THE MOTOR WORLD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE MOTOR WORLD

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■;'■:- HAMILTON*TAUPO. '-. i The Public Works Department recently sent s special igaug to clear the Mangaiti deviation, on the Hamilton-Ta.ipo Road, and the 1 gang has now accomplished this and has sanded the wetter portions { ' -.of. the deviation wkijpE is thus again open to ■ traffic—a' boom tajtoe travelling public. With the finer weather, the whole road from Taupo to Hamilton was spying fairly satisfactory travelling by Wednesday last. AN IMPRESSION OF BKOOKIUANDS. A first-hand impression of the famous Brooklands racing track was given by Mr. J. B Merrett, of Chiistchnrch, upon ;'' his return from the United States on Tuesday. "I went there on Whit Monday," Mr. Merrett declared. " Set well in a country environment, this delightful spot has a charm for every motorist. The programme was excellent and I had the pleasure of seeing motor racing at its best. Some of .the speediest: cars in the world were there and. at times UQ miles -oer hour was witnessed on the track. 'The ill-fated Pugeot car and its i driver that came to grief in the seventh | race and ended the day's proceedings was one of the speediest. At the time of the accident it was travelling at 123 miles per hour and the unfortunate driver was killed. The bookies add a great deal of attraction to the proceedings and encourage keen interest in the racing. THE WEEK'S REGISTRATIONS. A total of 69 motor-tittcks and motorcars and 1.2 motor-cycles were registered with the traffic department of the AuoKland Citv Council during the past wcisk. T The previous weekY figures were..7l -and 23 resoectively. The latest number plate issued "to a motor vehicle is 13,357. MAIN ROADS, ' •: Hauraki Plains.—The Hauraki Plains County Council, at the present time, is metalling the road from the Puke Bridge along Wilson's Road to meet the Awaiti Road. In the meantime the whole PukeNetherton Road has been repaired, and is in a much improved condition. Hamilton-Raglan.—The road from Hsumlton to Raglan, with the exception of a few miles near Hamilton and Raglan, is in very good order, the surface over the hills being especially good. The • route through the hills over this deviation is most picturesque, the road passing through a long stretch of bush. Ertorts j are now being made by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce with a view to having this bush reserved for scenic purposes, and it is sincerely to be hoped that the matter can' Tliere is a proposal that the road passed Waingaro to the Raglan landing should be metalled, I and there is also a possibility of establish- I ing a ferry-capable' of- carrying vehicles, , If this eventuates a very fine:round run j , will be obtainable; funning from Hamilton to Raglan and Ngaruawahia, and vice versa. The Hamilton-Raglan Road is very well maintained by the Raglan County i' : Council, and metal dumps are passed all along the road. It is one of the declared main highways. TRUING VALVES, When a valve has got into a really bad condition, it must be trued before it can be ground in. A simple home-made tool can be made for this purpose. A square piece of mild steel of suitable size for the valve is slotted at- each side to take a cutter and distance pifice, tapped holes and Ijset screws being provided to secure these then be diiUed down the centre to fit the valve steua, The check-piece shsttid be made of brass, so that it will not damage the valve seating, and the cutter can be made from a ; piece of old flat file. ; This should be ground on a stone, and finished off with a small oilstone. When using this tool, the square piece oft steel is gripped in a_ vice, and the valve placed; through it."rTiae cutter can then be set to the angle of the. valve seating, and tightened by thft setrccrew. The distance pi?;ce is then put in place, with a piece of paper between it and the valve face. When the papsr is • removed, this will have a clearance of 5-lOOOths of an inch and if this valve is ■■'■'& revolved by maans of a hand-drill the cutter will clean op the face. Preserving THE spare tyre. Tjrres, like human beings,; will rust out if they are not given a reasonable amov»t of exercise. H the spare tyre is simply left,on the carrier until a puncture oc- j curs it may, if you are lucky, remain idle for months at; a time. This is bad for ft,\j more particularly if it is not protected from dirt and sunshine by a waterproof cover. As soon as the first newness has worn off the road tyres replace one of ■.'.- . these by the spare, and so give each tyre in turn, a respite from hard wear. Above ali, keep .the spare properly protected from the weather. CLUTCH CULTURE, ? , The clutch transmits oir disconnects the power from the engine to the transmission. It permits the engine to pick up its load gradually. •' ' K«ep the, foot olff 1 the clutch unless shifting gears. " Ridirig" or "'slipping" the clutch should be'discouraged. Unnecessary pressure on the clutch wears the clutch .mechanism, makes clutch surfaces smooth, and may cause the clutch to overheat. The clufem seldom meeds adjustment except with reference to floor boards. The pedaH should have half inch " clearance in every direction. Noisy clutch shifting is gene? ally due to the clutch not being thrown out" iav enough. KEEP VENT CLEAR. The cup of the petrol tank filler has in it a small hole—if the petrol system is of the gravity feed type. This is to allow air to enter the tank so that the petrol flooring out will not .leave a vacuum,, which will finally become so strong as to stop the flow of petrol to the carbureter. When petrol fails to reach the carbureter at any time, make sure that this vent is open before looking for, stoppage. READERS' TROUBLES. " Readei.\" FarnelL—Possibly your trouble is piston-slap, caused by worn cylinders. ..A dull thump generally indicates bearings. - Have you mistaken the' noise made by the overhead inlet rockers for a knock? If, as you say, everything is Eound your best policy is to submit the machine to a reliable garage for'expert examination. ' -- The first shipment of the new model 14 h.p. Bean Car arrived .in Auckland by the Cormthic this week. This car has many interesting points and a, full description will be given later. One very <m-' Eortant factor in '/connection with the ean Car, is that this fiim sent their designer through the various Dominions with one ci their cars, to test" it out under Colonial conditions, with the result that this new model is espec : a'ly built for Colonial service from practical experience. In the writer's opinion if all English to do likeWise there would be itnore English Cars sold ,in" New Zealand to.rd.ay. ;.>,A, ready sale is predicted for the Bean -Car, which i 3 being marketed.atva popular price and fully equipped;". "„;' ; " :(' "..".. Merson Broi.j ;< -of-SymondJ Street, are to Be congratulated .renterpri'se in securing this Agency, and when they get into their new" premises in GJeriside Crescent, off ,Symdnds "Street, which are being equipped with all up-io-date appliances, they;*will: be lii a position to cater for the- Motoring,- Public, to ■■ their •satire satisfaction.—Ad'rt. '

: NOTES. , No motor vehicle has been over the Rangiriri Hills since June 3. The amount of credit of the Main Highways Fund now stands at £249,681, being the proceeds of the motor-tyre duty. Motor speed drivers registered J under the American Automobile Association are barred from forty-throe State fair tracks. Good at a distance is better than evil at hand* He that takes too great a leap falls into the ditch. If you carry liquor in a car hi Michigan your automobile insurance is void, whether it is done with or without the consent of the owneif. Railroad crossing signs along a highway are put there ifor u purpose. They mean just what they say. Heed, wherever it may be, the " Railroad Crossing" sign. A little alcohol in the water used for cleaning the windows and wind-shield of i the closed car will produce best results. j Do the work out in the open, as the smell of the alcohol is a bit objectionable. To prevent intoxicated or reckless drivers from demolishing signal posts, a collapsible post with a rocker base has been invented." which-lies down when hit, ; but comes right back in position again. Sometimes the maimer in which a car is washed will cause considerable trouble. Care should be exercised to prevent water from getting under the hood and shortr circuiting spark-plugs >. or magneto., By covering the engine with a piece of canvas when washing this trouble can- be avoided. In spite of wonderful improvement that has .taken place in American roads during the past few years, statistics recentlypublished showed that some 27 per cent, of the American highways are still little more than dirt tracks, which.means that, of a total of nearly 3,000,000 miles of road, only 387,760 miles are suitable for cars. The chief traffic inspector of the Sydney police, who is responsible for the control of all the traffic, motor and otherwise, lectures occasionally on traffic matters. He. lately gave an .address to the members of the Sydney branch Royal Colonial Institute. The most effective lecture that some 1 motorists in Auckland j could have would be from o:ae of the S. M's. Writing of the immense .volume of motor traffic on the roads in America Mr. John Montgomery of Christchurch says: j "I ran 960 miles from Detroit to here, I going steady 25 miles per hour all the .{ way. The traffic was awful. I always | had a car in sight ahead and another on j my tail the whole 960 miles and sometimes there were lines, miles long, ahead and behind. Red discs, giving number of license and particulars of vehicle, are now being attached to motor-cars, trucks and cycles, in ': respect of which the Hutt Road tax has been paid. The chief traffic inspector'?, staff of the Hutt Read Board, has beers busily engaged iin affixing the discs to some hundreds of vehicles, and it is anticipated that the most of the" work will be Cfsmplftted soon. Among the parts of an automobile using paper ■ or paper composition in their contraction ';'■■ are' gaskets, shims and p i &ddihgX^W,'':vmetal'-v! i Much imitation leather upholstery .is made principally of paper. Certain cheaper makes of cars are now, and during the coming season will be, put Out with paper composition bodies. Those are impervious to moisture and can be washed like metal bodies. A serviceable, dry-cell, pocket torch costs only a shilling or two, and is a splendid standby which should not be omitted from the tool kit. It will provide a safe and portable source of light to the motorist, independently of any troubles which may occur on the car. If the battery fails, if the petrol system has to be examined at night, or if one has to walk across country from the car, the lifttle lamp will be found of the greatest help, !.:■:.'■" Here is a little story extracted from a London paper, which' is respectfully dedicated, in the reproduction, to all motorists; Who try to negotiate the Rang;rri Hills:—Asked to write an essay of not more than 100 words on a motor ride, a small boy wrote the following: "My father went for a ride in his new motor yesterday, and it broke down half-way up a hill, and he had to walk all the way back home. The other 70 words are what he said while doing so." BEWARE OF SURPLUS OIL. Proper lubrication does not consist in having non-fric'tional parts swimming in a sea of grease and dirt. Surplus oil should always oe wiped away from the mechanism In the case* of the chassis it merely picks up a great amount of dust and grit, which later finds its way into bearings and bushings, accelerating their destruction. Accumulations of oil about the engine, as well as causing this, add greatly to lire rislts. Should a short circuit or backfire cause a blaze, the cha-ies ofexthv guißhing it will be greatly Jossencd if oil is handy to add fuel to the flames. REMOVING CYLINDER STUDS. It is often a very difficult matter to remove studs from a cylinder block when these have been in a place for a long time, especially when the usual method of locking nuts together does not provide a sufficient grip. In a really obstinate case, the end of the stud should be filed carefully to a square section and gripped with , a tap wrench. By this means the stud can easily be removed, provided that the souare is carefully filed with sharp corners, so as to prevent the tool from slipping. , yATAL CONTEST, Peter Piper picked a peck Of most tormenting troubles. Because he tried to beat a bunch i Of ambling "automobubbles": ;'"' i Now Peter picks at toast and tea, He's in the doctor's clutches, i. And when he takes his walks abroad, i He goes upon hi 3 crutches.

MOTOR-CYCLING. I Among the latest is a French enghw of 745 c.c. with' six cylinders. Land has been purchased near Pretoria. South Africa, with a view to building s motorrracing track. British motor-cycles won the 250 c.c. and 500 c.c. events at the Spanish Grand Prix Races held near Madrid. Further British successes were made at the La Donzelle (Geneva) and BrnoSobesico (Czecho-Slovakia) hill climbs. What is known as the Hungarian T.T. was held recently, the 250, 350 and 500 c.c. classes being won by British motorcycles. Results of the Deutschlandfabrt, the 2000 mile reliability trial in Germany, include wins for the Sunbeam and Brough Superior. During the- past eleven years 142,000 motor-cycles have been exported from England. The four largest years were 1913, 16,850 machines; 1914, 20,877; 1920, 21,285; 1923, 16,156. Spring will soon bo here. Are you ready for it ? Now is the time for repainting and overhauling to make the old machine in good order to stand up to another year's hard work. An engine has been constructed in England using an oval cylinder. The tests so far have been very successful and the designer has expressed himself satisfied with the practicability of the design, both from a : commercial and practical standpoint. It was stated at the annual conference of the National Chamber of Trade that 'there-were still over 100 bridges in England and Wales, to cross which a toll was levied. A resolution calling for the legislative abolition of all toll bars and bridges was adopted. Twenty thousand motor-cycles exported from England -in. 1914 were valued at £1,300,000, while only 14,000 in 1917 were valued at £1,200,000, In 1923, with the reduction in prices, £1,200,000 purchased over 16,000 motor-cycles. From Northamptonshire comes a story of a robin which built in the tool-bag of a motor-cycle. Just before the nest was completed the owner used his machine for a trip of several miles, but the nest was not deserted, and four eggs were laid shortly afterwards. When the Ulster House of Commons re-assembles, Professor Johnstone has fiven notice to ask the Minister for Home .flairs whether he can state what proportion of the receipts from motor taxation for 1923 has been expended on road improvement, and what is being done with the unexpended balance. Honolulu, in the Hawaiian Islands, has a patrol scout in the employ of the local motor club. He is known as a •" trouble shooter," and his sidecar outfit, says a local newspaper, carries a complete set of tools, compressed air, " keys that will unlock any car" (?), a broom to sweep glass from the highway, and a wireless set. It is amaj'.ing that many riders have failed to comply with the by-laws re tail lights. Many warnings have been given but the authorities have now decided to take more definite action and shortly a large numbers of offenders will appear in Court. Indistinct number plates and offensively loud exhausts are also matters to which riders should pay particular attention. Motor-cyclists will learn with regret the death of Gene Walker the Indian racing star of the United States of America. He bought his first motor-cycle in J.9IC and won his first race in 1912. Since then his career has been meteoric and he is rep 'it«d to have had r:mre whiai to his credit than any other Tider. Last month while practising for a big event ho clashed and died a foriais;ht lclei;. Local enthusiasts had been looking forward to seetoa; him on New Zeaiana tracks during the coming season and will all the in<)i« regret the loss of tins popular litv!e speedster. PRIMITIVE WATER COOLING. An early attempt at water-cooling was made by Bert Yates, a brilliant speed man of his day. The method used could hardly be called a triumph of inventive genius. A small auxiliary tank containing water adorned the top tube; when the engine became too warm after one or two laps of the race track, Yates would turn on a tap, and allow the water to flow ovei the fins of the ordinary air-cooled cylinder. MOTORISTS' EPITAPHS. 4 The Joy-rider. The night was dark and he was far from home, There was no light upon the safetyzone. The impatient Man. He " stepped upon it" brooking nc delay, Around the corner was a three-ton dray. „ The Careless Man. The auto-starting gear was out oi joint, : The cranking handle swung one to his point. The Thief. In haste the car was " borrowed " for a ride, When out of sight he read its namethen died. The Newly-rich. He smoked cigars while filling up the tank, The jury's verdict was " He died of swank." . The Lazy Man. Ho tried to change a wheel without a jack, The axle pinned him square across the back. The Land-agent. He motored them to see a " bungalow," 'Twas only " semi" so they laid him low- ~■■'(,' , —Crank Handle. .-_"