THE PETROL TRAIL

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 18

THE PETROL TRAIL

THE TRADESMAN’S VAN SOME TIMELY HINTS. It is impossible to believe that some tradesmen owners treated their horses, now superseded, as shamefully as they treat their motor-vans. They would have “crocked’.’ within a week. Yet from the standpoint of capital outlay alone the mechanically driven vehiole is much the more valuable. For that reason, if for no other, its essential needs surely deserve attention. The horse died if neglected, but probably because the motor-van does not suddenly or immediately emd its useful life, and perhaps doee not even exhibit any marked depreciation at once, it is often allowed to run ancr keep on running .with the minimum of attention; The neglected owner suffers as much if not more in the end, however, as he did when using horses, whereas the man who displays a reasonable amount of interest in his van, who supervises his drivers methodically and ensures that upkeep processes are carried out regularly ‘rind properly, economises in his transport expenses, obtains better results from his van, ana reduces depreciation in value to the utmost. TIME FOR ROUTINE WORK

There is good reason for suggesting that many van owners do not allow their drivers enough, if any, spare time for giving attention to the vehicles in the garage. Possibly it is due to ignorance in some cases ; the owner may not realise that, quite apart from the replenishment of the petrol tank and engine crank oase, and adjusting the brakes, there are quite a number of processes to which time ought to be allotted regularly, such as the lubrication of chassis detailed-springs, steering wheels, uhiversal joints, brake bearings, clutch parts, and so on. Unless these are given periodical attention, rapid wear is .bound to ensueVan owners should allow the drivers of every van at least one hour per week for chassis lubrication and brake adjustments, quite apart from time for cleaning. A driver cannot be expected to do such work thoroughly at odd moments. Not only should he be given the time, but »by turning up unexpectedly now and again at the garage and noting what is being done the owner should occasionally see for himself that the driver makes good use of it. If the driver is a man entirely devoid of mechanical instinct, or if he also works as a shop assistant or 'a packer, for example, when he is not actually driving, it will pay in the end to fix up an arrangement with; a local repairer to send a competent man once a week (or the van may he taken: to the repair shop) for chassis' Tubrication, inspection, and ’adjustments. CHASSIS REQUIREMENTS

Among other items which should come under, review are the following: “-After each 1500-2000 miles the old engine oil should 1 he drained off and the engine sump refilled with fresh lubricant; at similar intervals the steering joints should: he examined to make certain that oil or grease has been reaching them between times; every two or three months—oftener if experience dictates^—the oil level in-gearbox and back axle should be verified and made up if nooessary. The front .wheels should he tested for alignment quarterly, or at any time it is suspected that the front tyres are wearing away; faster than they should, for nothing causes more rapid front tyre wear than wheels outset at the front. or out of parallel when running. Wheel bearings call for examination and adjustment every two or three months, for timely adjustments will tend to prolong their life and will also reduce tyre wear. ' “f The items just mentioned do not exhaust the list of upkeep processes which/ if carried out with reasonable care and at regular-intervals, will tend eventually to economise in maintenance and running costs, and in depreciation. PRESERVATION OF BODYWORK One other point should appeal to even the least mechanioally minded. It concerns bodywork. The owner of .a new van ia generally proud of-its spick and span appearance, but so often after six or 12 months’ ownership he has lost all interest in its condition, and all' he thinks of, all he appreciates, is its ability to run and keep on running with the minimum of attention day after day, week after week. He • ignores two matters which affect him financially, or will do so in the end. In the first place, the shabby looking van will not serve one purpose it should have. It will no longer be a “business getter.” Instead of being a mobile advertisement, it will repel rather than attract new business. A dilapidated body, one with paintwork in n ,bad state, chipped, and mud-begfimed, with rusty, dented, and broken; Ifnid guards,’ conveys to the public an idea of slovenliness, and - creates a bad ; impression of the’ trader’s business methods and goods. It “puts people off,” and will certainly riot attract new customers.

In the second place, the neglected bodywork depreciates rapidly. , Paint serves a purpose besides making woodwork and metal, attractive in appearance. It is a preservative—a fact which should not need to be stated, but which is completelv ignored by many van owners. A body may go to “rack, and ruin” in two, years or less if Paint is lacking here, there, and everywhere. The plan should he to. have the vehicle "touched un and varnished” once a year. It is not an, expensive job. A 10-penpd note should cover it, easily, and if the hcdv has been reasonably cared for. suffering; no accidental damage, in the 12 months preceding, the work mav well be done for £5 or sc. Tf it has been done properly to begin with lettering on- the bodv will not need rewriting more fretouentlv than once in three years. ‘for t l -. annual coats nf'vnrnish' will pt-e----s«rve it a.s ive'l ns the plains panels. Three or four dnvs -at ' the very Vast nreforaihlv a week, should,,he allowed for renovating the paintwork. The louver the varnish is : i-dven;to ha'rderi before the-van is, used the longer it •will remain - Finally, the period driring whialf’tba body is “m dock” should he ’devoted to an overhaul? of toe cbsEsja. , rph„ bodv min’he lifted off, so that, it can ho left in the nstotshen whj| B the chassis is taken to the repairer for overhaul not u-vavEarUr tor entire d's •mantling, hut. tor ioa-ee+inn and ad. -Vcto-ont e-ore tlio-',u~ii than the weekly attention can afford.

THE POPPET VALVE WORKING EXPLAINED. In * the diagram are given all details for the working of the poppet vaJvo of the motor-cycle engine. The valve, shown as A, has a nearly flat head, with a slot out in it to take a screwdriver for grinding-in purposes, mounted on a long stem. The edges of the head are bevelled, usually at 45 degrees or half a right angle. The head fits inf*> a hole out in the cylinder

casting for its, reception, the edges of this hole being bevelled to correspond to the bevel on the valve-head. The stem is sufficiently long to pasa through the cylinder casing by means of a valve guide to the tappet-head. i The part of the valve stem whioh is outside the engine is encased in - a strong spring for closing the valve. This spring, B, is supported by a cap, C, which in turn is held ,in place by means of a cotter, D, passing through a slot in the valve stem. The valves are opened by tappets, E, these being rods with adjustable

heads, running in guides through the top of the crankcase, P, The tappets are operated either by cams bn the timing-wheels or rookers worked off-the main shaft. At G is shown the usual type of bam employed. A ball or imall wheel isfixed to the lower end of the tappet-rod to -work' in conjunction with the cam.. The cam, shown at G, is the type used on ordinary tourjng motor-cycles. The valves can, be made to open or close- quioker or slower according to the shape of the cam-head - A pointed oom, for instance, will give slow opening and closing; a broaderheaded one to that shown vjill give quick opening and closing; whereas if the left side of the cam he made as shown in the drawing, but wjth the right side more sloping so that a narrow bead is procured, the valve will open quickly and close slowly. The valve ports, H, are the passages leading from the induction pipe to the v-alvo and from the exhaust valve to tbo exhaust pipe. A-late 1924 estimate gives the total of cars in the world at 14,865.889trucks. 2,576.831; and motor-cvcles. 1,208.900. Over 84 per cent, of these vehicles are in the United States, where, in some States, the proportion is one car to every four people. Great Britain is the_ next biggest car owning nation; with one car to apnroxi-m-atbly every 100 peonle; Canada is next with one to 18; then follow France, 1 to 193: Australia. 1 to 50: Germany, 1 to 650; Argentine and Cuba. 1 to 80. The placing is determined by the total number of cars and tint-. the ratio between cnrs and nonulation. Irt some districts'in New Zealand the proportion is T to 8. ' , * ■. * It is - fairly safe to-, -say that 90 per icent.;of car owners-neglect,the care of the. hood.; 'lbis is .not so -noticeable; in •the:, Case of' block- hoods; >as .with dtha ki' or other light*cnloured ‘materiab. lt fijiS? pears to be the last tliing -mahy owaterS’i think- of—that, in oro&r'to> preserve- the .appearance ...of .the hqod it requires.' ‘ regular'dustingi > £V i lF: : :£his' , iy dime’regu-larly-every day or -eo.- the-good appear-; a,hoe 'oF-the. hood: Vhst\for. months - It. Is very .easy to : -djU6tfit twith;* a long-handled feather duster. A gentle tapping with the cane handle on to th* hood will do no harm, and probably bring out an amazing amount of dust, hut do it gently, or otherwise you will find the material beginning to sag.

“A DISGRACE” THE RISKS OF MOTORING WHAT MOTORISTS SUFFER (By “Blow-out.”) “Blow-out” enjoys a certain amount of the usual daily risk when motoring, but a fair thing is a fair thing; and beyond that he is not inclined to go. Last Sunday—and previously—“ Blowout” had, perforce, to use the main Manawatu road between Pahautanui and Porirua; and it is due to the large body of motorists and the authorities responsible that once' again the state of the main north road should be made public. For approximately one and three-quarter miles this road is terrible. The department are widening the road and taking off the sharp corners; but the top-dressing material used is absolutely useless; and, furthermore, the work should not be done in winter. Here we have lorries weighing anything from one and a quarter tons to six tons, plus their respective loads; and one will easily ( understand what this means to a soft, spongy surface. . Axle-deep we were last Sunday, and many more oars behind us; we stopped to take bearings, and wondered how. many previous motorists had been faoed with the same trouble as we were experiencing. , It would be an easy' matter to land into very serious trouble just at the locality mentioned. Why so much main roadway is taken up, or partially topdressed, when with a little forethought only a few chains at a time need be interfered with, is what exercises the minds of motorists. . Oi\e sometimes inclines to ths opinion that those responsible never owned or drove a car ; sure it is that the large number of motor-owners who have been complaining now for months past cannot all he wrong in their opinion regarding how and when this new work should be done. It behoves the Publio Works Department to take a more serious view of the position and see that some immediate remedy is found for the present inexcusable state of affairs.

ROAD CONDITIONS HIGHWAYS BOARD.REPORT The Main Highways Board reporting on the conditions of the roads states that the continuous, .wet weather, which has been almost universal throughout the Dominion during the past months has resulted in a considerable amount of damage to the main highways. A large number of slips are reported in practically all the districts in the North Island, and in addition the progress of construction work has been seriously retarded. Woodville-Palmerston North. On the Government section 57 chains of this toad have been widened to a width of 22ft, and 26 chains have been widened to 30ft. Gopd progress has been made with the construction of concrete crib walling. Napier-Wellington via Wairarapa.— A further mile of widening work is in hand on the Pukehou-Pakipaki section. Pile driving is well in hand on the Tamaki bridge. Petane-Taupo.—Ducky Hill bridge: The construction of the approaches to the Lucky Hill bridge is in hand. Kawhia to Auokland-Wellington via Kawa.—Between the county boundary and the.Ngutunui bridge 22 chains of metalling have been completed. ■ Auckland-Wellington via Taranaki.— The necessary buildings have been erected at the site ol the Mokan bridge. A crusher has been installed and necessary supplies for commencing the work are coming to hand. On the Hakotawa-Rugby road section in Inglewood ;countv 75 chains of foundation couree have been completed; The actual construction of the 'Whiritoa stream bridge has been completed. Work on the approaches is well in hand. The Tutaenui stream bridge at Bulls is also practically completed. On the Porirua-Paremata section a total of two miles has been widened to 24ft, and considerable improvements in the alignment have been made. Sixty chains of this road have been resurfaced with a base course of local material, and rolled. Owing to the continuous wet weather the road has cut up badly, and the work has been considerably retarded. Wanganui-Horopitc. Eight chains of widening work have been completed. Blenheim-Christohurch.—Good progress has been made with the Clarence river bridge, 21,000 super feet of hardwood having been placed, and about four tons of ironwork. Between Goose Bav and Kahautara in the Kaikoura county concrete sea wall has been completed for a distance of two and a third chains, and the filling behind the wall is in progress.