MOTORING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12325, 23 May 1918, Page 4

MOTORING

- CAR and CYCLE NOTES

By "SPARK"

LIGHTING (.TIDIES. p.m. niur.-dav, May I>3 . :'i tj Friday. May >j| . ' ;,.,-> Saturday. May '.?o . . 5.4 Sunday, Mav -<i . ft,", .Monday, .May '27 . . Ttips-tiay, May 28 . . Ti.'J Wednesday. May 2 p. . . o.] Thefts of petrol are becoming exceedingly common in Ciiristchurclu and motorists would lie well advised to exorcise great vigilance over their stocks, and large holders shoii/d strengthen their night-watching staffs. The thefts aiv, systematic and detection is difficult, as petrol is unidentifiable. The police .have a shrewd notion a .s to who is buying u# tbo petrol, but it. is not. iill thieves fall out -Jiat it is possibleto got at th..' bottom of these thefts. The stealing o! .'.even tins from Briscoe's petrol' eelhr was an impudent, act. The thieves had broken in tbo heavy side door of the warehouse expecting to get into the cellar from the showroom. Failing, in this, they broke, off the outer locks on the collar doors. ICither they were disturbed or could not carry more than seven tins, a,5 it is understood that there was a considerable quantity of petrol in stock. Users, producers and distributors of the motor in Great Britain recently sent representatives to a meeting, from which was formed the Motorists' I nitod Council. The terms of reference of the council. though briefly defined' are. substantially as follows:-- ]■ To ascertain to what decree it is possible for motor users, producers and distributors to arrive at complete or substantial agreement as regards laws and legislative measures advantageous or disadvantageous to the interests l (.'presented upon the council. 2 To use the united influence of the • interests represented with a view to securing or checking legislation in accordance with decisions readied under the preceding clause. 3. In respect, of legislation, kindred matters and technical questions in relation thereto, to use its influence, to discourage any organisation from acting in a manner calculated to impede the policy or to injure the interests of those concerned; and to encourage united action and mutual support. The formation is the outcome of persistent: antagonism, official and otherwise, and the enactment of harassing and restrictive legislation, the tendency of which was. and still is, to impe.de the progress of automobilism. It would appear, too, that the incidence, of the war has tended to harden the feelings of many against motoring, and to rake together the embers of prejudice that were being scattered. It was agreed, however, that the council shall not take public action on any matter except as the result of a unanimous resolution. Primarily, itwill.be a use re' organisation, as it was determined that the voting; power of the three groups uamed lie as follows:—Users, 2'!; producers, 1-; distributors, 8. A letter am! questionnaire is to be. sent out at an early date, with a view to ascertaining theopinions of members of both Houses as regards a number of questions of policy, which will come before the council for consideration a' a convenient time. It was announced that on March 1 a dozen recognised organisations had elected representatives to serve on the council, but lack of support from anv quarter will not delay tire inauguration of an active programme. The idea of motor outings by users of particular makes of machines has not caught on in Christ church, but in Australia the Indian people are pushing it, and recent files record' the third outing of the season by the Indian Ciuh. The iuea. is to make the run open to the riders of all l-.idhm machines, and in the laiest run all the provisions weiy pooled, and there was a sociable s'tting round at the rendezvous. Fvoning "at homes" are being promoted on the same conditions. Neatness and compactness in design is probably the reason why mudguards on motor-cycles are fitted so closely over the wheels, but appearance counts for Hille in actual use. Despatch riders inmi every sphere of action, no matter what, make of machine they use, are unanimous in their condemnation of thelack of clearance between the wheel and mudguard. For three successive winters these hardy riders have personally directed the attention of the manufacturers to this great drawback, but seemingly, without avail. Along most of the fronts it is impossible to proceed without, their having to "work their passage" in earnest.! for many times in a. mile it is nocessarv to di'" out the day and dirt collected in the loriis and under ihe gnarck The onlv alternative is to discard the mudguards*, and although such a- course is most unue«irablo, many of the riders are compelled to do so. Others fashion shields oi varying design from old tins or whatever scrap icteri'dr that may hj» handy. It is probable thai the experience of the war will lead to much improvement in future design. Failure attended the attempt made a tortnight ago by H. Parsons, using a 7 h.p. Indian machine and to break the Melbourne-Sydney record.' Carburetter trouble cost him'an hour and a half in the sixty miles run to Seymour, but he continued, and regained the lost time before Alburv. 1!,'4 miles, was reached.' On the better road across the Murray, to as far as Holhrook, fast pace, was made, and more time was picked up over the mountainous country through Guudagai and Goulb'ini ; and when within an hour's run of Svdncy, and when there was a big possibility of the record being reduced bv a couple of hours, the "'axle of the side-car snapped short, and the wheel went on in a. quest of its own into the night. So confident is he that the record can be broken, that Parsons will make another attempt. One of the big American motor tvre manufacturers has produced a pronegandist- motion picture plav entitled "Over the Roads to War."' This is intended to demonstrate the importance of rubber in the war and to prevent waste. The film shows the simple errors in driving that cause the waste in the United States of enough rubber yearly to equip 100.000 fighting motorcars, and has been endorsed by the Tinted States Government for its contribution to national thrift. Owing to the rail freight difficulties in getting cars to the shipping ports, many of the leading American earmakers are now sending away relays of cars which are driven under their'own power to their destination. Thousands of new ears are now to he seen jonrneving along the Lincoln Highway, either in the direction of San Francisco or New York. Tn a way. this form of delivery to the seaboard is n good trial test, and enables all need of adjustment to be carried out by the drivers under actual touring conditions. Most of the. ears of the various makers travel in groups, and average about twenty miles per hour. Apparently it does not pay the American ear manufacturer to make his own engine. Excepting the few verv large, concerns, almost all the ether 'makers buy their units from specialists. In America (here is no false oride taken in being able to say liter a'eenain car is made under o'.v n., f. (>i, v my} sn

that the large concerns wiio ran make this statement, are a consolidated group ol unit factories under one name, and that, the system of specialisation is not departed from. The reluctance of .British manufacturers in tho past to depart from their conservative methods in this | direction, although perfectly sound so far as the production of an article is concerned, places them at a serious disadvantage in the overseas markets, whore American cars are sold at a lower figure. AVlieu ilrainiim the water system of the car it is well to make certain that pit water remains in the pipes and jackets by rocking the front of tho car. ’•'his will throw the water out of bends ami pockets The majority of tliermosypliou cooling systems drain off easily enough, but in the pump system it is necessary to use care, ft is a good plan in draining off the water to lot it run into some receptacle, a large can or bath, so that it can be used again. Tho rcasan is that m all water there is a certain proportion of foreign matter that foims deposits on the cylinder jackets anj radiator. In tho water i, already ’used this deposit may bo supi fused already to have been made, i whereas with fresh water a new deposit will lie precipitated. By Using flic same water over and over again this furring up of water spaces may ho minimised. Moisture gathering on tho exposed part of the porcelain of the spark ping ! will often cause irregular firing. This j trouble may he cured by greasing the I porcelain with vaseline or hard grease, i Spark plugs should never ho forced I into position by severe wrench action. I They should seat firmly against a copi for-asbestos gasket with but little more i force than can bo applied .with the i lingers. I .Never permit a tyre valve to remain i uncovered. In case the cap is lost and no spare is immediately available, tie a piece of rag or rubber over the stem. If dirt once makes its way into the valve stem, a leak is almost certain to result. In sonic cars looseness of the engine bolts, those holding the motor in place, may cause misalignment of the engine :ud serious trouble may result. If there is oven slight looseness of the bolts it may permit tho motor support to hammer and pound and in time the supporting arm may actually break. .Imports of automobiles into the I nited States have boon prohibited by the War Trade Board, which placed drastic restrictions on the import trade i-i order to eliminate so-called non-es-sential commodities and save shipping space for materials urgently needed for war purposes. Tho new restriction is effective on April la. Play in the steering knuckle, due to a worn king-pin or worn knuckle yoke, may bo taken up by reboring the yoke and fitting bushings. Much front wheel wobbling is caused by looseness in this joint. The car owner is reminded that the coming of cold weather • oa|ls for a change of lubricant in the transmission rear axle. A thinner oil should ho used, as cold tends to thicken the lubri- ! cant, and thus bring tho thin oil to the j right consistency. j When using tho self-starter, he- sure j that the spark is retarded, a-s a hack i kick may wreck the mechanism. This i is not necessary hj the car is equipped ) with a magneto, as the engine starts i best when tho magneto spark is advanced. Few motorists realise that a comparatively largo quantity of water gradually accumulates in the cranking case, ■ mixing with the oil and forming an I emulsion, which impairs its lubricating | qualties. This accumulaton of water is | more pronounced in winter than in sura- | mer, and is found to a greater extent j us the- number of cylinders increases. ! it is not safe to assump that all parts I of t!i(' ear that has just been delivered i ’o the new owner have been properly | lubricated. It sometimes happens that 1 grease cups have been left unfilled when i Ihe ear was shipped, and that wheel ! bearings, universals. steering gears, j etc., have been overlooked. It is alI ways well to go carefully over the ■ lubricating system of the now car and ; see that it- has its due allotment of lubricant. With winter almost here, every drir- : or should know how to. drive a car on :a. slippery road. A side slip is- a lat- ! .'ral or sideways movement of tho car. I A skid i-s the continuous forward movement of the ear with one or more wheels | uoi- turning. Side slipping is usually ! eonuiicd to the roar whee[s, but in some ; vases tho front wheels have figured in , this peculiar movement. When in the . throes of either a side slip or a bad j skid, the first thing to remember is to ’ leave the brake pedal free, partly close ! ilie throttle, but not close entirely, as that- would be equivalent to applying : the brakes. Next turn wheels in' the' i direction of the side slip and open the • throttle. This should right the car. I One reason fur side, slipping may bo found in tho fact that som 0 drivers 1 take corners at a fast rate of spe^d. : Allowing that the pavement is slippery, the driver should round turns slowly and with caution. Tho clutch should bo released if there is a tendency for tho car to slip. _ Motorists should never steer a machine sharply from a kerb I when the surface is wet. Tho reason I for this is simple, in that t-ho grip of ihe wheels on the road is insufficient | to overcome the centrifugal effect, and | tho result is that the rear of tho car is forced towards the kerbing. Sometimes a sudden speeding up of the motor will ! overcome the tendency to skid.