MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2999, 9 February 1917, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

IBt Cr.ricn.l

Acetylene Generators. In dealing- with acetyleno generators, tliero is 0110 golden rule. It is "dirt spells disaster." When tlio . action of tho water on the calcium carbide causes tlio latter to givo off acetyleno tliero is left behind, as a. residue, iinpuro ljmo m a stato of the finest imaginable ppwder. Either as a sludge, or, if the generator is loft standing after use, as a powder, this finely divided lime will find its way through tlio most tortuous passages and round tlio sharpest corners. If a generator is left alone iind merely recharged when tlio carbide'is used up the limo will very gradually fill up every passage until thero will bo a real choice. When carbide is emptied out of a generator the whole annaratus ought to be wasTie<l out thoroughly, and all pipes or passages blown through to make euro they aro clear. Also, if it is'a dri]> feed generator, whore tlio water flow is controlled by .1 needle valve, this'ought to bo opened fully, and the projecting point of tlio valve "twiddled" to make sure no dirt from the water is lurkfpg round tlio valve seat. Then about onco m twenty times of iising, whether there has been trouble or not, the niping that leads to the lamps should ho disconnected at either end and- a wire poked through. , Water for Filling Accumulators. One of tho principal troubles in connection With accumulators is duetto tho liquid sinking below tho level of tho top of the plates. When this happens considerable damage ensues through suiphating. and tho necessary replacement or repair is an expensive matter. Most accumulator makers purchasers. when the liquid sinks nn tlio cells through evaporation, to m.l|V> troM the loss bvthe addition of dUillert water. Now, distilled water W !>v. no means always available, and itv of motorists aTP apt to delay tlio filling up process nnt.il a-visit to »*6Mnist and the recollection of-the state of the accumulator* happen one day to coincicle. As araatbr ot fnct, • < * 16 ' tilled water is probably tlio safes L fo !. Hi plenishing accumulator cells, no ill-effieote will result from the use'of clean win water, nrovided always that. tho from which the rain water "- taken i, itself clean, and free from fucli things is rush- iron nails.. The « water, inorder to reduce tho risk of trouble to a minimum should be -nro*' lv .tnund before it is put into the cells. It must T understood that when the loss of liquid from tho cells is due, not to evaporation, but to spilling, caused by vibration from the . running of the car over i oil"h roads, the wasted must, be made gaod with 'acid of tho strength recommended l>v the nvakers .- accumulators. In' order to obtain .this nrirl it is wel l to.consult a. firm oi elec t.riciaiis, as, if the strength of tho acid is incorrect, the result is liarmful. Here and There. Tf it is required to bend a. ripe which has a fairly large interna bore some ■wild of filling must ployed, otherirk* Hi.* T)it>e will TnnK. Uno en a plionld lip dospd Tv-itli o. -plug of and molten lend or Tes V;,^°^ p When the filling has solidified, may bo bont round. a bar held m a 1L or vice. If a tnb»-bMidw machine is available it should be ™ed, «nd a cleaner curve will result. A c pine that is to be bent, should first.of all bo anjioalcd—that is,, heated plunged into water before commencing ° P Tt"is quite easy to obtain a light without a match, and to do to a. small piece of rog or cotton should bo soaked £?th petrol; one of the snarkmg plu« must be removed, and * -P™* If e close to the w-in such a. wa> as to be in contact with the engine and yet set alWit to the rag when the engine is turned with the switch on. T » hp « well, worth remembering, as. it is the fate of nearlv everv motorist to be stranded for want of a match at some time or another. ' v<r .. i. n It is sometimes very difficult to un screw a tight vnlyo cap, and before ti J - iug the . somew'lmt brutal method of blunt chisel and a hammer it is well to run the engine until the valve cap becomes really hot. .and then to put cold water into or on to the. cap, so as to cousc tho metal to shrink. In most cases the enp will then be freo to unG ° There are. many unpleasant' _ noises heard when the car-is in operation and which mav bo remedied without very much trouble. Alioocl rattle is most annoying, anil .usually is caused by the holding down device having loose springs. There are so many Mcreut types <if hood fasteners _ tliafT specific instructions cannot here bp given. it will hs worth the owner s trouble to investigate this small part and-deter-mine just how the fasteners can bo made to hold the hood more firmly in place. 'Door rattles and floorboaid hums aro easily removed by using felt inserts, and, although these soon become compressed and the noise Teturns, thov constitute, a good temporary remedy. Tools under the front seat often . rattle, giving rise to. tlio belief that somo part of the car is causing it. Stealing motor cars must bo a h™tive business in America. In Chicago alone somo 2500 cars have been stolen during the last 10 months. . .- It is' wise to make an occasional inspection. of the wheels to determrao if they wobble. This can bo done is two ways, by jacking up. cacli wheel and turning it, standing a few feet away , to notice any wobbling, or by allowing 6omeone else to drive the car while, you observe wlifeel moveinont. Sometimes the wheel itself may run troe, but the |

rim and tyro may not bo mounted just right, giving tho impression that tho whole wheel is wobbling. Tho "Goodyear Gazette" for January, which has just come to hand from Sydney, contains tit-bits of news that would advantage motorists to Toad, even if they are perfectly .'content with tho tyres they are using. It gives somo interesting news about high-speed travel in Queensland, and shows t!lic car that has just broken tho record between Perth and Kalgoorlio. To those concerned in tho efficiency of tyres thoro is pleasuro and profit in tho "Gazette." Lighting-up timo: To-day, 7.1 p.m. Next Friday, C.55 p.m.