“SUN” SERVICE STATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 6

“SUN” SERVICE STATION

THE “Motordom” section of The Sun includes in its service to readers a Queries and Answers Department, the object of which is to give accurate information regarding mechanical and touring subjects. Whatever the particular puzzle may be in either diagnosing irritating troubles, or motoring information of any kind, "Headlight” will endeavour to help, or refer the point to men who are recognised automobile experts in their respective lines. All communications must be accompanied by the inquirer's name and address (not for publication), and sent to THE SUN “Service Station, Motordom.” THE SUN, Auckland. Answers will appear weekly in this column.

H.P.H. —My Overland car has developed a hammering kind of knock when tho car is travelling at about 25 miles an hour, and gets louder and louder tho faster it goes. The big end bearings, main bearings, and gudgeon pins have been tested for looseness and wear, but have been certified by a mechanic as O.K. Nobody seems to bo able to tell me what ie the matter. If the big-ends, main bearings and gudgeon pins of your car are in order, as you state, the knock is practically certain to be in the timing wheels and generator drive. I presume your car is a model 91 Overland. “Studie.”—To settle an argument, can you tell me whether there is any set way of wiring the plugs of a car to the distributor? What I mean is: If the wires were all disconnected and got mixed up, must No. 1 cylinder be connected to any particular point on the distributor, or would any one of them do? The wires must be connected to their original points on the distributor, otherwise the ignition will have to be retimed. “Curious.”—l have noticed when driving behind other cars on the road that a duff of smoke will suddenly come from their exhausts, and their speeds slacken down. Is this caused by a fault in the engines of these cars? Tho smoko is caused by oil, I suppose, so would over-oiling cause the speed to drop out as I notice? * * * Tho puff of smoke is caused by oil. as you suspect: but it is not necessarily a fault in the engihe—lf anything, it is beneficial to the motor. The slackening speed causes the smoke, though, to an Dbserver, tho reverse would seem to happen. If a driver takes his foot >ff the accelerator suddenly and closes the throttle when an engine is turning over at a fairly high speed, the empty cylinders must have something to fill the vacuum and, as they cannot get sufficient gas through the closed throttle, they suck oil up from the sump. The oil burns immediately—hence the smoke through- the exhaust. Actually, it is sound practice, if travelling for long distances at high speed, to close the throttle in this manner

I occasianally. It gives an oil bath to the pistons and cylinder walls just when they need it most. G.A.G.—Perhaps you could give me some information re a 1924 Hupmobile clutch which I find does not break properly when changing gears. I have tried adjusting on the pedal, and the plates seem in good condition. I •would be obliged for particulars of what is best to do. # # The information is very vague, as you do not state whether the clutch does not stop when trying to engage gears from stationary. It is very hard to determine whether it is a faulty adjustment, or whether the (centre) plate is operating on the splined clutch shaft. Should the latter be the cause, it would be necessary to remove the shaft and polish the rust from it. If the clutch does allow the free engagement of gear from stationary position, the cause of the faulty changing would be due to the operator, and not the clutch. WINDSOR PLAN ABANDONED DECISION OF MOTOR TRADERS The “Windsor” plan of dealing with the used car problem has been tried by the Motor Trade Association during the past year, but at the recent conference at Nelson it was decided to discontinue the plan. The following comments appear in “The Radiator”: “To some this may seem a retrograde step, but in our opinion the decision was a wise one. Under certain conditions the plan might be successfully operated, and if it were possible to secure the enthusiastic support of all parties interested in this class of business, there is no doubt the working of such a plan would be of great assistance. Failing this support, the plan is valueless and might easily be harmful. “There will be no used-car problem when each individual trader is honest with himself and uses ordinary discretion and judgment in buying and selling used cars.”