MOTORS AND MOTORING
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Tho Fire Danger,
Uo question ol smoking in relation to petrol lira, is seldom understood, oven by those who-arc daily handling cars and motor-cycles. At least a bright-red heat -is .necessary to ignite petrol, and a cigarette is therefore eui'o enough, while 11 pipe is hardly less so. Tho dangor with both of theso is probably that if an owner gets into tho habit 'of smoking while at work on tho car ho will very easily go further and strike a match. Smoking and lightiiig-iip close to a car in tho open is safe, as a nile, but in the garngo it is certainly to-bo condemned. A thoughtless proceeding which has led to Iho destruction of many cars is filling np. with petrol by Iho light of an oil ,-lamp. Petrol in tho tank itself i* not "so easy-to ignite in this way, but tho stream leaving the liu may catch, and unless this is instantly smothcord tho.only thins to do is to fling tho can away from tho car where it can do least harm. An empty tank is always.dangerous, from, tho probability that enough petrol will remain in tho form of vapour to provide an explosive mixture, and if soldering work.- is. to bo done tho only safe method is. to fill tho empty tank with- water and drain it dry- before com-, mencing work, ■
Carburettor; Hints. . In many ears (says an Americiih- writer) water and dirt'in the fuel system cause] almost endless trouble,' which may very I likely be attributed to tho engino proper. I Dirt"will clog the. minute crevices in.the carburettor,' causing numerous porouliar symptoms of ".trouble-; to' appear. Many cars 1 have no' provision except for, a.i metal strainer in the. tank, for preventing tho entrance of djrt into the fuel system. It' is sugested. that the ownersof'cars so equipped fit a trap in: the..] gasoline, .lino. . All; the .larger manufacturers, of carburettors have devices of this- kind.■' •■•■ ■;• ■ ' If you suspect, carburettor: trouble, try the following test: Run.your'car throttled down for a .couple of-furlongs.. Choose a moment when there is a. clear spaco ahead, and suddenly press the accelerator pedal all tho way down.. The motorshould pick up smoothly to- us high speed as; you. caro. to run-.- If- the motor, chokes, or gives backfire.at carburettor or muffler explosions, it shows, the. CM-, burettor is out. of adjustment. Gas as Fuel'. Petrol now. selling, at 4s. per gallon in England, when buyers can : get. it. Under these conditions tho uso of coal gas for private vehicles is. making-great strides. At present tho chief difficulty with the use of this fuel is the biikiness of the bag containors ; but experiments aro being conducted with a view to mak T . ing light'tanks or-cylinders capable, o.f holding- gas. It it were not for the- trouble of carrying tho, gas, it would, quickly supersede, petrol,, as 1000. cubic foot'only-costs about'3s., and'it will do.the. work of about four-gallons; of .petrol costing 16s. .. A Cause of Tyre Wear. It is. generally understood nowadaya; that wheels which are out of alignment causo: undue, tyre wear; Kims winch, are loose or otherwise improperly- mounted, will have, the-, same effect of- causing- excessively- rapid; tyre wear,. A loose rim, generally, makes' its prcsenco. known i by a clicking- or squeaking sound. This.; ■is not always so, for occasionally, a small stone or some, saud, may get in between the rim and the felloo so. as to ! prevent noise. Tho rim may appear to be tight, and yet be running' out of aligiK ment. and. wearing out tho tyr.o; Here-' and .Thero. : It doosn't mako' any,-difference, what, .kind of a. car' you. have, you can keep, it running smoo.thaud at the same lime, get more power and more, miles, to the gallon out of it if you drain the craukcaso every 500 or 1000 miles, and p.iit in fresh oil. When driving in a fog : it is of' somo assistance to have the lights on the carscreened with yellow-■ paper or othersuitable material." Tho yellow light Ims. tho property of; deeper penetration- twin: white. failure to make a good. job.of solderingis. often duo- tq the fact; that tho. novice, does not- know how- to/make, a good, soldering flux. Muriatic, acid' 'should: never bo used alone, but it must bo cut with zinc. Mil a bottle, half full of acid, and drop in a few narrow- strips of zinc cut from old dry cells. When the acid has nearly stopped gassing, drop in a. fewmore. Continue until bubbling stops and some zinc, remains' undisturbed. Pour the clear liquid.from tho top and uso as flux. . ~. It is. not so generally known, as it might be that a warm, engi.no- can, bo started much easier . than, .a, cold., one. Much of the difficulty of starting; up after a car-has been left, standing m the open for- some hours, cau be avoided by placing- a, heavy-rug over-the radiator and bonnet. Very often, a, car- left overnight in a cold- motor house, if the radiator and bonnet be thoroughly' well covered up, can. be : started; up fairly easily next morning. . •Uter a motor has seen reasonably long service, so that the pistons do not fit as closely in the cylinders as they 4Htat first, "it is advisable to use a'heavier,. «rade of oil, in order to-'take up a little, of the clearance. In racing,, motors,, where the piston-to-cylinder clearance is often more than twice that used in ordinory practice, the drivers .use heavy oil. Hi"li viscosity lubricants, such as' castor oil" or mixtures, of castor and mineral oil,' aro the favourites., for racing motors. Lighting-up time: To-day, CM p.m... : next Friday, 15.58 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. R. Miller, Main Street, Greytown North.—Advt.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 9
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979MOTORS AND MOTORING Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 9
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