MOTORING & MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 19713, 14 November 1927, Page 10

MOTORING & MOTORISTS

[BY RADIATOR.]

FIXTURE. November .19 and 20. \\ eek-end motor cycle run to Waimatc. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ O.H.V. Royal Enfield” and “Inquirer.”—Messrs Wliitcombe and Tombs have Andrews and Baty’s ‘ South Island Road Guido ’ (3s 6d), and ‘ Motor Cycle Book For Boys ’ in stock. —“ Radiator,” HINTS AND TIPS. —Care of Doors. — Slamming the doors of a car cracks the paintwork and produces rattle. By a little attention the necessity lor slamming will be obviated and the coachwork generally will be found to last much longer. Once a fortnight, or every 800 or 1,000 miles,- a little oil should bo put on to the latches and squirted into the locks and on to the hinges. The door will then “snap to” with the slightest push or pull. It is as well also to drop a little oil into the lock, as on medium and low priced cars the lock springs become rusty_ and lose their tension. A strip of polished metal screwed along the bottom of the doorway will prcvelit wear ol the bodywork' —Valves That Slick or Scrape.— A valve stem scraping in its guide always sounds as if a piston were scraping, and many motorists have gone to the trouble of taking down their motors, not knowing that the noise originated from so simple a thing as a valve. As a rule the oiling of valve stems is not advisable, for the reason that tho heat of the metal and tho close adjustment of stem and guide cause the oil to become gummy and eventually' i - hinder tho movement of tho valve. However, a little oil and graphite used occasionally is essential, and is the simplest remedy in the case of a sticking or scraping valve, in a valvc-in-the-hcad motor it is only necessary to squirt light high-grade engine oil over tho valve springs. Tho necessary amount of oil will work down through the guide and lubricate it. In tho case of air L-head motor tho oil should bo applied to each valve (when open) through tho spark-plug openings in tho cylinder head. If a valve has been sticking it may he necessary to give a similar treatment of kerosene first before treating with oil and graphite. COMMENT ON SUPERCHARGING. Mr H. R. Ricardo, a foremost designer, recently commented on supercharging, and as this subject is a mucli-talked-of one in motoring circles, his views are of unusual interest. In dealing with supercharging, lie stated that wo can only afford to supercharge an efficient engine, and he suggested that in defining efficiency we should consider not the fuel, but the air consumed, for every pound of air when carburetted and burnt will liberate a definite quantity of heat, almost regardless of whether it is saturated or super-saturated with fuel. The limit of power we can got from any engine is reached when either the speed of revolution becomes so high as to prove mechanically destructive, or the How of waste heat becomes greater than that with which we can cope. In our search for greater power output we may attempt an increase in speed or in pressure—i.o., supercharging, and the choice will depend upon that one of the two limitations to which we are already nearer. Broadly speaking, wo shall find that in an engine of largo cylinder capacity the limit is .set by boat flow and our best chance of improvement lies in increase of speed, while in the case of an engine of small capacity the reverse is usually tho case, and supercharging gives the greater scope. ‘ if wo over reach the limit ol compression and the limit of speed, and succeed in suppressing all torsional and other dynamic vibration,

Brief accounts of TioSday trips, roads, and places of rcterest are invited for this column.

wc shall still have torque recoil to deal with, and the author suggests that the most promising line of development lies in the use of two crankshafts rotating in opposite directions, so that tho torque reaction is self-contained within the engine. TYRE MILEAGE. To show the effect of braking severely, the following interesting test was made, says a writer in the ‘Goodyear News.’ In one instance tho speed of a truck was maintained at 35 miles per hour and braking to a stop without skidding every quarter-mile resulted in wearing olf one-half of tho tread design in a little more than 100 miles. Application of two-wheel brakes suddenly has a tendency to look the wheels in many cases, causing skidding that often leaves a trace of rubber on the pavement and a flat place on the tread of the tyre. With four-wheel brake equipment tho ear can bo brought, to a sudden stop with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the driver, and it is practically impossible to slide the wheels. The resulting wear on tyres is therefore over the entire circumference. This makes it very difficult to prove excessive use of brakes; but nevertheless the tyres will show fast wear. Media ideal irregularities such as misalignment of wheels or rims on tho wheels, bent .spindles, wobbly wheels, or uneven brake adjustments take their toll in excessive tread wear. Fast driving also means rapid tread wear. Rough road surfaces and hilly country are harder on tyro mileage than level territory and smooth roads. Tyres wear out faster in summer than in winter, and tread wear is faster on dry roads than on wet. Changes in car design and operating conditions which have increased tho importance of those variables have come singly, and their effect has probably not been generally recognised. CLOSED,CAR DANGERS. A danger in connection with the use of tho closed car arises from the possibility—rarely occurring—of the escape of exhaust gases into tho interior of the ear. There have been a few accidents and some narrow escapes from this cause, and it is well that users of the now popular closed vehicle should bo made fully aware of the possibilities. The exhaust gas may ho almost odorless and yet very dangerous; in this characteristic lies the peril. If the exhaust pipe is not properly fitted there may bo some escape of the exhaust from the flange joint, or the union which connects it to the engine exhaust manifold. But this is seldom at fault. If it commences to leak hero the leakage is quickly made known by the blowing of the exhaust through tho leak with considerable force and detonation. The gravest danger arises from the silencer and its fittings—especially when the car is travelling comparatively slowly with a following wind, as on hills. Under these conditions the exhaust is blown forward under the body of the car, and may rise through the floorboards if these are not well fitted. The things to look to in order to ensure immunity from this trouble are tho proper fitting of tho floorboards and the carrying of the exhaust tail pipe (from the silencer) well back of the car. The joints at tho engine and at both ends of the silencer should he examined and proper asbestos packing inserted. The danger may be diagnosed by a tendency to sleepiness when riding in tho car. Smell from the ex> hanst is not a good guide to tho detection of the trouble, since a practically odorless exhaust can bo as deadly as one of the more pungent variety. Thorough ventilation by means of ventilators in the scuttle and fairly low down, and ventilators above the screen and a roar outlet—perhaps in tho head—should be provided. Headache when using a saloon, and which is not normal, is a sign of something wrong, and denotes need of thorough ventilation. No one need bo scared about tho possibility of trouble if they conform to tho sensible rule of allowing plenty of-ven-tilation which, with the modern and perlectcd closed cars of to-day, can be provided without incurring disagreeable draughts or subjecting the occupants to the inclemency of the weather. .MORI': HARM THAN GOOD. •lust because the garage man uses a pair of pliers to tighten the screw that holds tho ignition wire terminal to the spark (dug when ho inserts a new one is no reason why you should try to go him ono better by giving each of the screws a few extra turns. If a screw is turned down too far it will spread the terminal and actually loosen it. LATEST SPEED RECORDS. A new British record for the 2.0003,000 cubic centimetre class was established on Brooklands track in August by J. R. Cobb. He accomplished tho five miles at a speed of 111.83 miles per hour. The former record of 111.75 miles per hour was held by a French car. In the 750-1,100 cubic centimcntro class Mr G. Newman also raised records on Brooklands track in August. He drove a 1,094 c.c. supercharged French car, covering 100 miles at a speed of 94.6 miles per hour. The previous class record for 100 miles was 88,3 miles per

hour, made with a car of the same make. Mr Newman also raised the one hour record for this class by covering 94 miles 1,291yd5, as compared with the standing record of 88 miles 727yds. PETROL IN FIRST-AID. CLEANING AND ANTISEPTIC. Writing in a recent issue ot ‘ The Medical Oihcor,' Dr G. A. Stephens, M.D. senior consulting physician to the Cardigan Hospital, drew attention to the value of petrol as an antiseptic. He states that the constant use of petrol at the zinc-smelt-ing works in his district has been thoroughly instilled. in these works petrol sprays are kept handy for use on burns or cuts. Tno petrol washes out all grease, and grease-held dirt, together with the half-burnt fats and lipoids of the patient himself. Except ether, nothing cleans the wound so well as a highgrade petrol, and both of these have the advantage of evaporating quickly, leaving a clean, dry wound, which soon heals. The doctor deplores the insistent use of water for cleaning, which, on account of its high surface tension, cannot penetrate into the various crevices, while its inability to dissolve or remove grease is a real danger in itself. In connection with all the accidents duo to modern motor traffic, the universality of petrol supply, together with more gettable antiseptic than iodine, while the ease of application without any tendency to irritation, renders it of great service from a firstaid point of view. Tho majority of accidents are very small ones, which tend to become septic unless treated at once. For these the doctor says there is nothing like petrol; Hub it must lie clean, highgrade stulF. SECOND GEAR. You all know the chap who docs every hill on top gear. But you don’t hear so much about how his engine boils and the extent of his repair bill. What_ this top-gear “specialist” forgets is that the second gear is there for a pm-pose; it should be used accordingly. In climbing a sleep hill, second gear will mean less petrol and cooler engine. In short, low-gear work in top gear means a wide, open throttle, and consequently a terrific combustion and a greater heat. A car climbing in second gear requires less petrol per power stroke of piston; this gear also gives better circulation of oil and water. The fan must also run at a greater speed, thus giving belter cooling. It’s a safe bet that those who regard second-gear work as a hcating-up process have never used that gear at the right time. And that right time is before the car starts to labor in top gear—before the engine shows si'jns of overheating and loss of revolutions. A good driver uses his second gear. Till ACHING SAFETY. LESSONS IN THE SCHOOLS. With the opening of the autumn ternr of tho Californian schools, the instruction of children in traffic safety commenced in close on 10,000 class rooms. The instruction is being given under a system of visual education in safety inaugurated bv the State Automobile Association, which lias a public safety committee attached to its organisation, and which is in co-operation with the school authorities in more than 600 cities, towns, ami school districts in California. Lessons in the hazards of modern traffic are impressed on the youthful minds by means of a series of striking posters illustrating the dangers encountered by children in their use of streets or highways. The poster lesson takes its place (says a writer somewhat graphically) alongside the “Threeß’s” so that children may learn safely with a capital “S.” The first poster of the year’s series is designed to teach the children the dangers of “jaywalking,” of running across streets in the middle of the block. The vivid lesson portrayed aims to illustrate to tho children that crossing streets other than at intersections is “more dangerous than dynamite.” “You would not play with dynamite ” is the message under the picture; “crossing streets ni the middle of the block is far more dangerous.” Under the arrangements made by the association with the school authorities, the poster is to remain on the class room wall for a month. A new poster, illustrating.il new traffic safety lesson, will be supplied each month by the public safety department of the Automobile Association. Accompanying each poster is material ior suggested talk by the teacher to the class.

The following data is supplied lor the use of teachers in their first traffic safety talks

“During 1926 over 4,000 .school children were killed by automobiles. Of the number more than half were killed in tho middle of the block. Do you see the great danger here? Let us make it a little clearer. How many children actually cross streets in the middle of tiro block compared with those who cross at intersections and crosswalks? No doubt fifty children will cross at intersections and crosswalks to one who crosses in the middle of the block, yet more than half tho children killed in America last year were among those who crossed streets in the middle of the block. Now do you see how dangerous this habit is?”"

“ BORROWED ” CARS. Gar “borrowing” and the necessity ior heavier penalties seems to be a world-wide problem at the present moment. When a writer in the ‘Morris Owner’ penned the following comment upon conditions at Homo he little thought ho would bo hitting the nail on the head in this dominion also. He states;— There recently .seems to have been an epidemic of _ car “borrowing.” In a of instances cars have been appropriated from parking places, driven for anything between 20 and 100 miles, and then abandoned some distance' from the point from which they were taken. In some cases the borrowers have been traced, and, after pleading that the taking of the car was merely a. result of indulgence in intoxicating liquor, have been let off with a fine or with a very mild term of imprisonment in the second division. This is insufficient. To all intents and purposes a man found in another man’s car should be treated as a thief. The mere fact that lie intended to abandon the vehicle does not testify to his honesty, but merely to his lack of courage in disposing of it. An outsider who would, take a car which does not belong to him from a parking place obviously would not scruple to sell it should circumstances permit him to do so without risk of detection.

It is hoped that the perpetrators of any further so-called “ merry pranks ” of this description will receive exemplary punishment at the hands of magistrate before whom they may be brought.

MOTOR CYCLING INCIDENT AT BEACH RACES. in the report of the Otago Motor Club’s motor cycle sports, held on Waikouaiti Beach the Saturday before last, some reference was made to a rider who, after “stunting” in front of the spectators, finished up. by ruling ip among them. Concerning this incident the explanation has been submitted that the rider in question had the steering damper of Ids'machine broken, and as a result the cycle was practically nut of control. It is considered that the rider has been too long connected with racing to have his sportsmanship questioned. LOCAL ACTIVITIES. The monthly meeting of tho motor cycle section will be held at tho club rooms. Moray place, on Wdnesday, tho 16th inst., at 7.45 p.m., at which a largo attendance is requested. On the following week-end there will bo a club run to Waimato in conjunction with the South Canterbury Motor Cycle Club and tho Oamaru and Waimate clubs. As there are excellent camping-out facilities in Victoria Park, Waimato — i.e., “ three penny-in-tho-slot gas rings and water supply laid on”—it is hoped that members will make use of this excellent opportunity of trying out their Christmas camping equipment. The start is from the club rooms at 2 o’clock. On December 9 and 10 a 24-hours trial will be held in conjunction with the South Canterbury Motor Cycle Club, starting from Timaru at 9 p.m. on Friday, December 9, and continuing through 'to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 10. Farther details will be available later. HERE AND THERE A member of the Stratford Automobile Association _at last meeting expressed the opinion that motorists should not complain too much about the proposed petrol tax, as since tho impositions had been put on motoi vehicles the roads bad very much improved. Eight or nine years ago a set of tyres would last him a year, but now, with the improved roads, ho could get two years’ use from them, and that was a big consideration. * * * ft In search, probably of material ior another book, Mrs Diana Strickland, well-known authoress, has commenced a 5,000-milo journey across Africa by car. She will drive from Dakar, on tho west coast, to Khartoum, through the wild and woolliest part ol the dark continent. Tho car she is using has been fitted with a special body to carry stores and act as a bed. fourteen twogallon tins of petrol are carried on the running boards, and oil lamps have been fitted in place of ■ the electrical equipment, as battery service stations are rather scarce in the jungle, A mechanic (male) is also included in the equipment, « ft * * In reply to a request regarding methods of testing speedometers, the Wellington Automobile Association has received a letter from an expert which stated that it was very difficult to arrange any type of testing equipment suitable for all makes of speedometers. Each typo of speedometer had a different standard speed. _ One make, at 3,360 revolutions per minute, recorded 00 miles an hour, wliilo another, at the same revolving speed, recorded over 180 miles per hour, because tho latter read 60 miles at 1,000 revolutions a'minute. This was further complicated by the fact that several makers made different models running at different speeds adapted for different models of cars. This would involve different typos of adaptors before the testing machine could test the different speedometers. A rough sketch of a suggested machine was attached to the expert’s advice, providing for the adaptations necessary to test speedometers under various types of car connections. •« * ft * In supporting the proposed petrol tax a Stratford resident argues that whereas motorists have 75 per cent, of the use of the roads they only contribute 40 per cent, to the upkeep thereof. « # * * A highway of green concrete is to be built near Austin, Texas, that will obviate the glare that usually comes from light-toned pavements. * * * * Speed Merchant (feebly, alter the accident) : “ No, can’t account foiyit. I wasn’t doing more than 50 miles an hour, when a car loomed up in front and backed into me. I think he must have been on his wrong side or his lights were out or the steering gear went wrong. Can’t make it out otherwise.” » ft ft » The next thing in air cleaners well might be one that will purity the atmosphere at the intersection where two truck drivers nearly collide.

TIME FOR LIGHTING UP. To-day ... ... 8.17 Tuesday S;48 Wednesday 8.50 Thursday 8.51 Friday 8.53 Saturday.., 8.55 Sunday 8.50