THE MOTOR WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10057, 23 August 1918, Page 7

THE MOTOR WORLD

A STRENUOUS EVENT ' THU VICTORIAN RELIABILITY ~r CONTEST. , ' -•Tto'-Victorlatt Motor’ Cycle Club’s an* huar'2l'”’U6h'rs' 'reliability contest, held a fortnight ago, proved a" most strenuou* ev&nt. i'orty-JJve contestants faced the all'-dajTand .air-night, riae,, the distances covered- .by ■ the. duf crent classes of machines varying.arom. .316 to 430 males. The competition, proved not, only, a great test 'to/,machijies,.. but 'p£, the resource-, fulness or the riders who'had to negotiate somo exocrft-ule sections of road, rendered" almost .impassable owing to recent,, jains.", TJie.'.rbad ; . conditions were gregi.tly,. ih„ .favo(jr,, : ..p£,., t]m, high T powered side-caf gomhinatioil. and,, tiyjy ,„dw scored Host of" all’.tlio.-machines.. , The route ran from Melbourne through the western district, thence to Ballarat amt Marylbo rough, and back to the starting ’point;--''' ■ " - ! "'The conditions of -thh’ trial were'‘framed on ’somewhat tighter tines than in previous tests, in the hope that an absolute winner would' be found; nevertheleSs;“th,er»twer6*6even’ itf'the high-power-ed’ side-car class w'ho finished without loss ot points, which will probably render a- further elimination test necessary. The machines were divided into four classes—single and side-car machines under and. over 800 b.c. respectively—for each. of..winch speeds .for night and day riding, .and .distances to bo covered, wore defined, the lower-powered side-cars taking the shorter‘distance, and the. higherpowered • solomachines' ■ the longer. In addition,' there -was' a teams’ contest for any three "competitors -using ' the sanie make : of machine;- for which there were seven, entrants—lndian, , ■ /Harley-David-60n, Excelsior, Henderson, G.C.S., B&ubv and -Regnis” M.A..G’. ’ Evidence of ..the strennous-'condition ■ of the trial is shown .by the,, fact that.only sixteen participants,.completed . the course with-, in schedule time, with or without loss of points.

TROUBLE AVITII EXHAUST VALVES. ...An annoying trouble that not infrequently worries njotorists is the, sticking o; valves' ■ especially exhaust valves, which flin hotter than the inlet valve, and are hard to keep, in good order. When (in' exhaust valve sticks, and does not c’ose properly; there is a leakage, and a consequent loss of compression,.- that manifests itself in baffling symptoms, so that it is difficult,,;to ,locate the, real .trouble. Usually it is assumed that the valve re?, quires grinding in'; 1 but'before this operation is-attempted Afis ’Well to examine the stem of the valve closely to See that the trouble is' not there' which is mostly the case. An accumul.ation of burnt-on carbon will usually bo found on the

stem, and this must be removed by a file and emery cloth, and the valve stem.; .also, cleaned, until its' original colour is; restored. The guide must also cleaned, and reamed out with-a dapl of ; ■proper size. This treatment will prolong the life of the valve, save much trices-. . sary . grinding and cause the'mo®- to' operate better. ■ - PETROL ‘TNTEKSIFIERS.v* The' American Bureau of Standards in. its -last annual report refers to certain ; materials on the. market known as petrol) intlensifiers, for which the claim is made; that when added in small Quantities to pertol an increased engine efficiency is-, secured. The bureau lias tested six of: these preparations, and also a sample of; petrol alleged to be, treated by a Secret; •lebtroohemical process. A six-cylinder': automobile engine driving an electric i absorption dynamometer, was used in the 5 testa, and though this apparatus v.a<highly sensitive no increase in power could bo detected as a result, of Using; the so-called intensifiers or the ' treated, petrol. ; TRUCKS FOB AMERICAN ARMV. The American Government’ is .'imiking • provision for providing -between Sn.u.ip; and 60,0<X) motor trucks for, every, million] .soldiers she sends to France.' The-oj Itruoks arc. required .to transport good*, j ammunition, etc., some 33tl to 530 miksfj from the U.S.A. Bocks, near Bordeauxto the American' lines. The largest: motor plant in the world is being erected in a central French city to care and look after this huge army of trucks, the; place being so extensive that' bicycles' and roller skates will be used to get' around the works.