THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18674, 2 October 1922, Page 2

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By Accelerator. USES FOR HAIRPINS. Reinforcing broken cables. Mend the leather fan belt. Repairing buttery terminals. Attaching links of the mud chains. Cleaning dust and dirt from clogged oil holes. Wiling metal parts together to keep from rattling. The curved end, applied to cuts in the tyre, for removing foreign substances. ROADS AND RAILWAYS. Evidently (says a northern writer) the Railway Department thinks the competition on the good roads of the South Island is a reason for their poor revenue there, for southern stations display posters exhorting the public lo use the railways in preference to the roads. It is a well-established fact that railways gain more than they lose from good roads, so the department should look elsewhere for a reason. Until there is a vast improvement in the roads of the Auckland province, they will find it qujto unnecessary to placard the stations here. A NEW MOTOR VENTURE. It is reported from Wellington that a sirong commercial group there is forming definite ideas in the direction of establishing a New Zealand Guarantee Company designed to conduct a financial business, particularly in connection with making advances to facilitate the credit sales of commercial motor vehicles. The charges will be based on a scale approximating that adopted by similar corporations which have been singularly successful in the United States of America, England, Canada, and more recently in Australia. Quito apart from the trading .benefit which such concerns afford both buyers and sellers in affording accommodation to facilitate business, the returns on capital so employed are expected to be remunerative, ft is reported that the New Zealand Company now in contemplation will have a capital of £200,000, and is expected to rank among the prominent commercial concerns of the dominion. A NEW FIRE MOTOR. During the week Todd Bros. Ld., have turned out a useful motor for the Kaitangata Fire Brigade. The body has been bunt to specifications and is fitted to a Ford ton truck.- Receptacles lor hose, necessary appliances, and a water tank have been constructed with a view to accessibility. On arrival at a fire the engine, without being stopped, works the pump, and I .have been informed that- city fire experts have expressed favourable opinions on the completed machine. Painted red, with bold black letters, “K.F.8.,” it looks the part of a firo engine and should prove an acquisition to the Kaitangata Brigade. PUNCTURE PRECAUTIONS. Pending the universal adoption of two spare wheels or detachable rims, the proper precaution against the disaster of sustaining ■ two punctures in quick succession is to buy a sixth inner,, tube. Then bully or coax the queen of ttie household to stitch up a thick bag lor it; hire the local carpenter to construct a sturdy box to house the thick bag, and stow the resulting package in the boot. When puncture No. 2 follows hard on the heels of No. 1, use long tyre levers and a “third hand’’ (not the obsolete, stumpy sot perhaps' given with the car) to instal (he sixth tube in that wheel which was first deflated. Ten minutes (15 if you are clumsy!) will see the car on the move again. THE MOTOR CYCLE POWER UNIT. Four-cylinder power units are not so popular as they might he with motor-cycle designers, the reason put forward being that they entail such small moving parts and bearing . surfaces _ that high efficiency is impossible and their life unduly short. Tliis view is perfectly reasonable on the face of it, but the truth of the, assertion has been greatly undermined of la'te by the undoubted success of some of the tiny "fours” employed in some of the smaller light oars. There are many European makers employing a four-cylinder unit of under 800 c.c., and in every case the .power developed and the way in which they stand up'to the work are things for motor cyclists marvel at. _ Anyone who has ridden a “four ’ knows its great charm ; in view of the attention which the light car world has focussed hp if, there are distifiot possibilities that it may yet be accepted as tho ultimate motor cycle power unit. A MOTOR-DRIVEN SCARIFIER, Information has been published recently of various* types of motor-driven road rollers pioduced in Croat Britain. There has been some difficulty in fitting certain types with tho scarifier which is used for tearing up roadways preliminary to relaying. These difficulties are got over in a special form of motor road roller designed by a British firm to utilise the scarifier when required. Tho frame is very strongly constructed to stand severe, stresses, and the engine is so designed and geared that it gives ample scarifying power when going at- tho slow speed of one and a-quarter miles per hour. Variations in tho load due to scarifying are dealt with automatically by tho governor of the engine, so that tho driver may concentrate his attention on the scarifying alone. Tests made with a 10-ton machine show that it operates more satisfactorily than does a steam road roller —where, by the way, trouble is often experienced with the straining of the boiler due to the pull of the scarifier. “PETROLEUM ON THE LAND.” A valuable booklet for farmers has been published with the above title. It comprises oyer 50 pages of practical information concerning the care and upkeep of all kinds of farm machinery, such as steam and petrol engines, harvesters, and implements, separators, tractors, motor cars, and so on. Tho importance of using the correct oil for all purposes is now widely recognised, and earn in this respect means greater efficiency •and bigger profits. Farming is not "a pastime—it is a business proposition, and the wise farmer takes advantage of tho knowledge gained by the scientist and business expert in all parts of the world. Farm implements and machinery mean prosperity, but the most important factor in keeping such equipment at its best is correct lubrication. A copy of “Petroleum on the Land” may be secured by any of our readers from the Vacuum Oil Company, Pty. (Ltd.), Wellington, or branches, by simply asking for it.

MOTOR UNION ITEMS. The Marlborough Automobile Association has applied for tho next quarterly general meeting of iho South Island Motor Union to bo held at Blenheim. The next general meeting will bo held in February. Tho South Island Motor Union lias received, directly and through. affiliated organisations, expressions of opinion from many .local bodies favouring separate boards of control for each island under the provisions of the proposed Main Highways Act. Tho N.Z. Motor Traders’ Association hag communicated with the secretary of tho South Island Motor Union suggesting that a conference should be held between representatives of the union, tho association, and the New Zealand (North Island) Automobile Union, with a view to formulating a statement to the Minister in regard to tho proposals of tho Main Highways Bill. The secretary of the South island Union has replied stating that a conference would ho .acceptable, and suggesting Tuesday, October 10, as the date of the meeting. PAINTING A CAR. Do you know that painting a motor car is a painstaking job that requires expert work and many coats of paint and varnish? Practically all high-grade painting is done in the same way. Coat after coat of paint an i varnish are applied and allowed to dry in dust-proof rooms, and then tho final is dried more carefully than the rest. It requires 15 days lo paint a car, according to an expert American. The first step in tho process is to dean ann palish Iho metal bodies so that the first cords of paint, will stick evenly. The metal surface is thoroughly rubbed down and washed with acid to eliminate all foreign substances. In this way the surface is made ready for tho filler and paint coats which are to follow. When the priming coat is applied it is allowed to dry for 48 hours, and then a coat of half tiller and load is spread.over the surface. The body then dries again for 24 hours. The next operation is to apply a glaze coal, then two coats of rough stuff. These coats are dried and rubbed .down. Tiie last two applications seal the priming coat and form a paint base so tightly adhered to the metal that it will not peel, lalister, crack, or chip. Coats of paint and varnish ore added, and the final finishing coat is dried in a dark room. FOR THE TOURS, With tho tonring season not so far ahead (writes an export motorist) il will not bo I out of place briefly to refer to some of

the points thul are of particular interest to the car owner. Always lot it be remembered that many a time when the engine is not. running sweetly tho trouble is due—and solely due —to some defect in the sparking plug. Some trouble may arise through the plug being not pressure-tight. Cracked porcelain, short circuiting irom carbon deposit, tho electrodes too close together, too far apart, or oven burnt away, dampness on insulator (more especially in the case of a mica insulator) —these are some of the usual troubles that inky, bo anticipated. Before setting out for a week-end rim the wise owner will examine closely, not superficially, the four or six spark-giving instruments, testing tho points for correct gap. lloughly this gap should be .025 to .030 in. Then clean away all deposit of soot from the inside, and see if tho plug is leaking around the porcelain, by squirting benzine at tho joint with the engine running, and noting the appearance of any bubbles. See also that no cracks are in tho porcelain; even the smallest will cause misfire at high speed. A cracked plug must be at once discarded. The best insulation is porcelain, but it must be of the highest grade. • Mica has a tendency to become oily and require substitution after a brief time. Plugs that can bo taken apart, although easy to clean, may leak and cause “missing.” The integral plug is the best, and let it be added, the highest priced one is often the cheapest. Metal parts beneath the hood and fon-_ ders are prevented from rusting by painting with black enamel. Clean the parts well with a wire brush and apply the enamel with a still varnish brush. Parts that may be enamelled to advantage include steel fan blades, pulley arms, brackets and elbows, nuts that are not often disturbed, exposed pieces of shafting, pinion wheel centres, operating rods and collars. Even a cylinder casting may bo so treated, as a good enamel will stand heat without blistering. In tho mind of most automobile owners springs are “just springs.’’ They are left comparatively alone to perforin a duty faithfully when, as a matter of fact, they are an important part in the assembly of any automobile. The fact that they are mainly inaccessible and because their proper care and attention makes for unpleasant and dirty work, very few owners make any attempt to lubricate their springs. Unless an offending- squeak or a broken loaf actually compels attention, little thought is over given to their condition. Yet a careful dye to one’s springs will be repaid a hundred-fold. MOTOR CYCLING NOTES. Great Britain produces nearly twice as many motor cycles as America. Tho man who does not motor cycle misses many pleasant experiences through life. Many machines which have been laid up during tho winter are reappearing on the mad. Don’t allow your motor cycle to stand on tho highway so as to cause any unnecessary obstruction A reverse gear is being manufactured to be supplied as an extra with one make of American 7-9 twin Don’t leave your motor cycle without having taken due precautions against it being started in your absence. A bell, horn, or other instrument should he used to give warning of the approach of the motor cycle. He is a “miss-guided” fellow who sits astride a pillion scat and allows his lady friend to steer his motor cycle. The question of cycles carrying rear lights or reflectors is likely to ho overlooked by tho authorities unless some united action is taken, Undcr-inflation is one of the most serious abuses motor cycle tyres are subject to. About 501 b per square inch is quite sufficient for 3in tyres. A movement is on foot to raise a. fund with a view to bringing, an action for damages, in the event of accidents occurring, which are duo to projecting tramrails. Don’t fail to see that the offside lamp is placed on tho extreme outside edge of a side-car and in such a position as to be free from obstruction. Headlights alone do not '.conform to the regulations. SPARKS. “Mr Henry Ford’s Fiat,” is a recent newspaper heading. The next best, presumably ! Spring breakage, meaning the' breaking of one or more leaves in the spring, invariably occurs on expansion or rebound of the spring, and not on compression when the wheel strikes a bump, as is generally supposed, 'j The trend in motor cars in Europe at the present time is tho highly efficient light car with small engines that develop wonderful power on hills and good speed on the level. They are economical on tyres and petrol Chassis imports into tho commonwealth of Australia for the six months ending March 31 were valued at £1,292,954. The value of tyres imported for the same period was £248,570, the United Slates leading with £121,192. _ “Considering the relative cost of production or any appreciable difference in freight, the margin of 11s per case between kerosene and benzine cannot bo justified on any ground whatsoever.” This was the remark of an, English traveller in Palmerston North last week. To make a motor ear. go faster, never increase its speed by quickly_ accelerating tho engine. This is a bad habit to acquire, because it adds wear and tear not only to the engine, but throughout the entire drive system, including the tyres on the rear wheels. As in breaking the speed of the car, so should the speed bo increased, and that way is gradually. , It was commonly staled in trade circles (says the motor writer in the Christchurch Press) that a fall in tho price of petrol was imminent, consequent on tho reductions which have been made in America and England, but, according to advice received by a Christchurch firm recently, there are no signs of tho reduction affecting New Zealand prices. Henry Ford’s homo at Dearborn, Michigan, U.5.A.,! is about a mile distant from his factory (says an American writer). If ever you are in the vicinity you may chance to see a tall, spare figure trudging that mile briskly and cheerily on fool, even though tho day bo rainy and the road muddy. That will I be Henry Ford, the motor oar king. But no Ford car for him, thank you. He prefers walking. Charles Goujon, a schoolboy of 10. ol Cleres, Normandy, became recently the youngest motor driver in Franco when he was granted his driving license. ' To pass tho test he manoeuvred a 30 h.p. car witli ease, and changed speed, backed, and turner as requested. When Goujon gave his age (ho engineer issuing licenses refused tc sign one. The boy then asked for a license to drive a motor cycle and side-car, anc this eventually was granted. The description of a now fuel comes frorr Franco, It is said to bo made by passing linseed and oilier vegetable oils over c special apparatus, removing water and hy drogon. It is then passed over nickel. The resulting volatile product is claimed to have the qualities of petrol, and to be usefn not only as a motor fuel, but as a materia for manufacturing explosives, colouring mat ter, and perfumes. It is stated that varioui other vegetable and animal oils can be employed for synthetic petrol. The testing plant installed on the Croydon Aerodrome in order that the. engines used in the public service aeroplanes maybe submitted to systematic testing, was opened recently by Sir William S. Brancker. A display was given by one of the LondonParis service ’planes which, since April, 1922, has covered 63,000 miles. 23,000 miles having been accomplished within a month without a hitch, Tho plant consists of a dynamometer, which determines accurately tho horse-bower absorbed, and indicates any loss of “tune” or efficiency. The roar of an aeroplane’s engines is now to bo used to guide the machine to an aerodrome during foggy weather. The air control tower at the London Air Station, Croydon, is being rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate an apparatus which detects sound waves and shows tho direction from which they are coming. The apparatus picks up those sound waves just as a wireless receiving station picks up a wireless message. By its help the air controller will bo able to give tho pilot of an air express flying in cloud or mist exact directions as to tho course ho must pursue to arrive over the aerodrome, Tho new apparatus will bo used in conjunction with tho wireless direction-finding installation, each method acting as a. chock on the oilier.