MOTORDOM

Southland Times, Issue 19102, 21 November 1923, Page 8

MOTORDOM

NOTES AND NEWS

( By

“Self-Starter")

HOT WEATHER MOTORING. Primarily, few people seem to realise (says a writer in an Australian exchange), that the hood, besides being a protection against rain, forms a very efficient parasol. (-‘Para" means against; “sol” the sun). In summer weather one generally sees motorists clad in the scantiest of attire and wearing broad-rimmed hats, which are not particularly comfortable in an open car. A far better arrangement is obtained if the hood be erected. Driver and passengers can then discard their headgear, allowing the pleasant breeze made by the passage of the car to keep them cool. The wind-screen, of course, should be arranged so that it does not block out the draught, and at the same time it should not direct it with an impinging force in any localised direction. The time when the greatest care should be given to the position of the wind-screen is in the evening, when gnats and mosquitoes abound in the air, and are apt to be very troublesome to the driver’s eyes. As the heat of the day is then over, both panels are best tightly shut. In the case of the double-pane screen, efficient protection can also be obtained if the upper panel be tilted so that it lies backwards at an angle of 45 degrees above the framework of the screen. This effect is rather peculiar, but it works very well indeed in practice, the air stream shooting above the driver’s head and carrying with it all the foreign bodies which are so very injurious to the eyes. —Protect the Eyes.— Protection of the. eyes in summer is, in point of fact, very important, and nothing is worse than the pain and burning endured after a long day’s run over gritty, tarred roads. It is the tar that causes pain and inflammation, and if on top of this inflammation a gnat or fly is accidentlly caught, the trouble can become intense. The ordinary types of goggles are hot and unsightly for summer wear, and, although they may appear only slightly less outre, tinted spectacles are the best things to wear. (One does not look too Americanised unless the glasses have horn rims and one chews gum at the same time). —Keep the Blood Cool. — Still dealing with the physical comfort, it is the back of the neck that requires most protection from the sun, for it is here that the blood-carrying vessels come nearest the surface of the skin. Prevention of sunstroke consists of keeping this part of the body and the spinal column sheltered from the direct rays of the sun, and actually, if one’s body is going to be exposed for long periods to full summer sunlight, it is better not to discard too many clothes, but to wear at least three thicknesses of thin and preferably light-coloured material. Then as to the car. It behaves very differently in hot weather. Thanks to the rise in temperature, carburation troubles should be practically non-existent; and, in fact, it is by no means inadvisable to fit either a small jet or a larger choke tube in the carburetter, which will result in greater economy of petrol. As to lubricant, the heaviest grade of the brand of oil usually employed should be used in the sump (most manufacturers supply winter and summer grade§ of their standard lubric-). ants). —Saving the Tyres. — In connection with the tyres, it should be borne in mind that .possibly 100 per cent, greater strain is placed on these in hot weather than is the case under normal, cool conditions. Correct pressure is infinitely more important in summer than it is in winter. If the tubes are pumped up to a proper degree when they are cold, it is highly probable that when they get hot they will be much too hard. The heat generated by running over a hot road surface that may be at a temperature of 110 degrees F. or 115 degrees F. is sufficient to cause most patches on the tubes to melt off, and especially is this the case if it so happens that the tyres are so soft that they are caused to flex every revolution. Therefore, a good air-pressure gauge should assuredly be used on the tyres in hot weather. For a normal 1500 c.c. light car about 451 b in the front and 501 b in the back covers should be about right. The change in temperature naturally makes an enormous difference to the way in which the radiator dissipates heat, and actually the engine scores appreciably in torrid weather, and is not so liable to overheat as is a water-cooled engine likely to boil. Points to observe in connection with the latter are that the fan belt is tight and the circulation passages clean. The easiest way of ensuring that the latter necessity is fulfilled is to remove the drain plug from the bottom of the radiator and to insert a hot«*p:pe through the filler cap, keeping a steady flow running for at least five minutes. —Careful Driving.— On old-type cars, which are apt to run perilously near boiling in summer weather, careful driving can prevent actual loss of water. By declutching and coasting down hills, for instance, the engine can be appreciably cooled, and actually one of the most useful fittings one can purchase for summer use is an extra air inlet for the carburetter, which allows the strength of the mixture to be corrected to the different atmospheric conditions, and also enables the engine to be cooled appreciably on downward gradients, without the danger of plugs being fouled by fluid oil drawn up past the piston rings. Other points to remember are that both the painted coachwork of the car, and the rubber of the tyres are vulnerable to di-' rect sunshine, and, when stationary, the car should be kept in the shade as much as is possible. Likewise, a cover for the spare wheel should be provided, as otherwise the nature of the rubber is apt to change and its life be shortened. Then come perhaps the most noticeable disadvantage of all those that are encountered in summer motoring—the dust nuisance. Dark clothes and dark coachwork naturally show up this evil more than do lighter colours, but really there is no absolute cure for this trouble. The fast car, the sports type, is at a great advantage, because it can get ahead of the car in front, and its driver can choose his own position relative to other traffic. However, not everybody drives a sports car, and the best advice that can be given is to keep the coach work and the chassis free from grease. Rub the windscreen with a rag moistened in petrol, and it will not collect dust, and become semi-opaque. Remember, incidentally, that the grease that has served well in the chassis parts during the winter will probable ooze out in the hot weather; do not over-fill the gearbox or back-axle casing, or they will overflow messily, and bear in mind, also, that oil is more likely to reach the brake drums in summer. Pursuant of all the above mentioned points might be thought to lead to summer motoring becoming a duty rather than a pleasure. Actually, however, the advice is very easily put into operation, and in practice will make summer motoring really enjoyable. A WORD ON LUBRICATION. Oiling-up and greas*i:g-up is one of the messiest things connected with the running of a car, and there is some excuse if, in spirit at least, the average owner-driver is inclined to shirk the business. Happily the majority of motorists have more sense, or they soon develop it, than to leave matters until it is too late and the working parts have seized up. This is a misfortune that these days seldom happens, perhaps

| only through sheer forgetfulness, because I the car designer and the oil blender have done a great deal to make the way of the owner easy. In the result the average owner pays attention, and periodic attention, not only to the engine, but to all other points such as the brake joints, the clutch ball races, the gearbox, and the like. In point of fact he could not overlook the engine, for that important part, truly described as the heart of the car, would soon let him know if it was being insufficiently fed with lubricant. Lubrication in motoring is of the first importance, not alone because it is elementary that there should be some lubricant between two working surfaces. Everything depends upon the quality of that lubricant, and that quality also connotes other things than mere oiliness. Engine oil, for example, can be voo thick or too thin, which is why the oil blenders have gone to some pains to work out charts of oil suitable for almost every known type of motor-car, suitable, it may be said, for summer and for winter running. That is one of the ways in which they ease the path of the motorist. Quality is the thing, not price, a point that has to be ever borne in mind. BOLTED CHASSIS PARTS. When we remember that the frame-work of the motor truck is really the foundation of the whole machine, it is surprising that so few machines show any real evidence of applied engineering thought and effort. Practically any repair man this by pointing out that the average chassis coming into his hands for overhauling is as loose as the proverbial basket. In a large measure this Is directly traceable to the use of rivets throughout the frame assembly, and their inability to withstand the constant racking and vibration of motor truck operation. As far as we know there are only one of two manufacturers who have given this phase of design the amount of attention it warrants. Actual service has proved through years of use and thousands of miles of travel that the method of bolting the frame practically overcomes chassis looseness. And in event that play ever develops, it is a much more simple matter to draw up on a bolt or two than to chop out loose rivets, drill the next size larger holes and insert new red hot rivets. Another point, which, while of secondary importance in truck life, is nevertheless a decided advantage, is the ease with which repairs can be made. For example, collision damage with broken fender brackets, bent step hangers or even damaged frame rails lends itself readily to dismantling and replacement, with a minimum of labour and expenditure for parts. The chief reason that this design has not been more generally adopted is the tendency of manufacturers to cut down their production costs in order to maitain the lowest possible selling price. Experience with motor trucks, however, will prove repeatedly that the cost of a motor truck is determined by its cost of operation rather than its initial purchase price. Therefore, this design is of particular interest because it goes such a long way toward eliminating this source of chassis looseness. To bear out the perfection of this design, the only passenger car using a bolted frame similar to that of the truck is a very costly English car. RADIAL-ENGINED CAR. In discussing the various new types of cars to be shown at the London Olympia the Daily Mail has the following brief description of quite a novelty in cars, a radial-engined car:—This car is so individualistic in design that all preconceived ideas on motor-car principles must be put on one side in its consideration and judgment. In the first place there are no axles in the ordinary sense, all four wheels being attached to the chassis by levers which are loaded and controlled by strong helical springs, so that all four wheels are independently sprung and the displacement of one by a road inequality does not affect the equilibrium of the others or of the complete car. The engine is a five cylinder air-cooled radial, mounted horizontally at the back of the car. Its crankshaft is in the vertical plane and is continued into the gear-box (three-speed), which is mounted as part of the crankcase. Thus all the shafts in the gear-box are vertical, and the pinions are horizontal. Built up with the gear-box is the differential—literally a differential gear on an axle that is not there! The drive from it to the two rear wheels is by means of a pair of shafts, which of course take no stress beyond the torsional stress of driving the car; the load of the back of the car is looked after much as that of the front by special and independent springing of the wheels. EXTRAORDINARY MOTOR-CYCLING. The question is often asked, “Does the ultra-lightweight motor-cycle stand up tc severe wear and tear, and is it, in fact, a satisfactory investment?” These and similar questions can probably best be answered by noting the recent performances of several of the most popular ultra-lightweight machines in the classic runs recently held in the United Kingdom. One can hardly fail to notice, when studying the columns of the motor Press, the unfailing regularity, with which manufacturers of this type of machine enter their products in all the most severe competitions, and often against almost impossible handicaps, and if they do not always emerge with gold medals, special points are always noted which lead one to believe that these are the coming machines of the future, at any rate, for the man of average size pocket. As an outstanding example of the courage of lightweight manufacturers, notice should be taken of the recent London Motor-Cycling Club’s run in the Land’s End to John o’ Groat’s trial, which was held at the latter end of June. This competition was open to all grades of machines, and in one of the most deservedly popular events, the McKenzie lightweight machine seemed to be in the absurd position of having to compete with a whole host of road-racing record breakers of the 7 9-h.p. variety. The conditions of the trial were that an average speed of 20 miles an hour had to be maintained throughout the entire distance of 886 miles, that two night runs had to be included immediately following on an all-day experience, so that the arrival of any machine at the destination was the result of a combined effort, testing the durability of the machine plus the stamina of the rider. This latter remark should be qualified by the fact that the comfort of the rider was, to a large extent, dependent on the suitability or otherwise of the springing of the machine. A large part of the run was under a first-class imitation of colonial conditions. The ride, especially through the Grampian Mountains, closely resembled an attempt to ride on Brighton Beach, at any rate so far as the road surfaces were concerned. This condition is probably due to our Scotch cousins’ contempt for the steam roller, and also the fact that the local streams provide first-class road metal. However, on the morning of the finish of the run, especially 78 per cent, of the starters completed the trial, and it was noticed that the lightweights had turned up in numbers sufficient to justify the claim that the lightweight machine had stood up to the hard going equally as well as its heavier brother. Riders of the higher-powered machines, when spoken to on the performances of the lightweights, could hardly credit that bicycles of li-h.p. could put up such bursts of speed and hill climbing efforts as variously to challenge the reputation of many of the more powerful engined crafts. Among disinterested spectators the McKenzie machine, which was among the early arrivals at the finishing point, claimed attention.

as its performance was convincing proof that the lightweight machines should command the attention of any serious buyers who want machines that will carry them anywhere asd also give that feeling of satisfaction and comfort that hitherto only the most expensive motor-cycles have been able to convey, and in the case of the abovementioned machine all for the price of a first-class war-time push cycle. HOW TO DOUBLE DECLUTCH. It must be admitted before starting to describe this, that it will sound a little complicated on paper, but when once mastered the action is almost instantaneous, and the writer, without wishing to appear in any way to vaunt his prowess, has accustomed himself so to do that the several movements are accomplished so quickly that the occupants of the car are frequently difficult to convince that the series of movements have actually been accomplished. As stated, this is not meant in a boastful manner, but more to encourage the novice to study the movement and practice it, and not to be frightened by it. Assuming, then, that we are running along at a good speed on top gear and encounter a hill. It is obvious, even at the bottom, that, before we can surmount it, it will be necessary to change at least the third gear. Well, instead of waiting until the last ounce of the engine’s power has been expended on the top gear, and then making the change when it is comparatively easy, we are going to show how it can be made at any car speed, and any engine speed with perfect precision and silence. The movements may be enumerated thuswise ;■ — (1) Declutch and allow the accelerator pedal to come up to the ordinary slow running position. (2) Gear lever to neutral. (3) Let the clutch in and accelerate the engine by depressing the pedal for, say, a full second. (4) Clutch out, and gear lever into the third speed. (5) Let the clutch in again and accelerate in the ordinary manner. One must admit that, written out in full, it is in appearance rather complicated. The whole series of the movements, however ‘an, when one is really au fait with them, accomplished well under two seconds, which, if one is to make a scientific and silent change at any required engine or car speed, is not an excessive time in which the car is to lose momentum. The neutral position has to be regarded as if it were another gear between the top and the third, though in practice, of course, it is nothing more than a mechanical movement utilised to serve a scientific purpose. This art of double declutching is the one question above all others which the writer would ask all those of his readers who are not already quite masters of it carefully to study and successfully to learn. Supericially it seems a little difficult; but when me masters it, it is the acme of simplicity, •nd one’s feet and hand operate in perfect sympathy and without a shadow of thought .rom start to finish of the manoeuvre. First of all try it quite slowly, sitting in the of the car without the engine running at all. Merely practise the proper series of events and practise them until they can be accomplished in the proper order without anything in the nature of a stop from one movement to the other. When this has been learnt, essay first of all to make the attempt on an easy gradient, whereon a change from the top gear is not even necessary. Do not do it at great speed. Try for sake of example first of all at 15 miles per hour. When fairly practised in the movement under these conditions, then try it on ordinary hills where a change is requisite, and when finally proficient it will be found that a change from top gear to third can be made just as easily and accurately at 30 miles per hour on a steep hill as at 15 miles per hour on a gentle and always quietly to boot. FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. The danger caused by drunken motorists is not overlooked, but, according to a Harley street physician, writing in a London newspaper, more accidents are probably due to men falling to sleep at the wheel than we are aware of. The quiet rhythm of the engine, the warmth behind the wind-screen, the almost automatic character of the task of driving —these are the soporifics which some brains seem unable to resist. Attention dwindles, the eyes grow dim, and at the pace at which a big touring car is driven a single second of this drowsiness may prove fatal. The experience is felt, as might be supposed, after eating a full meal, and he recommends that the safe thing to do is to stop the car at once, and get out and walk, or hand the wheel over to someone else, or start a desultory conversation. That is sound advice, and to it should be added another alternative, which is to open the

windscreen and drive hard for a few minutes. This is found to produce the necessary reaction. “Harley street” raises another question of interest, which is that a limit should be applied to the distances which the drivers of public service vehicles may travel in a day, and he thinks it should not exceed 100 miles. It all depends. There are places and conditions when it must be exhausting to drive that for day in and day out the year round. HEAD LAMP DAZZLE. Many attempts have been made to elimisate head lamp dazzle, and at the same time, provide sufficient illumination for safe driving at night. The latest suggestion takes the form of a collapsible, or telescopic, cowl set vertically, so that the slats can be brought to any required extent across the front of the lamp, this cutting off more or less of the light from the bulb and reflector. Operating somewhat on the principle of a fan, the slats of the cowl can best be compared, as regards shape, to segments cut out of a melon. Their pointe are connected at the top and bottom of the lamp front, and the folding or expansion of the slats is effected by a lever actuated by a Bowden wire from the steering column. In the centre of each edge of every slat is a small projection, which is made use of to pull or push the adjacent slat into the required position. Thus, the operating mechanism moves the outer slat, the rearward projection on which comes into engagement with the edge of the second slat, this process being continued down to the innermost slat. The cowls on both head lamps can be readily coupled by a cross-rod, so that the nnti-dazzle effect can be regulated equally for both lamps. When the cowl is out of action, the slats fold up and are by no means unsightly, since they are made of polished aluminium, lie snugly together, and have their leading edges screened by a flange carried on the forward edge of the outer slat. This flange prevents rain, dust, or flies finding their way between the moving surfaces, and should ensure smooth working of the device over considerable periods of time. It is to be observed that with this cowl the head lamp bulbs are kept at full power, and that the slats, when rotated sufficiently to cut off the dazzlp beam from the eyes of an approaching road user, should still leave on the near side of the lamp glass sufficient unobscured area to give a good driving light on the lefthand side of the road—a point which will be appreciated by all who drive at night. NOTES. Since the decision of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria to put back the date of running their 1000 miles Alpine Trial from November until early in 1924 nothing further has been heard of this great sporting contest. If this instructive and popular motor car Reliability Trial is to be held early next year, it is time that a definite announcement be made, so that intending contestants may make the necessary arrangements for taking part in the event. Several prominent N.B.W. motorists are keen on taking part in the Test, especially as the proposed route takes in Mt. Kosciusko, and the Tumut Valley, one of the most picturesque parte of N.S.W. No doubt an announcement re the Test will be made at an early date. The recent motor car drive by Messrs E. Croysdill and V. Allerton from Fremantle to Sydney (2889 miles) in 8 days 7 hrs. 21 mins, on a Dunlop shod “Overland” has stimulated Messrs J. Burton and W. Bradley to have another attempt at this Transcontinental record. It will be remembered that these two N.S.W. motorists had extremely bad luck in an attempt on this record some months back, owing to crashing their 30-h.p. Vauxhall into a deep culvert, when travelling at a fast pace. The machine was badly damaged, necessitating the abandonment of the attempt. Messrs Burton and Bradley left Sydney recently to make the necessary arrangements for their return trip. All going well they propose leaving the West on their second attempt towards the end of November. They intend to try and travel from Fremantle to Sydney in less than 6 days, which, if accomplished, will be a remarkable feat. The crack English driver, H. O. Segrave, who carried off the French Grand Prix—the Blue Riband Automobile event of Europe—a few months back on a Sunbeam, has scored another important success, this time on a Talbot. The win was attained in the Grand Prix de Boulogne, an important French road event for small-powered light cars decided over a tricky 22 miles circuit. Segrave covered the 279 miles in 4 hrs. 8 mins. 45 4-ssecs., equal to an average speed of 67| miles per hour, a fine performance for a car with an engine rated at only 10-h.p. The Auckland Motor Trade Association has decided to hold the first motor Olympia in towards the end of next February, when half the net profits will be devoted to the Auckland War Memorial Fund. The Harbour Board has granted for the purpose one of its commodious sheds. The preliminary arrangements are now in hand. The special Technical College class in Auckland for the training of apprentices in the motor trade, is proving very successful. At the recent trade conference at New Plymouth it was decided to apply the subsidised fund established to young mechanics, instead of to adult mechanics. The Auckland Star says it is hoped by the executive controlling to increase the scope of the class in the new season which will open in March. Replying to a suggestion at Kaiapoi that automatic gates should be installed at levelcrossings, Mr R. W. McVilly, General Manager of Railways, stated we had 3800 levelcrossings, and each automatic gate would cost about £430. It would, therefore, be seen that, notwithstanding the satisfactory nature of the gates’ operations, the cost of installing them would be prohibitive.—The only thing that costs the Department nothing seems to be to go on killing people. A very old model machine when it gets in really bad order is not worth spending money on. It will pay far better to even scrap the “old wreck,” and secure something later, for which parts can be obtained. Many prospective buyers are afraid of garages and prefer to buy privately. It is a fact that practically all the obsolete models are sold privately, the local garages refusing to handle any machine that they cannot recommend. The buyer will find if he approaches the local motor-cycle houses he will be shown machines sound and in good order, and the right type to suit his particular requirements. Wher/ the purse is limited it is not always necessary to purchase second-hand mounts, easy terms always being available for new motor-cycles. A very useful application of the principle of the electro-magnet is embodied in a device which enables quick recovery of any steel or iron object, such as a spanner, nut, bolt, ball, washer, etc., that may have dropped into an inaccessible position on the car, as in crankcase, gear-box, petrol tank, etc. It is wound so as to operate from the { ordiary 6 or 12-volt installation of a car, I and has a suitable adapter for connecting up, and a length of flexible lead. The handle contains a push-button switch, and j the magnet is fitted at the end of a length I of a flexible metallic tube, which enables it to be used in a very limited space. It can be immersed in water, oil or petrol. As an experiment the Edinburgh Town Council recently decided to lay a portion of Shandwick Place with rubber blocks which were supplied by the North British Rubber Company. The portion of the roadway so treated was 100 feet in length, the blocks being laid on a concrete foundation and “set” with a concrete mixture.