MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 269, 2 August 1918, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

The Two-Stroke Engine, | The (lavi'lopincnt of the two-stroko en- i giJic for tho lisktur types of motor v(!liitlos. which was recciriiiK incrcasim; at- | lention in pro-war days, hns for some : tiiu<> bei'ii shelved, in view of the greater .' matters which for three years have oc-1 ciijiied the attention of designers and | other motor experts. The two-s-troko g principle, however, has so many altl'ac- j j tivo features, especially for small en- ! I gines, that its further cxuloitatioii and , :J developmenl after pence is si foregone j jji conelusiou. .As to whether for certain | kind of work the two-stroke engine will i; eventually fake precedence over or en- ■ »; tirely'replace the four-stroka type is a . a question few responsible designers would , { care to answer, but that the two-stroke ' 'f, principle is capable of much ureal w do- \j; velopineut, whereas the four-slvolw is ; jj virtuallv at a Btandstill, is self-evident. '■ « Although in its present form the older j J system has nothing to iear from its ! |! younger rival, ho would lw a rush man * wlio would assert that tho tables can '!• never Ije turned, for thero is no reason ; M to suppose that the obstacles to lw over- j. conio vo that end are insurmountable. 5 In such a case, with its added lnechani- | J crtl wo shall, it is believed, 1 have a wonderfully elKcicnt engine when K tho functidiial difliculties are removed or | modified in some way. The two-stroke | engins, however, has been adapted with | ft much success to motor-cycle practice. : jji First of the advantages of the two-stroke : j; is its e.'mplicity, including such alluring I features as absence of valves, springs, I R tappets, and timing gear—in fuct, of 'i nearly all the noisy and easily deranjjo- | able''parts of the four-stroke engine. | Double the torque impulso is a notable a feature, and another great i>oint which [ gcuevnlly is lost sight of is that, in Ihe | absence of an induction stroke, there is jj constant thrust on all of the bearing?, « and there is lees noise or chattering even | if they become worn, which condition, 8 too, is likely to be deferred. Noise in f an engine is nearly always the result of jj backlash or play due to inconstancy of | thrust. Kc-gaiding functional dilficiil- |] ties in tlio two-strokn engine, they nro set down as two, broadly speaking. One ; is excessive- consumption, and the other { incapacity io run slowly. As tho 'j causes which produce the first arc mainly responsible for tho second, tho en- , gine must be made more economical, yet j efficient. Again, owing to the methods of j oporation, thero is defective scavenging or clearing of burnt or partly-burnt gases from tho cylinder, and also fuel deposition in the crank case, which in the twostroke is ii compressing chamber. It seems th.it these-are the chief problems to bo solved before the two-stroke typo of engine can he much furthei developed and ou which exDerts are industriously working. Avoiding Accidents. When watching tho road traffic in motion in a busy thoroughfare, says the motoring correspondent of tho "Sydney Sun," ono is sometimes inclined to wonder at the small percentage of accidents 'that occur. There is an element of <lanrov involved in all driving, whether of horse vehicle or of motor vehicle. The statement is made at times that an accident was unavoidable, yet investigation reveals the fact that it was not so. Most street accidents in which motor-cars figure are avoidable, and may be avoided if the danger is recognised or realised in lime. Many situations offer possibilities for mishap and collision. Motorists do not knowingly start out with either a defective braking system or defective steering mechanism. Defects caused by flaws or faulty design or workmanship are unavoidable as far as the owner is concerned, and therefore must bo left out of consideration. It is efficient control, and direction of tho car that counts in nine cases out of ten. Good brakes, ready for any emergency, and skill in steering form tiie chief safeguards ngainsl traffic surprises. But while pedestrians continue to dart out from unexpected quarters, and attempt to cross roadways without regard to wheel traffic, motorists require something more to help them* to avoid nasty accidents and the subsequent nerve-racking suspense, Many drivers do not possess Unit sixth sense, as it is termed, which I enables them to see the crisis far enough I ahead to avoid if-. Careful observation of the track ahead assists in a great measure, but whenever it is felt that thero is a possibility of the brakes or steering gear becoming useless, it is advisable to proceed with more than usual eaution. Here and There. An lOuglish writer observes that the ideal met hud of dealing with loose fittings on a light car is to cousider what is llie uwnutio of the various parts, and ; how frequently they siro likely to be ! nsod. "The oilcan, for example, in apt to bo messy in the rear locker, uud there I is nothing thero which reijuirps oiling; ■its proper place is amijewhiM-e under the engine bonnet, where it will be handy, can do no harm, and in cohl weather will have the oil kept fluid by the heat. Tho ' writer once saw a ear under, the bonnet i of which the'owner had fitted a number ' of the chief tools, including a \alve-«ip j spanner, large adjustable spanner, and 'ft), bux-spanner for plugs, which were thus ] all ready to hand for their particular j work. It is comparatively few people ] who go to tho trouble of milking a holder '; for ,each tool, and with such an arrmigej incut thero is perhaps « risk of iheft ■ in si strange garage, but the system disI played was certainly admirable." i A prominent Raw York automobile j company opened its private instruction fichoul to Army and •"Navy men stationed nround the city, free of charge, during J the month of Juno. As n result of this j bit or patriotism groups of men from : ten different military stations visited tho ; city twice a week to attend the special I course prepared for their benefit iu the j company's classroom. Methods of : trouble-finding and repairing were given . special emphasis in the course in order lhaf any man, even though not directly • connected with a motor branch of the ■ service, might be able to make himself only less useful in au emergency than a ■ specially-trained automobile service man. ; The idea of carrying a rack of tools ■ under the door flap or on tho corresponding space to, the right of the driver is • well known. If the door is used tho whole space should really l>c utilised, and a .largo flap made to'cover it. If the ordinary pocket is retained a good plan is to roll up three ur four of the most frequently-used tools, medium span- ' nor, screwdriver, pliers, etc., in a dusier, and keep them in it. The one position on the car where space should not be utilised is the hood, for if one. gets into the habit of rlro]>ping small parcels, etc, into its convenient folds, bisgor packages will follow, very much fo the detriment of the fabric. To resist this temptation, fit a hood envelope. Lighting-up time:—To-day, 4.56 p.m.' Next I'ridaj-. 5.3 p.m.