MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3129, 6 July 1917, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.") Substitute Fuels. According to tho "Times of India" i\ new source of motor spirit lias l>eeii discovered in the flowor of tho maliua, tree, which abounds in all parts of India. In Hyderabad alone, it is stated, tho authorities gathor about 25,000 tons of theso flowors every year, eomo 10,000 tons of which aro used for liquor, the remainder being at present a drug on the market. It is also stated that several makes of motor-cars have been run successfully on spirit prepared from these flowers at half the cost of potrol. Word of another substitute fuol comes from South Africa. It is stated that experiments thoro have shown that a type of motor fluid which gives practically the samo results as petrol can be mado from sugar-cano. It is said that in tha tost of this fluid (or natalito, as it is termed by tho manufacturers) a 3600-pound car on a 500-milo trip over all conditions of roads averaged ISA miles per gallon. A company has been formed to manufacture, tho fuel, and it is planing to produce 2,000,000 gallons per year. The now motor spirit, it is claimed, will bo much cheaper than petrol.

British Magetos. Bofore the war the German magneto I manufacturers practically monopolised this business throughout the world. At the outbreak of hostilities tho British. Government set to work to remedy this matter, with the result that English firms are now able to more than copo with magneto requirements. Over 200,000 have already been supplied to tho war authorities, mostly for aero work, and it is pleasing to learn that tho British profluct is giving the greatest satisfaction, even under the eeverost conditions imposed by aeroplane work, which calls for even greater reliability than ordinary motor-car work.

Here and There. It seldom occurs to a man that he ought to strain the lubricating oil, but this should be done, nevertheless. Most people rely on the strainer in the funnel, and many give it no thought at all. But foreign matter carried into the pump may clog or cause it to fail, besides clogging the strainer in the pump, What is termed an electro-pneumatic gear shift has been introduced in the United States. . In this device the gears aro changed by compressed air, the valves of the air Chamber being operated electrically. The air is also nsed for operating tho clutch, so that all the driver has to do to change from one gear into another is to move the switch lever on tho steering column. Much of the carbon deposit in most engines which suffer from it is due to overheating of lubricating oil. To build and maTket tho 1,645,55fl motor-cars that statistics show were disposed of by tho American automobile industry in 1916 required the labour of 575 manufacturers of complete cars (there were 512 in 1915), 26,000 automobile dealers, 2-1,000 garages, and 20,000 machine shops. The total capital obligations of all American railways are nearly JM,000,000,000, while similar obligations outstanding against tho automobile industry amount in the aggregate to about ,£100,000,000. This is a remarkable commentary on the inherent stability of the motor industry Lighting-up timo:—To-dav, 4.34 p.m. Next Friday, 4.38 p.m.

To Motorists—Save one-fourth Benzine by using Speedier Vaporiser on your engine. Car size, 255.; Cycle size, 15s. Thirty days' trial. Cash refunded if not satisfied. E. Miller, Main Stroet, Greytown North.—Advt.