MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2925, 10 November 1916, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

fßi CLUTCH.]

Causes of Rattle. Tt is distinctly annoying to toko delivery of a now car and find that thero is ft mysterious rattle proceeding from some of -the fittings. Such a ease recently came to our notice whore tho irritating noiso emanated from the reed of tho horn, which had oomo loose and n'as vibrating against the inside of the horn. Oil removing the bulb and tightening up tho reed, the rattle was at once stopped, and all was quietness once more. A dry spell of weather is often responsible for squeaking bodywork and soreen fittings, as the wood shrivels if not property seasoned. Noise is often set up by the petrol tanks, and this peculiar drumming sound is very irritating whon tho tank is set in tho dash, as is usually tho case. When tho tank is nearly empty, the noise is much, worse, and the best method of silencing this drumming is to keop the tank as full as possiblo. As one very rarely does as much as 100 miles without stopping, it is not a very troublesome operation to empty a two-gallon tin into tho tank every 80 or 100 miles, thus keoping tho tank full; Also, if one adopts this procedure regularly there is no need to trouble about carrying a spare tin of petrol. Other oauses of noise are found in underscreens and wings, if not sufficiently rigid to prevent. vibration, and if the uderscreen is suspected as a causo of rattle it •should he temporarily dotachod to see if the noiso ceases. Should it prove tho source of the trouble, a euro may be effected by riveting on thin iron strips to give additional stiffness and by making sure that the screon is rigidly attached to the frame. Metal mugs may be treated so, and 1 thfey may he detected as a source of noise by placing the hand on them while the car is running.

Gleaning a Jet, It spmetimes happens that one is troubled by choked petrol feed pipes and choked jets.' This ' occasionally occurs with a new tank, small pieces of solder lying loose in the tank passing through the petrol pipe and l seriously obstructing the flow of petrol to the carburetter. Sometimes this matter passes the needle valve of the carSuretter, and sticks in the channel leading from the float chamber to the jet. Accordingly, when the throttle is opened wido and. the suction on the jet increases, these particles of foreign matter are sucked up into the jet, so causing a stoppage. Obstructions in the petrol pipe are usually removed by disconnecting the pipe at both ends and blowing down it, either by pump or "lung power." After that, remove the float chamber, float, and jet, and' see that the channel, lending from the float chamber to the jet is cpaito clear. It is quito possible, on taking down the jet, to find! that there is: no foreign matter in it, the dirt being' only sucked up by the ongine. If there is an obstruction in the jet itself, this can always be removed by the aid of a thin piece of wire suoh as that found on the stoppers of petrol tins. A strand out of a spare piece of Bowdon wire can be passed through the jot if necessary. Starting Up Without a Handle. When the pin' in the starting-handle breaks as one attempts to start up, the average man is likely to feel lost. By jacking up a rear wheel and engaging a gear, and then pulling the wheel smartly round in a forward direotion, the engine may bo started, and on one occasion at least this has proved very useful. When a, similar accident oocurred at another time there was too much friction in the transmission to allow this to ue done, so the ■ driver took his seat and held out the clutch, witli first speed engaged, while tho passenger and two helpful navvies pushed the car. As soon as the car was moving the clutch was let in, and the engine immediately started, the clutch taken : out, ana the . gear lever was quickly placed in neutral again. The car was pulled up for the passenger to nnter, and the. journey was resumed. When it is found that the startinghandle is damaged, the driver' should take care to stop his car only on a hill. Whether the hill is up or down the engine can always be started up by releasing the brakes, engaging either the reverse or a forward speed, and then inserting the clutch.

Here and There. The breakage of a front spring plate is not .a serious breakdown, and the trouble can bo overcome in various ways._ One method' is to take two of the tire lovers, place them one above and one below the. broken leaf, and lash them very firmly with •. cord or copper wire. If the spring is broken through all the leaves, the best pldn is to place a block of wood between the spring and Hie underside of the frame, fastening the block in position with cord. A damaged rear spring is rather a more serious matter, particularly if tho drive passes through the spring. The only thing to do is to pack it, as tn the case of the front spring, to prevent tho two edges of the. broken leaf, or 'leaveS"from separating, and to drive slowly to the nearest garage. A special form of clip is sold for fitting over a broken spring, and one of these should bo carried'on the car if you are at all doubtful of your springs standing up. The removal of floorboards is often nccessary for the inspection of clutch and brake gear, and if they fit very tightly, as they should do in order to prevent rattle, it is no easy matter to remove them with the hand unless some provision is made for so doing. A simple method is to boro a lin. diameter hole in one board, so that a finger may be introduced and the board removed, when tlio other boards can easily be got at. A neater and better way is to have fixed to the board a small brass ring, which may be obtained in a.neat brass, ca6e, and countersunk into the floorboard. In some light cars with lockers which extend well back it is often very convenient to be able to remove the floorboards of the looker, as access may then bo had to ! the back axle and brakes without neces- ! sifcatmg crawling under tho car or having recourse to an inspection pit. io prevent tho wheels slipping when climbing hills, a length of rope comes m handy. When 'wrapped round one of the'back covers it gives an excellent bito and renders an ascent easily possible, which could othcrwiso onlv be managed by alternately racing and slowing down the engino and a good deal of clutch slipping. Of coursc, the ropo will not stand much of this sort of treatment, as the wear on it is very rapid. This same idea can bo followed should the car get bogged in a field or soft ground. The ropo will again como jn liandy if tho last spare tube has been used. To savo the cover it should be takon off the wheel, and the centre of tho run filled up by passing tlio ropo round it longitudinally several times. Driving under these conditions would necosshrily be very slow unless proper precautions were exercised to see that tho chassis were not damaged by tho increased vibration.

I Hie brakes should lie used as littlo as possible, if due consideration is paid to the tires, and acceleration should bo also gradual. Also, when out on the open road,- newly-laid- road metal is sooner <pr later bound to he inct with, and in the manner of negotiating this tho tiros may l>o saved from much wear. If tho stretch is takon at lugh speed the jar as the tires hit tho now metal is .likely to out them badly, and, if taken slowly, a drop should'be ma<le to a lower gear, the more oven torque being much loss likely to result in cuts and gashes in the tires. If the metal

is laid on a down-hill stretch, tho car should bo allowed to roll down tlio gradient under gravity, as this will put the absolute minimum of wear on tho tires. Lighting-up time: To-day, 6.54 p.m.; next Friday, 7.H p.m.

INTERESTING TO MOTORISTS. The cost of benzine can, it is slated, easily bo reduced to nearly one-third by making it into gas, which gives additional powor and increases the speed at least ton miles per liour. This is done by inserting a vapourising tube into tho induction pipe close to tho engine. See advertisement column— Speodlor attachment.