MOTORING WORLD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 229, 27 August 1932, Page 10

MOTORING WORLD.

NOTES. Tho best results will be obtained when adjusting the plugs if this course is adopted: Begin with one cylinder, and experiment with the gap at the points till tho engine will run on this one cylinder only, with the other plugs in position. Motoring history was made by the Australian, Miss Joan Richmond, who, teaming with Mrs T. H. Vt isdonp a well-known competition driver in England, won the 1000 miles International motor car raco on Brooklands track (England) at an average speed of 84.41 m.p.li. The feat of Miss Richmond and her co-driver is unparalleled, and is easily the most outstanding motor drive in competition ever recorded by the fair sex. Carbon can be removed from the interior metal parts of a plug with a knife-blade. A nail-file, sandpaper, or the striking composition on a safety match-box can be used to brighten the points. Make sure you brighten those parts of the point across which tlie spark jumps. Regulate the gap between the points with a gauge, but if you haven’t one, adjust the points so that a worn threepenny’ piece will just pass between them. A “silent policeman, or traffic dome, placed at tho intersection of Carlton Gore and Bark roads, Auckland, resulted in a motor cyclist, who was unaware of its presence, being thrown from his machine the same night. The front wheel of the machine struck the dome, which was unliglited. There was no other traffic at the intersection at the time. As soon as the accident was reported, the Auckland Automobile Association had a red light placed at the spot. The accident is regarded by the association as a strong argument in favour of discarding a - together the domes and adopting the English method of marking the streets with white lines.

THIRD-PARTY RISK. LOOPHOLE IN THE ACT. •'•We were given to understand that lire car, and not the driver, carried the third-party insurance " said Mr \ Grayson, president of the Auckland Uitomobile Association, at a meeting of the council of the association when a letter was received from the iSorth Island Motor Union pointing out that the third-party cover under the Motor Vehicles Insurance Act, 1928, was not absolute, as believed by motoring associations. . The letter stated that an important point arose out of the case, Eindlater versus the Public Trust and the Queensland Insurance Company, under tlie Mote- Vehicles Insurance (lnird Party Risks) Act, 1928. The history of the case was that a motorist, being clearly negligent, caused an accident and serious injury to another Party, and was himself fatally injured, lhe Court held that, although the deceased was negligent and caused an accident whereby, in addition to doing serious damage or injury to the third party, the property of the third party was" injured, the deceased also brought about his own death by his negligence, and the right of the plaintiff against the deceased died with his death. . , ~ Insurance companies received the third-partv premium,.but if the insured died following an accident ho had caused through negligence, the injured party had no claim, Mr Grayson said. The "whole idea of third-party insurance was that if an unfinancial person went nn the road with a motor vehicle and caused death or suffering, the injured party should not suffer on account of the driver's lack of estate. The council agreed that amending legislation was necessary. The matter will bo further discussed by the Isorth Island Motor Union.

MISSING SPARK PLfG. The first tiling to do when looking for a missing spark plug is to exam-

ine tho ignition by releasing the wire to each plug individually, running the engine slowly and seeing if sparks are formed when tho wire is nbout d-lGths of an inch away from tiio terminal. The ignition is correct if a spark appears without a miss at each plug terminal. Then place the metal part of a wood-handle screwdriver on the terminal and the engine. If the engine runs as formerly the plug is faulty, if the engine misses more, the plug is a good one.

RELEASING A PISTON. Hero is an excellent way of overcoming a seized piston. Pour petrol and oil (or kerosene) on the top of the piston and put hot water in the water jackets. Engage the startinghandle and place the jack under it so that working the jack will cause the handle to raise the car off the springs. The whole of this weight is actually being carried by the seized piston, and as soon as the petrol, oil and hot water start to work the weight will free the piston. PISTON RING LEAKS. Sometimes when an engine is taken down it is found that the slots in the piston rings are in line, the rings having gradually worked round into this position. In the case of rings with slanted slots the trouble can be overcome by making certain that the slots are at a different angle in succeeding rings. That is, if the slot in the to]) ring slants from left to right see that the slot on the next ring is from right to left. INSERTING TIGHT PLUGS. If plugs which have been screwed strictly to the standard-gauge thread are forced in with a heavy spanner they may "seize" in the engin'. When this happens ease the threads by means of an improvised die. Secure a steel nut of the correct pitch and diameter of the thread of the plug; after slotting it with a saw, put in the vice so that the slot can be closed up slightly. Then apply some fine emery and o'il to the thread and work the plug into the nut with a to-and-tro movement until it is eased sufficiently to screw into the cylinder without using force.

MENDING THE FAN BELT. Should the fan or speedometer belt break, and you have no tools with which to make a permanent repair, this idea will got you home: Pierce each of the ends in two places, about a quarter of an inch from the break. Push pieces of wire (a hairpin when straightened is ideal) through the holes and twist the ends together to draw the belt tight. See that the ends of the wire are on the side away from the pulley. Then press the wire into the leather. SIMPLIFIED VALVE TIMING. It is not a difficult matter to retime approximately the camshaft of an engine which has been dismantled without marking the timiig wheels. Usually this marking is done by the maker, and should always be looked for before the timing is disturbed. In every engine the pistons move in pairs", and when one pair is brought to the top dead-centre position, one should bo on tho point of firing, with spark retarded, and the inlet valve of the other should be just commencing to open. It is easy to find which one is on tho firing stroke by looking at the distributor. Tho camshaft should then bo turned in its normal direction of rotation until the inlet tappet of the other just tightens against the valve, with normal adjustment. The timing gears are then meshed. Although all engines are not timed for tho inlet valves to open exactly at top centre, the variation is very slight, usually considerably less than one tooth of tho timing wheels. It is only in rare cases that the inlet valve opetis slightly before top centre, the usual practice being to open it from threo to five degrees "late."