MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 161, 27 March 1918, Page 11

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

Friction'-p'ai!3Bs..!3:i;na3«! to Tyres,

"The- alignment «'i from, wheels in order to pi.nmuiie Jncunj mi tlw 'yrcs' WWlcl rapines SWlaime adjustment iiml shou.u always bo done by those win)'«i'i) experienced in making "the »dr jiistinent," says L. 11. Coppel, iiianager of the : Company. "Tho toe-in, camber, gather, and .draw of. the. front wheels of an a.utomobiie are very essential lealures of the chassis in obtaining maximum tyro . mileage . 'and in providing easy steering qualities. _"Whon under motion this tendency of the wheels of a car is to too outward. If the adjustment to overcome tin's is either too much or not enough, the front and the rear wheels will grind tho tread with every revolution and bring about serious damage.. If the axlo has been bent, ever so slightly, sliding of the rear tyre will .occur and inevitably cause rapid wear. In support of this tho statement is made that frequently after 400 to 500 miles' running tho tyros become.worn to the fabric simply because tho front wheels were out of alignment. "In assembling tho wheels in front axles the. toe-in from. front to rear is established at three-eighths of an inch, corresponding -to three : sixteenths of ah inch on each wheel." Insulation Repair. .\yhen on the road it is found that wiring insulation is broken with all its attendant troubles, the break may. be quickly and easily repaired by using a small quantity of the tar which is to be found on top of the' battery. Melt the tar and while it is hot spread it over the break in the insulation and cover the whole job with a piece of cloth. Of course, if electrician's tape' is at hand this may be used to repair the break; indeed, this-is precisely the sort of service for which the tape is intended. Here and There. While too much oil is better than none, do not ilood every oil nolo. A coating of oil attracts dirt and grit, a motor-ear's worst enemy. A deposit of dust on the reflector or lens often, cuts down tho light to a marked degree. The owner should make a weekly habit of wiping this dust away. While doing so it is a good plan to inspect tile cable connections. Vibration orten loosens them, and the poor contact results in a loss of Jignt and waste of current,

The owner who does his own work on the car will and thut valves which are pitted may. be easily and quickly, refitted .by having a local garage or machine shop cut a now face, tho lathe being used lor this purpose. This is a' matter of five minutes' work, whereas grinding in until the face is clear may mean hours of tiring work. Of course", the'newly cut valve will have to be ground to its seat, but this is not a formidable task.

It is just as bad to have parts fit too tight as it is to have them too loose. A bearing which is too tight will loosen rapidly, and will pound while doing so. It is bad practice to have tho bearings taken up merely by refitting the movable half. The whole beanng_ should; be refitted if the part is to give really • good service. A good check on the condition of the piston rings may be had by feeling the crank case. If it. is hotter than usual it is probable that, there is leakage past the rings, which either are worn or stuck in their because of carbon deposits. By far the best; compound to.uso in cleaning reflectors, says an exchange, is a mixture of denatured alcohol and water in equal parts. The solution should be applied with , a . soft cloth, wjiich will not scratch the surface. Spark plug points, should be set to approximately oue-tliirty-second of an inch for the best fuel economy. The distance .varies slightly with different engines, but this is a good rule to follow. The breaker points on the magneto should bo smooth and in proper adjustment to get the most out of the fuel. AVheu the points wear and the gap becomes too large the spark is not so strong, the explosion not so powerful, and therefore moro petrol is required. If you should have fuel feed trouble which you cannot locate, remove the petrol : trank and shako it. In four out of five cars fitted- with cheap tanks there always are a few pieces of solder on the inside of the tank. These pieces work their way to the place over the feed lino, and prevent the proper flow of fuel.. There is only one way of getting the pieces out, and that is to shako them out, llemember, says an American sales manager, that tho service you get from your car is as much dependent upon the manner in which you operate it as is your own health dependent upon the manner in which you care for it. Leaks in a petrol tank or pipe are not only a source of danger, but may causo inconvenience when they occur oil tho road, far from supplies. An old method of stopping such a leak is to plaster it over with a thick paste of soap, well worked into the crevices. The old-fashioned- yellow bar soap is excellent for the purpose; and to make a safo temporary repair the soap plaster should bo tightly wrapped with tape, or oven a bandage, of cloth may bo used. If a little- shellac is aynilablo it is well to give the wrapping a coat, which will obviate anv possibility of trouble that might result from water getting on tho soap from without, '