MOTORS AND MOTORING
(By "Clutch.")
Playing witli the Carbwretjor. "WLui tlio'engine shows signs of irregular working," says tlio "Sdcntinu American/' "the carburettor is usually thoiirst thing blamed, but in reality it is tlio last thing at fault. There is a fascination about its mysteries Ihiit. urges on tlio average driver to experiment with 't, without haying any . definite conception of its principles of operation, or the dctaile of its foo often intricate Hlnictiiral details, stnd conscciuently Jio is continually ljvaking what he calls adjustments, that uro'expensive iu increased consiunpfaoia, of gasoline and tlccraascd efficiency of .(ho motor. Of. course, there are occasionally real troubles in.'the carburettor, out these are mostly tha result of foreign matter that, get in from not straining the fuel, as it goes into tho tank; and tlio indications of such troubles should be learned by every driver so they will l>o readily recognised and , lead to a. correct remedy, without disorganising the entire apparatus iu a blind search for the failure. Before the maker delivers a car, for its own reputation, he gets the best adjustment of the carburettor possible, I ani the less, it is altered .thereafter the 'oc-tter. Another point is the manipulation on starting. It is the common custom, when the engine has been standing, to first flood the carburettor; but in many eases this does. not appear to facilitate matters. Tho trouble is diat the manifold already contains a quantity of condensed, gasoline, left over from the previous run, very frequently ati ample sufficiency to. start the engine; and if the carburettor is flooded in addition the mixture is made too rich to explode. It is good policy to study the carburettor,.but to . avoid interfering with it." . ■ ■ ■ Guarding Against Fires. Discussing the flro danger, an American writer remarks that bnck-iiring is the •principal cause of motor fires, and this most frequently is caused by too lean a mixture of gas. Most often the trouble eceurs in a cold engine. '.'ln view of the danger of a 'lean' mixture," he adds, "it is the part of wisdom for the motorist to enrich it, in winter especially. This will prevent the danger of back-fire, and when the engine is warmed r,r> the mi_laire can' easily bo readjusted.' In view .of the possibility of back-fires, drip-pans, tic remarks, should be so constructed that they will at any time contain very little petrol. Poor seating of the float-valve may lead to an overflow of the Carburettor: "If. this :is' the case tho valve should be taken apart and cleaned so that the float will seat properly'. Hunting for-a. long time at high speed is another cause of fire. This sometimes raises Hie exhaust pipe to a red or' even white, heat and when, as often is the case, this exhaust is placed too close th« woodwork of the car may bo igalted, particularly if it has become greasy or el'y. Thus the careful owner who keeps; his car clean is in far less danger than the careless ones. ' Occasionally iires are started by' opening the muffler cut-out ia starting.' If tho car is in a garage this is particularly' dangerous, for the presence of spilled gasolene and oil adds to the chance of the firn spreading. A slight petrol.drip under the car may lead to a serious fire' from' this cause. • PetroL •vapor being heavier than air remains close to the • floor, and may .be set off in this way. ■ Short. circuiting: of the ignitionor lighting wires is , a cause that ''must'be guarded against. A'wire red hot from this cause can easily ignito' petrol Vapour, and start afire on greasy woou'work." '" ' ... ■ . ' ■ Here and .There. . .', ■'■'■'■■. Answer to a Correspomlent.-I am un. able to answer your questions from firsthand, experience, but am advised by n motorist who experimented with camphor when its use was proposed ■rears a"o that it is of.no value as im nnxiliary or supplementary fuel. 'Camphor, he points out, has q 1-pw'er fuel..value tluin benzine; it doos no harm beyond causing a slight deposit of soot on tlio tylindere, but its ■use cannot in any way make ior economy in: working. v . What is termed, a "breaker strip, in some form, or other, is" a. component part of most inolor lyres, but tho average user .appears to have um incorrect impres=ioa 'of its function, beliovmi; it if put ill io add strength to tho casing. This is uol' the case, for.it is intended as a sort of armour lo protect the fanrio of tho tyro from injury. Being made of. tough, dose-woven fiibn'c. nnd lying between (lie tread and tho structural labile of tho lyre, the breaker strip, jn-oticistho latter from Hip fraction strains resttltin" l'vom the.pull of tluv tread on the road. I lid also lo a hu-ge extent utop» the .penetration of sharp stones before" the tyro, fabric is reached, tliun preventing- tho entrance. oF water, and. dirt, which do so much injury lo the l'W peoplo realise how many different cars aro still in use whose- makers liavo gono out of tho busihoHi, and how niany models turned out yeiirs- sigo have become so far obsolete that >P«';o .I"" -1 ? are no lonjrcr carried ii'l..i.ho fimloncs ol their origin. The "florselots Age ' 'recently published a list of 208 ™P}>™ . enrs and is', not entirely sure that the list includes, nli .the members of. the "IMS now proposed to use I'libber spoilt moulded to'fit Ihe liisido of ths tyro casing, and in this manner jn'oduce a puncture-proof tyre. .Tho >uy' still', rides-on air, but Iliis air is conluwl in innumerable little saoke. ■ . , ' , A recent American invention-is intended lo prevent blow-outs s_ a. result of the air in tyros becoming healed. it is proposed to provide an air reservoir 'in or on the. wheel, with connections between (he reservoir and Hip an- in the tyre. It is exposed that.the. action ol the tyre, when the car is running, will circulate tho air in Iho tyre yroun«. through the reservoir, which will. act as a radiator, and thus keepthp air cool and prevent its tindno expansion. It is also expected that this air. reservoir, by increasing tho volume ot air, will act .is a shock-absorber. ~ ' ~, I,ightiiiK-up tiiuo: To-day, 5.31 p.m., next I'riday, 5.»8 p-ni. .
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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3184, 7 September 1917, Page 9
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1,039MOTORS AND MOTORING Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3184, 7 September 1917, Page 9
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