MOTORING & MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 20511, 16 June 1930, Page 13

MOTORING & MOTORISTS

[BY RADIATOR.]

TIM'S TOR LIGHTING UP. To-day 4.57 Tuesday f.fts Wednesday Thursday ’.o» Friday 4.5° Saturday f.oB i Sunday 4.58 AUTOMATIC SIGNAL. THE PROOF OF COLLISION. An ingenious inventor in Berlin has devised a mechanism that automatically shows a Signal the moment a car to which it is-fitted hits a pedestrian or another car. After tho bump the device raises a white plate over the number plate. nnd to enable it to be seen at night the plate carries a winking red lamp. Besides this signal tho speedometer is automatically disconnected and locked to show tho speed of tho car when the collision occurred. The invention, of course, is valueless unless all cars are compelled to carry it. Also it must be under police supervision and locked by the proper authorities to prevent unscrupulous use of the . device. A NEW STARTER. COMPRESSED AIR DEVICE. No electric starter can be better than the battery on which it depends, as many a motorist has found to his sorrow. When the battery fails the driver has to resort to the crank handle. Cranking w«s never a pleasant nor even a safe method of starting an engine, but in the old days the driver had at any rate tho advantage over the present-day driver of being used to it. Actuahy it is a knack, and not difficult to the man who knows his ontine. Most people nowadays, however, o not know their engine; if they did they would 'probably always have ! a charge on tho battery, for with every thing set right tne engine should start as readily with the first kick oven from the battery as it should from the hand. As matters stand, one frequently hears prolonged efforts on; the part of a starter to get the engine going, with consequent prolonged heavy drain on the battery'. Find out what gives an easy hand start, and use this knowledge to save the battery. More, do not crank violently and wear yourself out in an effort to get tho engine going. If everything la in proper order the engine will start readily, even when quite cold. Have things right first, and do the cranking afterwards. The fact that the electric starter and tho crank, with their failings, are the recognised means of getting the preliminary “kick” out of an engine does hot make them the best or only means, and many will be interested to know that there is a possibility of compressed air being brought into the field as a competitor against tho electric starter. A French-engineer, M. Henhnark, hiis been devoting concentrated research work to the starting of aeroplane and other engines, and has achieved such success that an English company has been formed to apply the principle to the motor car. One of the big advan tages claimed is that the power obtainable from the compressed air device is so great that the crankshaft of tho engine can be rotated with such vigour and speed that a sjtart is practically in -stantaneous. .- Absence of noise,is another notable point, and there is, of course, the release of the battery from the burden • which is the cause of most of tho troubles- it meets with in the course of its life. One test the new starter was put under was on a lorry. The engine was very stiff, so stiff that a normal man was scarcely strong enough to turn the crank handle at all. The very first depression of tho valve of the compressed air device, however, saw the engine start immediately. There is-- another aspect of the compressed air starter —viz., there is always a means to band for easy inflation of tyres. One would carry along with him his own free air ” Pumping up a tyre at the roadside is, if anything, several stages worse than cranking an engine, and one sees quite a deal of it when out on a week-end run. Moreover, with an air reservoir on the car we may have a return of the old melo dious horn. A chord of three or font pipes was quite a feature on some cars of the years gone by. This, again, would relieve the battery of Some drain.

ILLUSTRATED FAIR BOOK. A charming little publication for children has been produced by. the Shell Company of New Zealand, Limited, for free distribution _on application throughout the dominion. The illustrations have been well carried out by Mias Sheila Hawkins, and a great amount of- attention has been paid to detail. The half-dozen plates have been carried out in four colours, and there is a generous sprinkling of black-and-white drawings.. ■ The simple story is that which has appealed to the child mind since time immemorial—of fairies and goblins, and the small girl who is waylaid amd ushered into the inner sanctums of fairy life. It promises to have a wide appeal wherever young folk are gathered together—at kindergarten, at home, and at play. The book is well prepared on tinted art paper, and is generally significant as the upward trend ‘of commercial publications in this country. A copy of the booklet is obtainable on application to the Shell Company, P.O. Box 1663, Wellington. HIGHER ANNUAL MILEAGES. Most automobile owners, whose experience as such dates back more than a decade, are conscious of the fact that the average driver covers a considerable greater iriilca'K© in the course ot the year now than he did, say, ten years ago. Statistics of automobile production and reg istration lead to the conclusion that the life of automobiles expressed in years has constantly increased, and since the average car now travels farther per year it is obvious that the life expressed in miles has increased even more. That cars are behig. used more now than formerly .s due to many causes Ihewi w. first ol nil the improvement or roaas. mis several ways. It has much hicher average speeds, so tnat greater mileagec.can be same time. By increasing the which can be covered in a, sum V has tended to eiicoiumge the u-se ot vehicles for longer trips, foi whmh tne railways wonjd.be used otl < which would not be ma'le at oIL ine improved roads reduced the flea

Brief accounts of holiday trips, roads, and places of Interest are invited lor this column.

tear on tho vehicle, thus making its use more attractive from an economic standpoint. Then there has been the wonderful improvement in the dec-r and construction of tyres, with the object of giving long trouble-free ser vice and more comfortable riding qualities to the ontnmohilo. which has had the effect of raising the average annual mileage. The replacement, to a great extent, of open by closed types of vehicle has encouraged the use of cars throughout the year. Another factor that enters into the problem is the average mileage per gallon, which mav also have changed during this period. Designers of automobile engines and all tho'P working on the improvement_of carburettors, vaporising, and distribution systems undoubtedly have worked —and successfully—to improve _ the thermal efficiency of. the engines. Higher compression ratios are now gennrn.llv used, which lend to lii' r h°r nm economy, and manifold systems have been gradually improved to assure more clearly uniform Attribution of the combustible mixture, which also tends to improve economy. But, aside from the improvement in the design of engines ami accessories, the chief factors tending toward increased and higher average mileage per year is the great improvement, in roads and tyres. HINT OF THE ID .L. PARTS ACCESSIBLE FROM TOP. What one would like to seo some day woulu bo a car built in such a way tnat all moving parts would be accession! irom tho top without having xo crawl underneath; with a much simpler engine, smaller ana lighter, with vaives poss.Diy of the sleeve type, ami an uuexposed radiator; non-eiec tncai sell-starter, possioly by compressed air, wiacu could oo utilised also ror keeping tyres pumped up to standard pressure; independent suspension ot wheels; simpler ana ’more adaptable body with more room which could bo gained by setting the engine lower in front—preteraoly an engine with horizontal cylinders. , ‘ . These and many other improvements one could mention are not beyond the capacity of inventors and designers. The difficulty is not in making such a car, but in getting it on the market. xVianuiacturers can nardly afford to attempt radical changes, so enormous is the capital and such the inertia of the world-wide interests concerned with the car as it is ot as it will be next year and the next, with a few minor refinements to mako a new model. It is the old story ol a product becoming comdncrcialisod, when it gets out of the Hands of the engineer and into those of the salesman ADJUSTMENT OF VALVES. The necessity lor really accurate setting ot tne gaps between tappets and valve stems is not generally appreciated by motorists. rt oftcai is considered that as Jong as tiio valvo does not ••ride” on tho‘ tappet, owing to expans.on wnen hot, the amount of clearance is limited solely by the degree; of noise produced it it is excessive. it is such inaccuracies in adjustment which cause owners to become dissatisfied With their cars and to waste money .replacing them unnecessarily. Tappets must be adjusted exactly to tho clearances specified, and this can be done with a set of feeler gauges, costing only a couple of shillings. The most obvious effect of wide clearances is loss ot valvo lift, with consequent throttling of "xhaust and inlet passages. In most eases, however, this is of only secondary imp-irtmnco compared with the variation from the correct valve timing which is ; -i-’d. Too wido a clearance means that the pistons will have travelled a considerable distance further than the correct point before the viilt"--- start to open, and closing will occur before the pistons arc in the right position. It is this which has the more serious effect on power. ... In overhead camshaft engines it is necessary to reset the camshaft timing whenever the cylinder head has been removed. Usually the opening and closing points lor the valves of tho fropt cylinder are marked on the fly' wheel nm, and marks also may be provided on the camshaft driving gear. It is the fly wheel markings which must be used for the final checking, but before this can ho carr.ed out the tappets must be properly adjusted. If the correct clearance is not known the clearances must be varied until absolutely correct timing for both opening,, and closing points can be obtained on the fly wheel marking?, when the clearances are measured and noted for future occasions. Most side-valve engines use clear- - anccs of six to eight thousandths for the exhaust valves, and two thousandths Jess for_ the inlets. There is much greater latitude in tho case of overhead valves, varying from about these limits to as much, as ‘ fifty-seven thousandths in the case of one wellknown . speed model with push-rod operations. DOMINION MOTOR TRADE. ANNUAL REVIEW. The second annual report on tho motor trade in New Zealand, issued by the market research division of the . esi.-s Charles Haines Advertising Agency, is to hand. This publication is greatly enlarged, and contains a number of new and valuable features. There is a complete analysis of motor car sales throughout the dominion for the year ending February 28, 1930. This "shows the number of each make of car sold in each of ninety-eight towns and districts. There are also sections devoted to commercial vehicles, motor bicycles, tractors, aeroplanes, and bicycles, whilst interesting comparisons and graphs add further to tho value of tho volume. The whole booklet has been carefully compiled, and the facts and figures have been gathered from authoritative sources. From it wo learn that there is one car to every 9.63 people in New Zealand. Ford cars head the list for registrations, and there are thirty-eight planes being used for civil purposes and twenty-one by the Government for defence purposes. The report concludes with a note on tho general prospects of the New Zealand motor trade.

TRAFFIC REGULATION IN DE* .101 A now trend in traffic regulation has been introduced in Detroit, where tho traffic officers at street intersections are equipped with traffic lights. Red lights are attached to the front and back of their uniform aud green ones to their arms. A quarter-turn by the officer suffices to stop traffic in one direction and start traffic in the other. The current is supplied from a battery which can be concealed in a pocket. ■ LONG-DISTANCE TOURING. A NUMBER OF GADGETS. Long-distance touring cars nowadays can be fitted with a wonderful number of gadgets of a useful character to minimise trouble for the driver and give comfort and pleasure to tho passengers. Some cars have sliding roofs so the occupants can take full advantage of sunny, mild days; while a blue glass vizor adjustable from the inside is fitted above the windscreen to shelter the eyes of the driver from excessive glare cither at night or by day. Beneath tho screen there arc ingeni-ously-hidden ventilators to give ingress of fresh air to tho interior of the car should climatic conditions mako it difficult to drive with any of tho windows lowered or opened. Some of the highpriced cars also have a radiator for cooling the oil in the engine sump. Cooled oil gives better lubrication on a long, continuous journey, besides being more economical by lessening its consumption by tho engine, due to preventing evaporation by overheating. Quite a number of tho 1930 cars are being provided with oil-cooling radiators now that speed generally has so greatly increased in touring, in order to attain tho best economy in fuel consumption. DANGER, OF FIRE. NORMAL RISK VERY SLIGHT. Sometimes alarmist notions aro circulated with regard to tho danger of ears catching fire. Certainly, if a fire occurs in a closed car there is rather more danger for the occupants than in an open car. But with any typo of car the risks of firo are small, and they may bo kept down very considerably by maintaining the car in good condition. In other words, with a well-maintained car tho fire risk normally is very slight. It is not intended in any way to minimise the dangerous nature of petrol, and the strongest emphasis should he laid on its careful handling and storage. But in tho normal running of a car nowadays there is little likelihood of petrol catching fire and endanger - ing the lives of the people in tho car. Tim most usual cause arises Irom an accident in which the petrol supplysystem gets damaged and a leakage occurs. The groat moral is to avoid collisions and accidents as far as possible. FILLING THE ACUUU TANK. A NEW 'TIT. When tho main fuel tank of a car fitted with a vacuum feed runs dry it may happen that a supply of fuel poured into tho float chamber will bo insufficient to run the engine long enough to, draw fuel into the vacuum tank from tho replenished main tank. Tho difficulty can he overcome by removing the vacuum pipe between the tank and the induction manifold and sucking the fuel through with the mouth, tho lips being applied, of course, to the end of the vacuum pipe. The construction of tho vacuum tank makes it impossible for the operator! to draw-petrol into his mouth, but it will be found that the tank can bo rapidly filled in this manner. A “ FLUID FLYWHEEL.” SIMPLER AND SAFER DRIVING. Last September tne Uuiimer Company aaiied me to inspect, test, and report upon a special torm ol power transmission for motor venkics which is now to bo piaceu on tne muritet, aim is .mown as tno “ huid llywiieei ” (writes vim motoring correspondent ol the London ‘nines’)- the invention is ingenious m its simplicity, and, while andouotedly adding to the salety ol driving, provides a motorist with a new sensation and fascination. With tho fluid llywneel it is possible to start the car tram rest, and to drive on tho level, with or without traffic checks, also against ordinary loads, without using the clutch pedal or the gear lever, and to bring the car to rest with tho engine still running. It is impossible to stall or stop the engine, however severe tho load. A car fitted wtli this device can be driven in tho same way as one without it. Both hands are free in traffic for the steering wheel,' the horn, and signalling, wliile two pedals only need be worked, ahd normal practice with the right loot is followed. The saving in fatigue m not having to use the left foot or the clutch pedal is pleasant. The long familiar cry of “ five miles an hour on top speed ” is not only true in this case, but is far surpassed, since the car can bo kept moving absolutely evenly and sweetlv at any speed, even one mile an hour, down to tho zero mark. CONSTRUCTION. Tho flywheel consists of two main parts made ot aluminium,, ouc of which forms the driving member aud the other the driven member. Both aro cup-liko in section, and are divided into a largo number of colls by radial webs. A . small gap separates tho driven member from the driving member, so that tho latter may freely' rotate. Tho driving member is cylindrical, so that the driven member is enclosed within it, and the whole compartment is filled with oil. _ In passng the power Irom the engine to tho transmission the oil starts on a circulatory motion between the cups of the driving and driven members. In passing from the webs of the driving to those of tho driven member tho oil is retarded in velocity, and there)ore releases kinetic energy which sets the driven member in motion. At ordinary' speeds the oil needs but little retardation to dovelop tho re-' driving torque; hence the lag or slip between the driving and driven members is of little account. On the other hand, tho slip can become complete at full torque, and enable the engine to dovelop full power in gear without the car moving. From this flywheel casing a short shaft connects with an ordinary small inverted faced cone clutch just in front of the gearbox. This clutch is only used for gear-

changing. The advantages are, in my opinion, that no complication is introduced, no wear takes place, and therefore no adjustment is necessary, and no additional weight is involved; only a little extra space is required, and then only for the small friction dutch, and so smooth is the drive that there should be less wear throughout.,

TESTS. My first test was with a two-ton Double-Sis *3O Daimler saloon fitted with the fluid flywheel. 1 drove it before examining any parts of the device, seeing any drawings, or looking under the floorboards—in fact, without knowing anything about the invention; this was because I was asked to get an entirely fresh impression as a driver. I started the car from rest, with tho top gear and the clutch pedal engaged, by merely releasing the and pressing the accelerator pedal. This 1 did a number of times during the trial, including on up-gradients, and with tho car running backwards. The top gear was, 1 understand, 4.57 to 1 There was no snatch or fierceness, over, with the throttle immediately opened and held open. The drive was taken up smoothly, with reasonable acceleration, and without undue slip or noise of engine racing 1 placed one of tho front wheels, almost at right angles, against a high and steep Kerb, with the top gear and clutch pedal engaged and tho car stationary. 1 then opened the throttle fully. Tho engine ran up to about 500 r.p.m., and remained at that, the car not moving. I tried tho saloon at 60 or so on top, and nearly 50 on third, and tho behaviour was quite normal, as was also early gear changing. I also held the car stationary with the hand brake, with tho top gear and clutch pedal engaged, and opened the throttle fully. Directly tho brake was released the engine raced, but the car started smoothly. Afterwards 1 inspected drawings and tho parts, took the car out again in the traffic in Coventry, and looked under the floorboards. As I wished to verify some further points, a 26 h.p. six-cylinder Daimler enclosed drive limousine was sent up to London a day or two later for a second test. This car had a back axle ratio of 5.14 to 1. I particularly wanted to observe the .acceleration powers of a six-cylin-der car in London traffic, especially from rest after halts, and the question of heat in the engine and flywheel casing. 1 drove for an hour without touching clutch pedal or gear lever, with top engaged, and with only two voluntary halts The engine was never stopped, except by mistake for. a few seconds after a traffic halt, when the hand throttle sotting was too far back. The acceleration and crawling powers of tho limousine well satisfied mi There was no sign of steaming of the cooling water—and tho dav was warm —while the test provided the maximum amount of engine slip likely to he met with in the ordinary way. Yesterday I took out a Double-Six “30” saloon with a 5 to 1 top gear for three-quarters of an hour, and without the engine being stopped or the speed lever or clutch pedal being touched except for one reverse. Eventually I drove, using the gears both up and down as with an ordinary car, and the action was perfectly normal, with a delightful change speed. In all three trials the engine kept perfectly cool, as did also the friction dutch. The fluid flywheel casing naturally gets hot, but so long as there is good scuttle ventilation this should be of little account. The Daimler Company are now prepared to fit the device for £SO extra to the Double-Six “30” model. It is to be hoped that they will develop its application to the six-cylinder models, and those of the smaller horse-powers. I should like to see it applied to commercial vehicles ns well as to cars. MOTOR CYCLING FIXTURES. June 18.—Monthly meeting. June 21.—Sporting trial. July 12.—Club run. Tho monthly general meeting of the motor cycle section will be held in the club rooms, June 18, at 8 p.m. The committee meeting will bo held at 7.15 p.m. Owing to tho visit of the British Rugby football team the sporting trial has been postponed tor ono week, and will now be held on Saturday, Juno 28. An excellent course has been mapped out, and several entries are already in hand. USE THE GEARS. The novice should never hesitate to change down if circumstances have compelled him to slow in traffic or at a cross-roads, for instance. A much quicker getaway will thus be assured. In traffic always anticipate the need for changing down, for if danger or a “ squeeze ” of any kind is impending the rider who is ready “ in middle ” has a reserve of acceleration to get out of difficulty that lie would not have otherwise.

THE LOCAL CLUB. SPEED JUDGING CONTEST. After almost a week of hard frosts tho organisers of this event had high hopes of a difficult course, however, Saturday morning broke fine and sunny with a keen, dry wind, which improved riding conditions -considerably, Tho first batch of competitors was dispatched at 2.16, and so on at minute intervals. Each competitor in each batch had a different speed to ride at, tho first at 25. m.p.h. and the others differences, of 1 m.p.h., so that the

MOTOR CYCLE PLATES. COMPLAINTS FROM RIDERS. Motor cyclists aro complaining that the new front number plates now issued aro unsuitable for attaching to their vehicles. Lust year the plates were attached to the machines vertically, and the identification numbers ori them were divided into two parts, one half being at the top of the plate and the other beneath, which, of course, made it a difficult matter to see a number if a cycle were travelling at a good rate of speed. This year the plates are constructed similarly to the plates which are attached- to the rear of a vehicle, the object of this being to permit of the number being stamped in a single

last man of each section had to average 20 ni.p.h, All speedometers were sealed The route, which ran via Tomahawk, the High road, Wickcliifc Bay, and Portobello, returned via the low road to tho Bungalow, St. Kilda. where refreshments were partaken of and results duly announced. Several sections of the route were still covered with frost, while others were extremely slippery where a thaw had sot in, but when taken as a whole it was considered an extremely easy afternoon’s run. Checks were taken at the 10, 15, 20, and 25-milo posts, so that competitors had to ride consistently throughout.

lino, as a result of which it will bo more easily recognisable. It is now necessary for the plates to be attached to the vehicle horizontally. Motor cyclists complain that after having incurred expense in producing a bracket to hold last year’s front plate they will not now be able to use it. Some have found that it is possible to attach the plate to the forks of the machine under the headlight, and others have solved the difficulty by placing it on the front mudguard, on each side of which it protrudes in an ugly manner. It is understood that next year there will bo another change in the front' plate, which will be so made as to fit on a machine in an upright position. The plate will bo two-sided, the same number being on both sides. This will enable anyone to identfy a vehicle at a glance.

HERE AND THERE. The special oil sold for cleaning bar-' rels of guns and rifles is excellent for removing rust and for lubricating parts, such as door locks and hinges, which rust quickly. • * » #• Should the reflectors of tho head lamps become dull it is probable that the airtight packing bus been lost. Asbestos string glued in place with shellac is a good substitute. • • t t In order to add realism, cars used in making talking pictures almost. always have silencers rendered _ less efficient, and also are over-lubricated to make tho exhaust smoke visible. ,•♦ # • To obviate risk of engine strain, always start the car in low gear. m • • • The difference between chassis, engine, and registered numbers caused a great deal of confusion to some people when filling in registration papers for ■the relicensing of motor vehicles in Wellington. One woman could not bo convinced that the chassis number and tho one on tho number plate were not one and tho same thing. The attendant on duty, who was expected to have a fund of information, tried in vain to explain that the chassis number and tho registration number werequite different. Try as he would, ho could not convince her. “Of course they are the same,” she argued, “ They must be. .The number plates are attached to the chassis, so the numbers on them must bo the number of the chassis.” Further explanations were useless. • t • • Tho annual report of tho Southland Motor Association shows that the membership of that body is 2,031. The report traverses tho more important activities of the assopiation during the year, and the balance-sheet discloses that the finances are in a healthy state.

Name, Machine. 1st Check. 2nd. 3rd. 4th. Tl. Lost. Dnthie New Hudson ai.p.n. ... 20 30 60 40 40 170 Kslts, Cousins A.J.S. .. 21 10 190 70 SO 350 Green way B.S.A. ... 22 20 130 20 80 200 Tomkinsou B.S.A. Phillips B.S.A. ... .. 23 ... 21 20 20 10 20 Punrtnnul 20 70 2nd. Stalker Norton ... 25 — 60 80 90 230 M'Millan Leavis ... 20 10 30 40 120 200 Strong B..S.A. .. 22 10 20 20 40 90 3rd. Roberts A.J.S. ... 23 20 30 40 80 170 Stewart Douglas ... .. 21 20 50 60 90 220 M'Jmvan — . ■ 25 — 50 70 80 200 Lamlrebe New Hudson 21 Retired. Ovens Ariel _ .. 23 10 10 20 30 GO 1st Ferguson Triumph ... 25 30 10 — 20 60 equal.