THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18542, 1 May 1922, Page 2

THE MOTOR WORLD.

Bt Accelerator

[ltem* of new*—short descriptions of tours, the state of roads, eta., — comment, or toguides wlli bo welcomed by " Aooelorotor. ]

NOTES. The many friends of Mr A. E. Ansell, president of the Otago Motor’ Club, will be pleased to learn that he is recovering from his recent illness and expects to leave on a short holiday of ‘recuperation this week. A conferenc'd of delegates representative of the North and South Island Motor Unions and Counties’ Associations and the Goods Roads Association was to have been held in Wellington on Wednesday to discuss the Main Highways Bill, but I understand it has now been postponed for a month. An innovation so far as the Manawatu is' concerned was the grass hill climb, held under the auspices of the Manawatu Motor Club, at Mount Stewart recently. The efforts of several well-known riders to achieve the tasks set were followed by a large and interested crowd. Some splendid sport was witnessed, and the events were thoroughly enjoyed by the* spectators and competitors alike. The enthusiasm displayed by all augurs well, for bigger and regular gatherings of a similar nature in the district in the future. Four events were held, and the programme was got off without accident. A few machines, however, fell, but the riders were in no danger. A CHRISTCHURCH CRITICISM. While in Dunedin last week, “Roadster” (who contributes the “Motoring” column to the Christchurch ; Press) says Tie was amazed at the manner in which motor traffic dashed through the crowds of waiting tram passengers. If the by-law prohibiting cars from passing stationary tramcars is in existence in Dunedin, it is certainly not enforced as it should be. A humble pedestrian coming from Christchurch is inclined to wax very_ indignant when he finds that he has to wait till hustling, honking motor-cars have passed before he dare make a nervous dash for . the last for suburbia. This condemnation appears to be rather overdone and of much too general a \character. AEROPLANE ENGINES. One of the most striking features of aeroplane construction during recent years has been the big increase in liorse-power of the engine. In the early stages of aviation 30 to 50 h.p. was the usual equipment—to-day the power units develop hundreds of horsepower. The latest in this direction is a 1000 horse-power petrol engine being made by the Napier Company, England. This engine will only weigh 22001b —2 l-51b of metal per horse-power—and will be used in an aeroplane built for the English war authorities, TO CLEAN THE MOTOR. Keeping the motor clean will go a long way towards the ’ prevention of ignition trouble. The gear case should be cleaned thoroughly 'with steam to eliminate grinding noises and wear of the gears. Every car owner should take care to see _ that the engine drip-pan is always closed tightly so that dirt rihd mud cannot accumulate _ and grease cannot get on the ignition wiring and cables. When they become soaked with oil and water, short-circuit in contact with parts of the motor and frame. It is also a good plan to have the differential and transmission gears steam-clearied every few thousand miles. Small particles of metal and sediment from the grease are very harmful to the teeth of tlie gears. They can most effectively be removed by the steam-cleaning method. • REAR AXLE LUBRICATION. The importance of transmission and rear axle lubrication is often overlooked by the automobile owner and truck operator who consider it a minor detail. The lubrication of these parts is fully as important as the lubrication of the motor. The entire load of the car or truck is taken by the two teeth in the transmission and the fwo teeth in the rear axle which are in mesh. These teeth should be separated by a film of oil otherwise the motor will fail tp deliver the power at the rear wheels that 1 it should; the gears will wear rapidly and become noisy. In the lubrication of the ball hearings, it is necessary to maintain A film of oil between the ball, cone'and race; otherwise these parts will not receive correct lubrication. This will result ill excessive bearing wear, throwing the gqqrp. put pf alignment, rendering them noisy,- arid will cause a considerable loss of power at- this point THE DANGER OF FALLING qP^IOES. Motor-dealers in Blenheim are- just now quitting American-made cars at considerable losses. Asked for a reason for theta sacrifices, a Blenheim garage proprietor informed a Marlborough Express reporter that he could easily understand the position. A drop of £llO had recently occurred in the particular car for which his firm had the agency. “But, thank goodness, we got out of ii," _ he added, “by no) having any new cars in stock. Last year at this time wo had 10 new cars in stock, but now we have none.” The whole point, he said, was that some firms were caught with large stocks of cars. Hie fall in price was due to three main reasons. Firstly came the reduction at the factories, next there was the improved exchange, and finally the reduced freights. Cars were now down to bedrock' prices at the factories, he considered. A MACHINE SHOP ON WHEELS. A Boston machinery salesman, looking for something new in the line of highpower salesmanship has struck on the novel idea of mounting a complete machine shop attachment on the roar of a Dodge roadster. With it he goes on his daily round of calls, and the peculiar device is becoming a familiar sight in all the highways. The rear of the Dodge roadster carries, among other apparatus, a grinding machine, which can be used in shops and garages for grinding pistons, valves, wrist pins, or for any kind of general machine work. Forty feet of wire is always carried, which may be plugged into ‘an electric socket, so that immediate operation is possible almost everywhere. Mr Lee H. Campbell, the owner, is using, the machine shop on wheels as an ingenious method of boosting his sales. He is now establishing dealers to buy the complete outfit, and they in turn will canvass the shops and garages. THE BRISBANE-SYDNEY RECORD. Arrangements are now being made by the well-known New South Wales motorist, Mr Edkinz, for an early attempt on the Brisbane-Sydnoy motor car record. ‘ The existing best for the interstate run is Mr F. Eager’s 19hrs 38min 30seo, a particularly, fine performance considering the nature of this 621 miles route. Whilst the holder of the record selected the run from Sydney to Brisbane, Mr Edkins, who will drive one of the latest 30-98 h.p. Vauxballs shod with Dunlops, will tackle the stiff proposition from the Brisbane end. Only those motorists who have journeyed* between the two capitals can realise what it means to negotiate this route under 20 hours, for besides a deal of inferior road, there are hundreds of bad “V” gutters, which are a source of trouble to motorists even at a touring pace. Keen interest is being taken in New South Wales and Queensland over the forthcoming attempt. AIR PRESSURE SPEEDOMETER. A speedometer to indicate how many miles an hour a motor ear ’is travelling, forms an almost indispensable item of the dash-board equipment, and many instruments have been invented for this mtrpose. In one of the most recent a current of air is projected upwards in a cylindrical case by a rotary fan at the bottom, this being driven through gearing (in the case) bv u flexible shaft connected to one of the wheels. A broad ring, shaped like part of an inverted cone, above the fan-blades, and rotating with thorn, deflects the air to the sides of the case. On reaching the top of the cose, which is formed by the dial of the instrument, the air is projected towards the centre, whence it takes a downward course, and a continuousg circulation is set up. During this passage downwards the air passes through a number of vanes radiating from a central spindle, these being mounted above the rotating fan. but having no connection with it. The spindle projects upwards through the centre of the dial, and carries a needle which indicates the miles per hour on a circular , graduated scale marked from 10 to 60. A liny chain wound on the spindle and attached to a spring tends to keep the needles at the lowest end of the scale. The air passing the vanes turns them in the opposite direction, winding up (he chain and extending the spring, the extent of the movement being dependent ii|w>n the strength -of the air current, which in turn is governed by the speed of the fan, and therefore by that of the

wheel which rotates it. The instrument is supplied as described, or combined with a mileage recorder. , ' CARE FOR BENZINE. When filling the benzine tank fllwa-ys be very careful to use a strainer, especially on a car that is fitted with the vacuum feed tank, as there are so many pipes, strainers, and valves in which the least bit of fluff, waste, or grit will cause a stoppage, and they are; hard to locate. The whole carburettor is sometimes dismantled before the trouble is located in the vacuum tank itself. It is not water that causes most trouble with the benzine system, as the pipe that draws from the main supply is usually a bit away from the bottom of the tank, and the water is always on the bottom. If about an inch is cut off the feed pipe in the benzine tank absolutely no water or grit will get by. On cars that have not the vacuum feed, and depend entirely on gravity, the one pipe must be always quite clear, and a fair supply of benzine should bo kept in the tank. If a strainer is fitted just bedew the carburettor it should be cleaned often, as it is surprising how much dirt accumulates there, and the gravity feed is weakened to such an extent that on a long grade, even if there is plenty of benzine in the tank, it will not feed quickly enough for the power that, is required. Low gear work will b© the result, and very often a complete stop, until the cylinder . slowly fills up again. _ Many carowners always put about a pint of light good oil in every tank full of benzine; they say it gives wonderful results in long life to the engine without an overhaul. The oil should be well mixed with benzine before it is put in the tank. ■ MOTOR CYCLE NOTES. Lightweight sidecar outfits are becoming very popular in England, as many as 14 different combinations being priced under £IOO. With the arrival of cold weather it is advisable to use a lighter Cylinder oil. Before changing the grade wash put the crank case and drain off all the old oil. An interesting motor cycle contest is to bo held in Fawice this month, when a 24 hours’ race, ophn to solo and sidecar outfits, wi|l be decided on a three miles and a-quarter road circuit near Paris. Some big mileage should be recorded for the all day run. ' Seventy-five miles per hour with a sidecar outfit was established at Muriwai Beach (Auckland) by P. E. Champtaloup. A second attempt resulted in only 72 miles per hour. • Had weather conditions been suitable SO- miles per hour was the iriark it had been decided to attempt. The heavy rain and westerly winds made the sand very heavy arid slow. That, motor cycle racing is on the advance every year was the opinion expressed by Mr Arthur Spragg, treasurer qf the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union, speaking at a recent gathering of the New Plymouth Motor Cycle Club. - Mr Spragg pointed out that since the last annual meeting of the union at Palmerston North four more clubs had been affiliated—viz., Feilding, Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay), Hastings, and Whakatane. There were 147 registered riders. Financially the union was just clearing expenses, their aim being to build up the riders’ benevolent fund. The am mint, in hand for this object was £360, and he for one, would not be satisfied till it reached a sum of, say, £2OOO. Then they might he able to reduce the lew on prize money, which was adopted as a basis for the fund. SPARKS. A car, whose direction cannot be controlled is dangerous, therefore keep an eye on the steering mechanism. Limousines and taxicabs were used by maid servants of distracted housewives to get milk during the recent drivers’ strike in Now York city. ' For . being drunk while in charge of a motor car, Ernest Charles Willis, 49, was at an English Police Court sent to prison for a month. His license was also cancelled. . . Excessive use of gasolene ■is due to a faulty carburettor adjustment, a poorly dfsigmld carburettor or intake maijifold. or to keeping the engine cylinders at too low a temperature because the the cooling system is too cold. A new aeries of sedan and coupe models nroduced in America have wind shields hinged at the top and bottom, allowing almost any combination for Ventilation, and preventing any possibility of leakage when closed during heavy rains. The State Highway Department at Pennsylvania is given adbance warning by the United States Weather Bureau of snowstorms,' which tie ur> traffic on sections of the 1200 miles of highways which the department keens open during the winter. Driving chains should now be taken off and thoroughly washed in kerosene, care being taken to sec alTgrit. is removed from inside- the .rollers; Molt a good chain lubricant and give the chain a good bath. Regular attention of this sort will lengthen, the life of a chain fttllv 50 per cent. The average storage battery is very much neglected. So long ts the battery works one seldom feels that it needs inspection. When there is tronb'o and the source of the trouble is traced then the manufacturer of the battery is blamed. It is very necessary that the plates be keot covered by the electrolyte. The addition of. a little distilled water at frequent intervals is a small matter, hut very important. In Queensland there are about 40 long distance motor car services, ■ some of them running away back into Uentral Queensland. The work these services are rendering to the nnWio can hardlv be paused. for thev stretch out into country which has no railway, communication. Judging bv the popularity and support motor services sre attracting this mode of transport is destined to p’ay an’important cart in the development and opening up of -Australia.