Hot Weather Comfort When Driving The Car

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17607, 24 October 1931, Page 9

Hot Weather Comfort When Driving The Car

MANY a car which has been merely pleasantly warm during the winter begins to become hot in the front seat by November, In addition, an “ engineroom ’ ’ atmosphere may pervade the whole body, which is conducive to headaches and nausea, besides being very unpleasant. Modern cars are worse offenders than the old timers, for while tho engine is about the same height as ever it was, the body is now many inches lower. Tho result is that one is now sitting behind the engine .instead of more or less above it. In addition,- modern engines work harder, thus evolving more heat, and are ‘ ‘ boxed in” under the bonnet in a manner which' helps materially to exclude dirt, but is apt to prevent desirable air currents circulating and carrying away heat under the car. The hottest part of the engine is the exhaust pipe, artel where it runs close to the floor boards it may be- wound with asbestos string. Better still is asbestos braid, ; Either .is given a heat and substantial finish bv the use of - ,a radiator hose clip to secure the asbestos at each end. Where floorboards and dash are of wood no insulating covering should be needed over. them. Where they are of metal, it will be found a great improvement to cover . them > -with felt, glued in place. A heat deflector of sheet asbestos may sometimes be fixed between the exhaust and the floor or dasli. Adequate ventilating louvres in the bonnet are a great advantage. . In one car; the Armstrong Siddoloy—they should not.be added, as the fiin is in the flywheel, and a proper cooling effect can bo obtained only with a practically airtight bonnet. (.’owl ventilators for the body are of great assistance. Those at the sides are best installed with the opening facing towards - the rear. They "will then net ns extractors, quickly drawing out hot air without, stirring up floor dust or causing unpleasant draughts. Some form of air-scoop ventilator should be arranged at the top, care being taken that it is of a type which is raintight when closed. A ventilator of similar type, put opening towards the rear, may with advantage be placed in the roof of a saloon body; about one-third from the rear end.

Rubbhr strips arranged to keep the pedal slots closed are of great'value, and any large holes through the’ dash should be closed in the same way.

Engine Smells. Engine smells are best dfctllt with at their source. When the piston rings become Worn, large volumes of smelly gasses are forced out through the breather. Do not try plugging the breather completely, but lit a plug With a large diameter tube leading out of it arid terminating either outside (lie engine tray; well in the air stream tinder the car; and pointing towards,,the .rear, .or Raiding into the rair intake bf the carburettor, jjjy ''dll. leaking on to tho hot exli&ust i.finfmifdld will also cause an unpleasant fsm oil land, is fairly common with over'ttireiidT'WViUve engines; haying light ! jfressed-sieel. covers. Tightening these ilowit to reduce leakage often causes distortion Uriel increases tlffi trouble;. The remedy is a iicw gasket of cork sheeting; and more rntiorlal use of the spannhf. Ekhaust gas leakage causes bad headaches arid'sore eyes. Faulty gaskets at the various joints afh usually the cause; blit sbmeiimes the- gas drifts up through the floor boards due to the use of a tail pipe which does hot pfoject far chough behind flic cat. Certain mbtor buses and rail ears are very bad offenders in this respect. Exhaust gas is definitely injurious and lias been known to cause loss of consciousness and death.