MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1641, 19 May 1919, Page 3

MOTORING.

NOTES OF THE DAY. THE TRACTOR DEMONSTRATION. The demonstration at Darfield gave farmers a splendid opportunity of ascertaining what the various makes of tractors which competed couid do. The ground was hard and stony and the conditions were otherwise good for the purpose for which the trials were held. There were, however, two elements lacking, which might have added to the r.est given to the competition and would undoubtedly have enabled the agents to have demonstrated in an even more convincing manner the capabilities of their various machines. These two factors are, extremely wet ground and hilly country. In order to get a more accurate opinion as to the merits of the various machines at least half a dozen. of each make should have competed, j and the fuel consumption, ploughing j time, and other items could have been taken and averages for all the machines, as well as for individual machines, could have been worked out. For instance, a little fault may make a big difference in the performance of '-a machine and though it may be easily remedied the spectator is not afforded an opportunity of seeing exactly what i any particular make of machine can do. ,It would also have been more satisfactory to the agents themselves. There was, however, one outstanding feature of tl 3 trials, namely, that it has been proved beyond doubt that tracjfcors have come to stay. The performances of all the machines, without exception, were good and surprised the onlookers. In several instances the :tractors accomplished, more than the sanguine agents themselves thought possible. Now that the tractors have proved themselves on dry, hard and stony ground, it would be interesting to see the same machines as were present at Darfield on Thursday in a contest where the country was hilly and the ground wet. The writer would throw out this suggestion because, the day of the tractor having arrived, it would be as well to show what it can do under all conditions.

Suggested Motor Show. ' A suggestion which is worthy of consideration by Christehurch motor traders was made to me by a wellknown salesman, on Saturday. He urged that, instead of, or in addition to, motor exhibits being shown in connection with the Agricultural and Pastoral Show, a motor show pure and simple should be organised and held once a year. As Christehurch is rightly regarded as the pivot of the motor trade of New Zealand, such a show would arouse a good deal of attention, and there would undoubtedly be enough entries of a varied character to attract motoring enthusiasts from all over New Zealand. Non-motorists, too, would welcome the establishment of such .an event. Cars and motor cycles of all descriptions would undoubtedly be en'tered, whilst tractors and other mechanical aids to farming could also be |on exhibition. An airplane or two might also be included to add interest ;to the show. There is the material in Christehurch to make the proposal of practical value, and D.W.M. would suggest that motor traders and others interested might hold a meeting to consider the proposition/ Speed Limit. " In this column last week it was sug|geste"d that a by-law should immediately be passed limiting the speed at which ; motor vehicles should be driven in the i city v and suburbs. The regulation | governing speed at present in existence applies only to crossings and corners. Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., added a rider to his verdict at a coronial inquiry on Friday that a by-law on the lines of that suggested should be framed, the prescribed speed varying according to ■the density of the traffic. The maximum speed of 25 miles an hour, except where lesser speeds should be observed, should certainly be fixed —and enforced. Government-owned Cars. Would-be motorists who expect to be able to purchase at very small cost Government-owned cars which have seen war service, will be somewhat disappointed, judging 'from the prices that were obtained for silch models in England recently. Ah English writer i snjs: —"Some of the cars looked almost derelict; others had been cleaned and brought much better prices. Prices for ! Ford- ears and vans ran from £65 to £l2l. Three Maxwell cars "fetched £ll6, £199, and £204 15/-. Two of these cars were bought by, the Government three years ago new for less than the prices named. Twenty-three Laucia chassis with wagonette and van bodies averaged £338 each. Only one sold below £2OO, and half-a-dozen brought ] £350 or over. One sold for £4OB 10/-, and another for £430. For Talbot wagonettes and vans ah average price of £297 was paid. The highest price was £4OB 10/-. Nine Wolseleys averaged £273. A Sizaire-Berwick touring car realised £577 10/-. An Alldays lorry brought £556/ 10/-. About 40 Douglas motor cycles brought from £27 to £3O, one selling for less than £2O and another for £39."Why Engines Go Wrong.

The .tracing of the cause of trouble in cars and motor cycles is a very diffl-

cult matter at times, not. : only to the amateur motorist but to the professional in the garages. The'following summary of motor troubles and their causes may assist the owner-driver to locate anil remedy them. The causes of poor operation are:— Leakage of compression—broken plugs; faulty piston rings; too much piston clearance; use of oil of too light a body; valves not seating; leaky priming cocks; leaky gaskets; broken piston ring lock pin; faulty ignition—grounded wires. The motor knocks because: Ignition is advanced too far; compression is too high; spark plugs are defective; premature ignition occurs due to incandescent carbon or projecting thread; cylinders are carbonized; piston head is too thin; there is too much piston clearance; bearings have too much slack; piston or piston rings strike the edge of cylinder; fuel mixture is out of adjustment; flywheel bolts are loose; engine is overheated from lack of water or oil and retarded spark. The overheating of an engine is caused by: Ignition is being timed too late; valves not seating properly; radiator or water pipes being fouled; water pump being out of order; fan belt slipping; muffler being fouled; lubrication being insufficient or poor; radiator being too small for motor; brakes dragging; motor being new and 'not thoroughly "run in"; carburettor Ibeing out of adjustment; valves being out of time.

Regulating the Trucks. Motor truck owners and users will doubtless be interested in the resolution adopted at the recent conference of the American Eoad Builders' Asso-. ciation, favouring the following regulations for motor trucks on the highways : The gross weight of vehicles and load shall not exceed 28,000 pounds on four wheels. The total height shall not exceed 12 feet 2 inches. The total width shall not exceed eight feet. . The total length' shall not exceed twenty-eight feet. The total weight per inch width of tyre (measured at the base of rubber) shall not exceed 800 pounds. ' The speed of motor trucks and trailers entirely equipped with solid rubber tyres shall not exceed fifteen miles per hour. t Saving Tyres. A motorist describes how he has discovered the cause of failure of set after set of tyres on his front wheels. Standing in front of his machine one day he noticed that the wheels were pointing outwards slightly, and on making a closer examination he found that the tie-bar between the steering arms had become bent, thus shortening its, length and throwing the wheels out of track with the rear set. A blacksmith straightened the bar in a few minutes, and since then the life of the front tyres has been doubled. Here and There. Strong soapsuds made from automobile soap and rubbed on the glass of the windshield and allowed to dry will prevent fog or rain from obscuring the vision through the glass. Kerosene is sometimes used for this purpose, but it

does not last as long as the above, and glycerine is' also recommended. A painter's brush that is thick'and soft will be found.better than waste for removing dust from the motor. There are so many small projections that waste is generally a cause of bad language and little else.

The tank of the vacuum fuel feed system should be cleaned out at least once in thtee months. The operation is not hard to carry out. The top of the tank should be removed and the inner vacuum chamber • taken out. This enables the operator to reach the lower chamber, from which all dirt should be removed.

Short circuiting at the spark gap is sometimes caused by small metal beads, formed by the intense heat of the spark. These beads form a bridge between the electrodes, across which the current passes. This trouble, fortunately, is easily discovered and cured simply by removing the beads. The locomotive engineer frequently uses his.hand to determine lubrication failure, and this is a hint that the car owner can put to good use. Failure of lubrication permits excessive friction, and friction generates heat. Any part which is discovered to be too hot to the hand held near it is probably suffering fronl faulty lubrication. If the ear owner, after being out in bad weather, will take the trouble to wipe the tyres and rims clean with a sponge, and then wipe them dry, especially along the beads, he will do much to prevent the formation of rust. D.W.M.