MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3178, 31 August 1917, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

Fillirtg Cuts in Outer Covers,

Cuts in oiilcr covers need prompt and ■; offioient treatment if damp is to bo prevented from reaching tho oanvas foun* elation anil rotting it Tho first 'mistake 'usually mndo by the tyro, using a tyro putty, mastic., or ftimilar filling material, is duo to insufficient bevelling of tho walls of tlio cut, so that tho filling material inny have «s largo an area a" possiblo on whioh to udhere. This is one of tlio axioms of vulcanising, and 1 as cut. filling is a similar operation, utilising a. cold i.roccss, tho sumo lqws apply. Tlio next common fault is duo to the application of tho mastic in a slipshod and slovenly fashion. To bo effective con. siderable pressure is needed. The pressure is best applied by means of a set of implements made of bone from toothbrush handles and mustard spoons. Somo aro shapod like mioiaturo spoons, and othors nTo blunt-ended, and are used for keeping tho mputli of the cut gaping while tho filling is being rammed in. Tho final point of importance consists in the application of-pressure whilo tho filling is setting. A. spring-hold clamp is the handiest mothod of doing this, although excellent results have been ob- j tained by laying h smooth spanner, well dusted with French chalk, over tho repair and binding it firmly in position with a piece of cOrd until the filling is thoroughly dir. To obtain the best results the pad should be. left ou for twelve hours. Tho Cost of Motoring. "The cost of motoring is steadily decreasing. This apparently is An astonishing statement," says an American authority, "but nevertheless it is true. While tyres aro advancing in price and while petrol, oil, and the cars themselves are'being advanced more or less, yet tho motorist of to-day is riding at a lower cost per mile than he did flvo yoara ago. The' present economy of motor-oar travel- I ling'comcs .as the direct result of advances in automobile engineering and of big quantity production. In 1012 an automobile purchaser paid in the neighbourhood of iG6(K) or for a heavy car that ate up a gallon of petrol every ,'sis or soven miles, that wore out tyres every- 2000 or IflQO 'miles, and that was constantly in tho repair shop. To-day the purchaser of an tutomobilo obtains lin eight or six-cylinder oar for a third tho. price of several of the old models, and which is easier riding and of fat better 'appearance. Furthermore, he geta double tue tyre mileage and almost three times tho mileage out of a gallon _ ot petrol, whilo only an occasional tuningup and adjustment is required to keep the car. going every day in the year. When to all theso''advantages is added the time that an owner saves in a hundred different ways over the motorist of five years ago, hot to mention tho comfort and added travelling radius, the greater luxury and refinement of the modem our, tbo present-day motorist is deoidedly: better oft' than his predecessor of live years ago." Here and There. Every time you change a wire wheel put grease on the metal surfaces of the wheel epindlo where tho hub touches. If this is not dono the wheol will rust and stiok to tho spindle, and it will bo extremely difficult to separate. Tho dirt collected on tho outside of tho engino jb not-merely an eyesore. It gets into tho bearings and causes loss of power and wear. This shortens tlio life of the engino. If the dirt is removed regularly this wear is prevented and tho car will last longer. Be careful ■to dry tho spokes of a wire wheel ■ after washing. An the enamel chips off. the metal rust starts and loosenß more of it-. Careful drying will prevent this to a great extent. In ■ adjusting differential gears difficulty is often experienced in seoing! whether tho gears are meshing properly. A small pockot mirror, mounted on a soft iron wiro handle, may bo used in much tho samo manner as a dentist's mirror. Inspection or repair of many hidden and obscure parts is nlso facilitated by tho uso of this mirror. iiest results can' bo scoured from a motor-cooling systom by . keeping tho radiator cells free from foreign matter. Particularly on long trips over bad roads tho interstices <f tho radiator aro packed witji dirt and mud, retaining tho Jioat which should bo dissipated in radiatioji. A deposit of rust on the refloctor or lens ofteii cuts dow.n- tho light to a marked degree. Tho owner should make a habit of wiping tho dust from theso parts. It -is estimated that more than -C'lflO.OOO was subsoribod to tho Liberty Loan-by employees of motor industries throughout tlio United States. A sourco of noiso that is frequently overlookod is. tho case covering tho timing gears. -It should bo kopt filled with lubricant. If it becomes ompty it acts as a 6ounding board, and intensifies tho noise of the. gears. Another queer Story as to tho cause of a. etiv.haying'beori destroyed by lire is given under tho heading "Tho Human Accumulator" in a recent Now York daily. The story goos that electricity induced by tho friction, of a fur-hnod or covered overcoat worn by a motorist caused a spark, which, exploded tlio petrol* . Tho motorist is t>ui<l to u«i\© visited tho garago garbed, iu this accumulator ovorcoat and rubbor boots, and tho flapping of the coat against bis legs caused friction, wjiioh produced tho electric spnrk. Owing, it is said, to his ]x>dy being insulated from the ground by tho rubber boots the olcotricily was stored iu his body, and when lio approached tho car a. spark was givou out and ignited tho fluid, h'ow motorists, Bays an English commentator, nowadays wear fur-lined coats, but if ono of theso can bo.mado into a handy sparo mufincto wo .shall sco their use becoming more universal. TPould rabbit fur do as well as, say, bear fur? _ Lighting-up timo: To-day, 5.31 p.m.; next IViday, 5.31 p.m.

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