MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 168, 5 April 1918, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

Balanoing Wire Wheels. • Drivers of racing cars are known for their attention to detail, mid one of llio apparently minor items looked after is tho balance of the wire wheels. ] n order to reduce the magnitude) of tho centrifugal force of excess weight ,011 ono sido of tho wheel the drivers balance the wheel as they would a- flywheel. Tho wheel is jacked up anil revolved slightly to' determine which side is tho heaviest. A piece of electrician's, tape is, wound round a upoko on the opposite sido. This process is continued until the wheel remains in any position in which it may be. placed. Selecting a Gar. lu the selection c\f a car an important point the prospective purchaser should see to is tho accessibility of tho various parts for adjustment and repair.' When i.t is found necessary to removo tho body to enable a certain nut or bolt to be tightened, or the engine 'to mike a simple adjustment, the repair charges on what should he a five minutes' job are decidedly disconcerting. These examples may be rather extreme, but the fact remains that accessibility is often made a secondary consideration by designers. That this should he so is really difficult to understand, for that subtle asset, goodwill, is in these days of keen competition an important factor, and no amount of fancy accessories and free extras can have much weight in the scale against heavy repair bills. Carburettor Waste. In the aggregate a large quantity of petrol is wasted through the carburettor by "flooding." Tho spirit brims over the jet, sometimes through the momentary presence of a particle of grit ou the needle-valve seating, sometimes through-the needle being unseated through vibration, and sometimes through the sudden deceleration of the engine, when tho column of petrol in feed system fails to diminish sufficiently quickly in response. Such petrol is wasted through tho bottom air-holes of the carburettor. Furthermore, when the inlet-valve closes the column of gas rushing up the inlet-pipe is suddenly checked, and in. its rebound petrol vapour is expelled through the top air orifices, or, if the petrol is im j perfeotly vapourised, wet petrol spray is often ejected. These sources of waste are supposed to he eliminated in a new design of carburettor. The base of the spraying chamber is sealed, and the usual lower air-holes are transferred to a point about midway up the sides of the spraying chamber. Flooding petrol must therefore bo trapped in the sealed well below; the jet, and it is also thought '.'blow back" in the carburettor is also prevented from reaching either set of air-holes, and will be reinhaled towards the engine on the following induction stroke or strokes. The claim, is made that the new type of carburettor will .perceptibly reduce petrol consumption.

The Utilitarian Motor. An American motor writer, one of many who have recently been at pains •to 'finally dispose of the charge tiiat '■the motor-car is mainly a pleasure /vehicle, quotes an estimate, said to be ' authoritative, that about 80 per cent. of the motors in use in the United States are used by farmers. He adds that "1,377,648 of tie 4,291,684 cars registered in the United States on July 1 were in tho twelve East north cen- ' tral and West north central farming States. ( About- 75 per cent, of the population in these Stales .is in the country and towns of less than 2500 population. In the State of lowa.there is one automobile to every eight people, and nearly as many in tho surrounding rural States. There has been an in? crease of nearly 50 per cent, in registrations in these States from July l, 1916, to July 1, 1917. The necessity of the automobile to modern farm life is responsible for this almost universal use of the automobile in the country sections of these farming States. One car to every eight people is better than one car to erery two families." ■No doubt an orderly survey of wradi-' tions in this country would Sjhow 6om«what similar reeults. The motor is insome leases a , luxury, but. a very large proportion of the cars owned in the Dominion are employed in some form of useful and productive service. Allowance should be made for that fact even by those who are keenest to denounce anything that smacks' of extravagance. Here and There. Most present-dny petrol tanks are fitted with a sediment trap, whicii usually is located at the place where the pipe- line leayes. the tank. This trap has a wire gauze screen and a cup is provided to .'catch foreign matter. The car-owner should .make it a practice to'clean this sediment trap out twico a month during active operation. Any foreign matter admitted rapidly accumulates in. this catch-all. The man who buys a set of soeuet spanners is making a good investment. They save time and keep lints and bolts in good condition, sinco they fit.perfectly and do not round off the edges. 1 Open-end spanners are next best. If ', you must use a shifting spanner, set it up carefully and , avoid rounding off the nut corners are much as possible. When you feel your ''nerve" giving away, it is very apt to bo because you i are thinking too much about ■ yourself, 1 says an expert. liighting-up time: To-day, 5.39 p.m.; next Friday, 5.27 p.m.