MOTORING

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144708, 17 June 1915, Page 8

MOTORING

(By “Daimler.”)

MOTOR CYCLE LUBRICATION

There is no doubt that many modern motor cyelo engines wear out iar more . quickly than their predecessors Of eight or ton years ago. This fact may be put down to two or three causes, but probably the chief ouo is th© inadequate size of the bearings of some of our modern engines, for it must bo remembered that though the bearings of a 1915 engine may he slightly larger than those of a 1905 engine, the power output or brake power hors© power, is very much larger. In point of fact in some cases the modern bearings arc rather smaller than those of the older engines, this being duo probably to the worship of that great god “R.P.M.” Whilst on the suujeet of the size of bearings it would be as well to point out that of two bearings of equal surface, that with the larger diameter will last longer than the one with the greater length. It may seem that by fitting larger hearings all round the difficulty can bo overcome, but this is only partly true. It is the opinion of many of the leading experts that the solution of tho problem lies m correct lubrication. There arc three systems of lubrication: the “splash,” the method in which tho oil is mixed with the petrol in two stroke engines, and the mechanically forced feed to the bearings. In some cases a combination of these systems is employed, but by far tho most usual is the “splash” system, which may be subdivided, according to tho method by which the oil is fed into the crankcase. Probably the most useful method is that in which tho oil is supplied by a hand pump, a charge being delivered every few miles. This of course loaves much to be desired, as the engine is alternately over and under-inbriented. To get over the difficulty a rather refined edition of this system is marketed in which the pump is only charged by hand and the oil is expelled by a. (spring placed behind' the plunger of the pump. Between the pump and the engine is placed a regulator in the form of a needle valve and a little brass barrel through which the oil may 'be seen dripping. Tin’s gives an obviously more oven supply of oil; and ‘is well worth the slight additional exfiense. In some machines gravity is eft to force the oil down past tho needle valve, but it is difficult to regard this as reliable when no sight feed is supplied. The second method mentioned is probably the best of the three, but taken as a. whole the “splash” system has several failings. Too much is left to chance, and tho drag on the fly wheels by tho oil is not inconsiderable. Tho two-stroke jumping into tho limelight has brought with it that form of lubrication in which the oil is mixed with petrol in tho tank. This system is by no means new. There is little doubt that lubrication by this means is most thorough in that oil is conveyed to every bearing, and of course once the oil and petrol are mixed there is nothing to worry about. It is therefore not only thorough, but simple, but like every good thing on this earth it has 1.0 be paid for, and one’s oil bill will bo rather high. Oil is composed of a number ot minute globules, and these globules acting as little balls, decrease tho friction of a bearing just as steel balls do, if arranged properly. If a ball cracks or gets badly worn in a ball bearing it - is, of course, worse than useless. Simularly, if the oil globules become flattened or split they have no lubricating property. What is more, these globules do become flattened, even as stool balls wear, but the oil "lobules wear much more quickly. Unlike stool balls, however, the oil globules will regain their true form it released Lora the pressure before they are thoroughly pulverised; it is therefore only wise <o renew them as often as is possible, and so prevent them from becoming permanently damaged. To do this the oil must be kept in constant circulation through tho bearings. At even moderate speeds the pressure between tl ; shaft and tho bearing is very great (especially is this the case with the “big end” and gudgeon hearings), and, in order to force oil between the two surfaces, it must be supplied at an even higher pressure, and this is the chief argument for tho third system, the mechanically forced feed. .As has been shown, the oil may be used over and over again, and the consumption will therefore be appreciably lower and any dust or other abrasive material which might find its way into the bearings is immediately washed out and collected in a gauze strainer before the oil enters tho engine. The only weak point in this system seems to be that, in tho novices now used, no regulation of the oil supply can be effected except by some ‘‘by-pass” arrangement, and this means a loss ol pressure. What is wanted is an oil pump, the output of which can be varied, regardless of engine speed.

Some interesting details arc to hand from America in reference to the wonderful rating .career of Frank L. Kramer. the champion sprinter of the world, and the winner of the American Championship for It consecutive years. Kramer, who has no equal anywhere for consistent brilliancy on the track, started his racing career in 1897, since when he has won &1B races, besides being placed second 166 times and third on 73 occasions. Beginning as an amateur in 1897, Kramer won his novice race after three starts. That year was not very profitable, as ho finished in first place only four times. In 1893 lie had a record of 36 firsts, 18 seconds and 7 thirds. In 1899, his third year of riding, he won tho amateur championship, and then he joined the ranks of tho professionals. Making his debut as a professional in 1900, ho showed up many of the old-time riders, and won, defeating such riders as Walthoiir, Raton and Freeman. During the sea-' son ho won IS races, finished 8 times in second place, and got 9 thirds. Jn 1901, tho tilth year of his riding, lie won the American Championship, and this was his most successful year in regard to scoring points, as he finished in'firsfc place -10 times, with 13 seconds and 17 thirds. Kramer kept on winning the American Championship (decided on points scored in a number of events heid during the season) ever since. In 1905 the American champion raced in Europe and won many events, including tho Grand Prize of Paris, tho greatest cycling race in Europe. Though Kramer was regarded as tho greatest rider of America, it was not until. 1910 he gained the distinction of actually -winning the world’s championship. He had not come into that title before for the reason that the world’s meets wore being decided in Europe and bo was racing in America. People in this country have little idea of the gigantic dimensions ot the American motor industry. According to Colliers—one of the most reliable of American journals—a sum of £IOO,000,000 is annually put into circulation in U.S.A. through tho automobile building industry alone. This is apart

from the cost, of running the machines after delivery to the purclia.-crs. There are some 1-5,000 garages registered in the States, employing nearly IOO.CIIJO hands. Licensed chauffeurs total 17,5.000, and in round figures another 100,000 arc employed in driving eommerrial motor vehicles. Uis estimated that the huge sum of .C1G0.000.000 is spent annually on motoring in I'-S.A., giving employment to over 7.50,000 men. In eight 'of the most important States of America there is an average of one car to every 37 inhabitants. The New South Wales racing crack, ft. M'Xainnra —who comprises one of the Australian team now doing so well in the American racing circuit, recently rode a mile in competition in the remarkably fast time of one minute 13 seconds. The previous world's recordfor a mile under similar conditions was linin. -Uisoc., by another Australian (J. Clark), in America. in Australia the late. Floyd MacFarland, in 1904, rode a mile in competition from scratch on the Sydney Cricket Ground in Imin. -iOsoc.