MOTOR NOTES

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 15, 4 September 1930, Page 11

MOTOR NOTES

CROSSING SIGNAL LAMP

An improved lamp for the use of crossing-keepers has been evolved by Mr H. Bonner, a railway crossing-keeper himself and has been submitted to the Railway Department for its consideration. The lamp is based on the present lamps which are used at crossings, but it lias two red discs and two green discs. These are capable of being rotated in. the same manner as the colours in the lamps now i nuse. Mr Bonner's lamp allows a green light to be shown to the railway-engine driver and at the same time it shows a red beam to both sides of the line. If necessary, a green light can be. shown to the road traffic and a red light to the train traffic, merely by turning the knob. It has been pointed out by Mr Bonner that in the case of a motor car with strong headlights, the beam would show right through the lamp, making the red danger signal all the blighter. The lamps can be made in the Railway Departments workshops at approximately the same cost as the lamps now; in use. RUSTED RIMS A somewhat - common trouble experienced in connection with tyres in winter months is that of rusty rims, particularly where the-xiai' is useoi over muddy roads during a" long wet season. The edges of the casing become oftentimes rusted on to the rim of the wheel and may even be damaged when the tyre is removed; Accordingingly all four tyres should be liberally coateoi with graphite paints. The inner tube also will give better service if it is properly cared for. No grit or dirt must be left inside the casing, since even <t small piece of grit will cause considerable abrasion on the soft rubber of the inner tube. Before replacing a tyre the inside of the cover should be carefully brushed out, while it is a good plan also to dust lightly t the tube with French chalk. With these precautions the motorist should be reasonably free from trouble. CHANGING WHEELS Punctures are few and, far between in these days of reliable and long-wear- i ing tyres; but when it becomes necessary to change a wheel on the road it is some- J

,times a very different matter as compared' with the same operation in the garage. One must pull in to the side of the road before stopping and the camber, on the left-hand side may bring about an awkward position, especially if the near-side -wheel has to be changed.

In removing the Wheel with the deflated tyre there is no difficulty;: but in attempting to replace the spare it is found that although the deflated one came off quite easily, putting on the spare—which, of course, is of a larger." diameter—-is ■ quite a different matter. As the jack n"s already screwed up to its maximum, an-i as there is obviously not. sufficient space between the ground anoi the hub to admit the wheel, one is faced by two alternatives. (Any pulling or forcing will result in the axle falling off the jack, especially as the car is not on level ground, with •.•disastrous effects upon the and axle).

The spare may be deflated and although it is sad to see the escaping and realise that it has to be replaced by the sweat of one's brow, far from any '/free air" station, this is probably the .easiest Way out of the difficulty. The other alternative is to replace the wheel with the deflated tyer, unscrew the jack, place a stone or a piece of wood below the jack, screw up the jack again take off the deflated wheel and then put on the spare; and even with this method it is not always possible to find at the roadside a suitable stone or piece of wooa. - SAFETY IN DRIVING ' If an examination could be carried out of all vehicles on the road, with a view to discovering those which' could be considered absolutely safe in every detail it is to be feared that the number wouloi be woefully small. This does not imply that the majority of the motor vehicles are in a dangerous condition, but it is suggested that if every detail bearing upon the question of safety in all its aspects were considered, large numbers of them would be } found wanting. It is probable that properly adjusted) and powerful brakes are the chief factor iin safe driving, so it is advisable when adjusting the brakes' to do so with all wheels jacked up so that each brake can be tested separately at the same setting. When dealing with the brakes on the front wheels, it is as well to bear in mind that in some designs locking over wheels either way has the effect of increasing the braking power on the one which is following the larger inside wheel and decreasing it on the radius of the curve. • . ■ T7.AOIATOE- SHUTTER INCORRECT ADJUSTMENT" The automatic shutter of a radiator should open at the proper temperature to protect, not only the radiator, but the engine as well. Normally this will be If the shutter opens too soon the engine will not wai-m up, as it Should and crank-case dilution will be increased. The choke will have to be used longer than it should be and quantities of raw gasoline will be drawn in some of which will find its way down into the lubricating oil. The over-rich mixture will also*eontjri-

Bute to carbon formation. Worse, however is the shutter that opens too late. Tests have disclosed shutters that do not open until the temperature is from 180, to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not difficult to imagine the bad results that may occur in such a case if the atmospheric temperature is zero or less. The shutters open "anai the fan draws in an 'cy blast against the heated, radiator and eyJinder blocks. The' sudden contraction of the metal may cause damage that is mostly to repair.

Manually controlled shutters should like the automatic^dnec b° opened when the temperature indicator shows not over 140 to 150 degrflfw. .