FOR THE MOTORIST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 119, 17 May 1912, Page 3

FOR THE MOTORIST.

CAUSES OF OVERHEATING

HOW TO TRACE AND REMEDY

THEM

William H. Stewart, jr., in a recent lecture given in New York dealt' with "Causes and Remedies, of . Motors Overheating." The speaker, -who covered the subject in the most minute detail, said in part:— Motors properly designed seldom overheat, except when parts go wrong and produce such- a result. Ici the water-cooled motor using, ths force pump system one would naturally discount any trouble, as there ap^ ■pears;'to' be very little to <?p wrong. There is nothing but the radiator/ the straight hose connections, and the force pump in circuit to accelerate the,-flow, of water. However, when a motor does overheat the following should be investigated in order to trace the' trouble:

Inspect all hose connections and note that the./water passage' is free. It often happens that hose will swell and close, thereby preventing the passage of; water.

Try the. water pump and see that the water propeller is being properly driven by the shaft to which it is attached. A broken shaft is mot an infrequent occurrence. In case of trouble it is often advisable to remove the pump and thoroughly cleanse it. In cases where poor hose is used the inner walls deteriorate and pieces lodge in and obstruct the pump. The radiator itself is not always without fault. Due to its peculiar construction for cooling -rmrpo&es it is very sensitive to dirt and mineral deposits. When, the cells of the radiator become coated a very large proportion of the cooling are^ is sacrificed. In such cases it is necessary to thoroughly cleanse it with an alkaline solution.

Another cause which produces overheating is excessive carbonization of the cylinders. While this will not be noticed in the boiling of the water it will be. noticed by the prematiire ignition of the gas. Tlie excessive carbon forms a thick coating upon the crown of the cylinder and does not cool sufficiently to prevent premature ; ignition. This condition makes it necessary to use a retarded spark, which also is detrimental. In such an instance the cylinder should be cleaned asl soon as possible. Many drivers do not use tine advance of the spark to the best advantage. To force a motor to wp^k continuously with retarded:, spark will produce an overheated condition very quickly. "A motor should always be run with the spark advanced as:'much as possible. In this way the maximum efficiency is obtained with the minimum fuel' consumption.

Do net fail -to,keep the circulating system filled with water. An insufficient amount of water in the system will not keeo the motor cool.

A small thino; is the fan which creates the cooling air current. However, with the fan out of order, many motors are practically useless. The fan, its driving member, and the belt should always be inspected and kept in 7-repair'.'■ If not a serious radiator leak may be caused by a loose fan wheel. ;.-..-