Untitled

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4043, 4 May 1938, Page 5

“RUNNING IN” NEW CARS. The question of whether new cars to-day require the same careful “running-in” period demanded by earlier vehicles has recently agitated the minds of many motorists in view of conflicting opinions published in oversea motoring journals. The chief engineer of the N.R.M.A., Mr. J. Fielder, states: “It is our experience that the present day car needs the same considerate treatment during the first few thousand miles. With the modern precision machinery used in engine manufacture bearings and moving parts are fitted to finer limits and if the ‘runriingin’ period is ignored, leading to the excessive heating of surfaces before they have had time to loosen up, grave damage may result from rapid wear. “The manufacturers advise a ‘run-ning-in’ period and set out specifically the speeds which should not be exceeded during the early life of the car. We advise owners to follow the instructions carefully, which will mean an ultimate saving to repair bills and the development of an efficient machine.” STARTING ON A HILL. Some time ago a reference was made to a device on the ball-beating type of a free-wheeling mechanism, for holding a car when stationary on an upgrade while the driver made a restart without using either hand or foot brake. It was also mentioned that another hill-holding device, working by a different method, was already standard equipment on c ?r--tain models of a well known American car. Still another idea for attaining the desired object has now been produced in England. This has the merit of great simplicity. Ratchet teeth are cut into the face of the sliding first speed gear, and these mesh with the teeth of a ratchet carried on a brake bolted to the back of the gearbox. This second ratchet is spring loaded, so that when the car is running forward the teeth can override ' but lock when the car tends to run backwards. The friction brake works automatically only when the car is going backwards and apparently is fitted to prevent a sudden shock which would arise if a careless owner engaged first gear after the car had already stated to run backwards. In making a temporary stop in traffic on an upgrade, the gear lever is slipped into first and the clutch held out, when the car will stand still without use of the service or hand brake, and can be restarted exactly as though it was standing on the level. Similarly, in starting away after the car has been left standing facing uphill, first gear is engaged, and the handbrake released immediately. The driver thus does not have delicately to adjust the clutch engagement to the release of the handbrake, as he must do when some device like this is not fitted. A writer in an English motoring paper has brought up the question of steam cooling, expressing wonder that no manufacturer has yet attempted to introduce it on motor cars. Steam cooling, of course, is used on certain types of aeroplane, the big advantages being a more ef ficient operating heat and a very much smaller radiator (or condenser, as it actually is in this case), a rather important thing in aviatiom where head resistance has to be kept to the minimum. Another feature is q complete absence of water loss. In steam cooling, the engine has water jackets, and the radiator or condenser is much the same as in a water-cooled unit, except that the water tank is at the foot, instead of at the top, of the unit, and a simple safety valve replaces the usual overflow pipe. Finally there is a pump with a very small output. Before an engine is started from cold, its jackets are full of water, but the radiator or condenser is the bottom tank. With the engine running a small quantity of water is passed from the tank to the jacket by pump. The water in the jacket therefore soon starts to boil. When this occurs, steam passes from the top of the engine to the condenser or radiator, where it is converted to water again, and drains down to the tank at the bottom. Steam cooling’s various advantages are the water-tightness of the system, very rapid warming up, more efficient operating temperature, and the use of a very small radiator or condenser, which makes it appreciably cheaper, although it needs to be of rather better quality than many of those in use to-day. It is stated that there 'is a good possibility of steam cooling beingtried on cars shortly.