOTORING

Evening Star, Issue 16263, 4 November 1916, Page 11

MOTORING

[By Carburettor.] In the recent reliability trial both the 'ending side-car drivers had a narrow I escape from being counted out. One broke a driving-chain immediately after checking in at Tinrnru, and was therefore out of the control. The other arrived at Palmerston on the return journey with only ono_ cylinder doing business. j\ liberal injection of petrol, however, induced the erring .sparking plug to resume operations. But it rarely happens that plugs are so obliging, and recourse to a spanner is usually necessary. This, of course, would incur loss of points to the fortunate competitor. The 'Australian Motorist' celebrated its tenth anniversary in September, but owing to pressure of work the fact was overlooked till last month's issue. Referring to the event the editor says: "We hope when our next birthday arrives we will all be in happier circumstances. It is a privilege to live in such stirring times, and we cannot refrain from referring to a paragraph which appeared in the first issue of this journal 10 years ago—mark it, only 10! It is said'that ' Wilbur Wright claims he will shortly undertake a flight of 30' miles in a straight line.' Now turn to your war news and read the latest air raid." It transpires that one of the reasons for the great shortage of petrol in England, resulting in motorists bein.a: reduced to starvation supplies, is the "fact that many of- the oil tank steamers used for transporting petrol in bulk across the Atlantic have been commandeered "by the British Admiralty for conversion into troopships. New '"tankers" are being rushed through, and it is hoped that when the new fleet of oil steamers are available the petrol famine in England will be considerably relieved. The importance 'that attaches to the proper adjustment of the carburettor on a motor cycle is perhaps not so clearlv recognised as it should be. A marked difference sometimes exists, however, between the requirements of one engine and another where the mixing and feeding of the fuel are concerned, and any adjustments mado should be calculated to meet these particular requirements, and not those which, according to the law of averages, would appear to be the best. Ihe work thrown upon an engine varies very considerably in separate "cases, and it often proves impossible to provide for these differences'by means of the throttle alone. Adjustments of a move permanent character arc needed, and their precise character can only be determined to the best satisfaction by jirtn.il test and careful attention to the results that are beius obtained. Altering the size of the jet or the level of the petrol in the float chamber are the two expedients most commonly resorted to. They represent what may be termed the main'adjnstments provided for the' purpose of correcting inefficient carburettor service. The" exclusion of air from the carburettor, except through the proper channels provided for its ingress, is a matter which must be given attention if the best results are to bo secured; but it often proves on examination to be the case that additionalj air is gaining access to the carburettor and inlet pipe through leakv connections which may b? cither ill-fittinsr or not properly secured, a state of affairs which exists much more frequently than one might suppose. There are cases in which it is practically impossible to secure airtight carburettor connections, and the method sometimes adopted is that of | binding the parts with insulating tape, i ■Such a thing should not be necessary, 'of course, but rather than endure inefficiency with regard to the action of the carbnretting apparatus it is wise, if only a temporary measure, to resort to this means of excluding superfluous air. Tt doubtless often happens that faults attributed to the carburettor ought really to be charged to the account of other portions of Ihe mechanism, and the only way to eliminate all doubt is to make sure that the carburettor and its connections are actually attuned to the best advantage. It is stated that nnc "result of the scarcity and high price of petrol is that many country families at Home arc setting up donkey carriages for conveyance purposes to and from tho market towns. The current prices of motor spirit in England and Wales, according to the 'Autocar.' are: First quality, 2s ]od • second, 2s 9d ; third, 2s Sd'jer gallon'. In Scotland and Ireland prices vary according to the district. * ' According to Mr B. D. Bagnall. of j Palmerston North, who proceeded to England some time ago and joined the Royal Flying Corps, there are already 300 NewZealanders on the list nf would-be airmen. Thousands of men have arrived -'mm all parts of the globe to offer their .services in a similar capacity. Owing to the alarming scarcity of gasoline, the German authorities have practically put a stop to the use of automobiles, not only by private individuals, but also by members of tho neutral D : plomatic Corps in Berlin. Rail transport difficulties are very pronounced in tho U.S.A. at the present

time, for owing to the boom in industry there is a great shortage of railway trucks. As a result of this the Overland Company, requiring to send 100 of tlioir cars from Toledo to Cleveland recently, chartered a special cargo steamer to convey them across Lake Erie, a distance of just over 100 miles.—' Autocar.' A visitor to the war zone from Verdun to the British lines states that it is worth noting that the war has brought about an extensve use of trailers. Their first application* was in the automobile service, where loads are bulky and light. Their use has- been extended in this service, and has also been adopted by other branches of the Army. Naturally, the four-wbeel-dviven tractor has tended towards a considerable increase* in the -use of trailers, but these are vehicles originally designed for operating with trailers. The trailers are now being attached behind all kinds of automobiles, which, it was originally thought, would never-have to receive them. Thus, 3j-!on trucks working with bulky loads are being made more efficient by the addition of trailers. A large number of light trucks, of f-ton and 1-ton capacity, mounted on pneumatic tyres, are fitted the special Army type elastic coupling at the rear, and will take one or two two-wheel pneumatic-tyred trailers. These aro extensively used for the transportation of men working in the rear of the. lines. For instance, at a- big aviation depot, employing 500 men, who have to work five miles from their billets, these light tractors and trailers are used to tike the men backwards and forwards morning, noon, and night. Tho machines are not kept specially for this purpose, but are used on general haulage work around the depot. Tho trailers are merely two-wheel flouts, with canvas tops on" detachable hoops. The front is closed, and entrance k at the roar. There aro two longitudinal scats. In a few minutes the trailers can be stripped to mere platform bodies, suitable for carrying aeroplane wings or a complete aeroplane As a speed of 35 m.p.h. can be maintained on good roads, those outfits aro valuable, in case of necessity, for the quick transportation of troops to threatened points. Many of the smaller munition factories, not having sufficient work to justify the purchase of a truck, are using ordinary touring cars with a trailer attached. One day this week I had the pleasure of meeting Mr J. .If. Rhodes, the Australasian representative of the Jfeiulee Company. Mr Rhodes recently won the Victorian Motor Cycle Club's " the Winner Cup'' reliability trial. According to an Australian paper, the trial wy.s " flic most remarkable road competition in the hit-lorv of modern cycling in Victoria. The competitors had to tight sagged roads, broken bridges, and miles of track over which the Hoods swept in raging torrents." Of 24 competitors, only three in tho side-car class and one in the >:olo class managed to get through the roaring tcrrenta that rushed across the roads "in phees. It speaks volumes for the Indian, DarlevDavidson, and Kxeelsior that two of the first-named and one each of the others managed to finish the trial. In erasing a bridge jilgerton's 4-cyliuder Henderson fell into a. rushing stream 20ft deep. Many of the officials had a tune checking competitors. Possibly the greatest achievement was that of Galsworthy, tho only rider to finish in the solo class.