PETROL PRICES DROP.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 May 1933, Page 3

PETROL PRICES DROP.

ANOTHER PENNY A GALLON. . WELLINGTON, May 22. Petrol prices will drop again this week, when, another reduction of Id a gallon will ibe made. The wholesale' price of petrol will be reduced by Id a gallon to-day, and it is the intention of the resellers to pass this reduction on to consumers. As many resellers have large stocks bought at the old price, however, the retail price will not be reduced until after Wednesday. First standard brands will then be selling at Is-lOd a gallon, with second grades at Is 9d.

According to cabled advice a reduction in the price of petrol in Great Britain took place in the middle of last week. The reduction there was a gallon, and it was attributed to over-production in the United States combined with the fall in the dollar.

Engine Suspension. Looseness of engine suspension is a very ordinary and oft-times overlooked source of rattle. Therefore, before probing more deeply in the effort to eliminate excessive engine vibration, take a spanner and test the bolts which hold the engine to the frame. Not infrequently it will be found that these bolts have loosened through stress of running, and that the trouble may be cured simply iby tightening them. Means Hard Start. .Several of the most frequent causes of “hard starting” are weak battery, poor compression, broken, leaky or loose ignition wire, pitted distributor points, fouled spark plugs, water in petrol line or carburettor, and a weak coil. Knocks are Varied. If an engine noise is a light knock and occurs at high speeds or when the engine is pulling heavily the. chances are that it is a connecting rod bearing. A main bearing makes a heavy thumping noise that can be heard when the speed of the engine is low. Gearbox Lubrication. While most motorists are very careful to change the oil in the engine regularly, it is doubtful if many of them realise the importance of similar attention to the gearbox. Even when one has mastered the art of changing gears in. silence and certainty there is always' a certain amount of abrasion taking place as the gears are engaged, which obviously results in minute particles of metal finding their ■way into the oil, and these in time are thrown up into the ball races, where they cause wear upon these bearings. In view of this, one should preserve the life of the gears, the sliding shafts and bearings by occasional renewals of the gear oil. Washing Oil Filter. When Washing an oil filter with petrol always pour the petrol on the ( side opposite to the normal direeton of the flow of oil. Thus the particles of grit will be washed away. Generator Lubrication. Lubrication of the generator through the oil cups at the front and gear of the shaft is a task requiring careful measurement. It takes 1 usually but a few drops of lubricant. More (means’ that it will be overoiled. Inner Tube. Oil will ruin an inner tube in a week. Never throw the extra inner tubes in promiscuously with the spare tools and oil can. Wrap them carefully in cloth. Better still, get a couple of good) strong cloth bags for them. Front Wheels. 1 The front wheels of the automobile are set so that they do not stand exactly parallel, the purpose of such design being to provide easy handling of the car. The wheels have ‘ * toe-in ’ ’ or are closer at the front than the rear, and) also “camber,” or are closer at the bottom than the top. The king bolts are alsu .set at an angle, inclined to the rear from a perpendicular, and this is< called the “castor angle.” The wheels' 1 are set correctly at the factory, but thq alignment should be checked occasionally, and in the event of collision or accident, the car should be taken to a service station for proper alignment and adjustment of the wheels.

Skidding. iSkidding on wet pavement is partially governed by air pressure in the tyres. The higher pressure the greater the hazard. Soft tyres have more traction surface, therefore danger from skidding is lessened. Oil on Tyre Locks. Tyre locks usually are exposed to the elements, which means a greater likelihood of rusting. The simplest preventive treatment is to oil them more frequently with a light, penetrating lubricant. Too Muteh Oil Wrong. While there is no more dangerous method of courting trouble than to operate an engine with two little oil, too much lubricant in the cramkcase also is likely to prove wrong. ’Excessive oil causes carbon, and carbon, in turn, can result in a large quota of troubles, especially to valves. Spark Plug.

Even though the spark plug is stiff in the threads it must be screwed down tightly on to its copper asbestos washer, or leakage will occur.

Brake Springs. Much of the trouble with brakes is due to failure of the return springs to release them when not in use. This causes dragging, premature wear on linings, warped drums and grabbing. The tension on the return springs varies with the car and the type of braking system. In one rather typical case it is from thirty-five to fifty pounds at the extended length of the springs on the assembly. Perhaps the best

way to check the spring is to expose the brake assemblies and note if they return to the “off” position promptly and completely when the brakes are released. Beware of Fire It is a dangerous practice to spread sawdust on the garage floor to catch dripping oil or grease The sawdust becomes oil soaked, and should the car backfire when starting a serious conflagration may result. How to Waste Petrol There are no fewer than seven ways in which careless operation of a car will waste petrol. These include the excessive use of the choke, unnecessarily idling, running the engine too cold, driving at excessive speeds when not necessary, making unnecessary starts and stops, racing the engine and unnecessary acceleration. In addition there are several wasteful spots around the car itself which should be watched, such as improper carburettor setting, loose pistons and rings, erratic fuel supply, stuck carburettor float, loose connections, dirt in tank or fuel line, leaks, dragging brakes, or lack of lubrication.

Valve Grinding. Don’t urge your mechanic to adjust valves closely after a valve grinding job. It is better to set valves so they, are noisy for the first 100 miles. This will give them a chance to seat properly. The cost of a second adjustment is not great and is more than offset by better performance. Clearing Grease Nipples. A simple but effective way to clear a blocked grease nipple is to soak it in paraffin oil' for a few minutes and then fit the connection of the tyre pump over the greasing encl of the

nipple, which will be cleared by three or four operations of the pump. Cleaning Leather Upholstery. Unless you wish to crack the leather, do not use petrol in cleaning it. One fairly good way to get off dirt' from leather is to use plain water, to Which a little ammonia has been added. After this has dried .the leather should be rubbed briskly with a soft cloth, such as flannel or cheesecloth. Universal Joints. Keeping) the universal joints packed with grease is extremely important, as the strain on them is very great. About once in every 3000 miles the plug should be unscrewed and the hous u lug filled. Thin Brake Drums. If brake drums are thin, it is advisable to replace them when re-lining the brakes, rather than attempt to true them by undercutting. A thin drum will partially collapse when pressure is applied. The result is squeaky brakes and reduced efficiency.