MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 67, 13 December 1918, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By Clutch.).

The Future of the Light Car. - '•■ Thd veteran of the motor industry, 3tr. S. F. Edge, is of the opinion (lint the light' car in coming -to tho front after the wiir and in a letter to tho' '.-Autocar" ho say's:'—"!, tool' so strongly that I am -lijjlit that if during- the next year,', no' serious steps, are taken for. Britain -to meet the demand that must come, I shall again enter- the motor trado -with tho some feelings as those I had.in. 18.98, when it was publicly stated, that!'' Groat Britain-could-neither: make enrs nor'find •drivers-for them, andl had the honour •of helping to:prove.that: both-stateine'iils wore' Untrue; ■' I -will do. .a similar tiling 'again, with tho help of tried friends/with, .light oars/arid cheap pars',' milch as I might wish to continue-iuy present very congenial work."-- The-success of the real light..air, says Mr, Edge, will come by enthusiasts in the manufacture of light cars, who will believe in and make their light cars do all that cars of double the weight have bedn able to do in tho past, but the light car 'is' not going to bo a side line of a big-manufacturer; it ■ has got to be the .only line of a- manufacturer who intends to succeed or fail in making a light passenger car,-or si: light chassis to carry about ten cwt,

Lubrication Troubles. ■ "There are two lubrioation- troubles that are . well : worth . .mentioning, ■ al-though-they are -somewhat remote,", soys a writer in the "LightX'ar." It ie possible:ior the -gear-type.-, pump, to wear so that there is too much (space between tha edges of the teeth and.' the' body. This will allow the circulation gradually to diminish and eventually starve the supply. The other trouble is perhaps not so remote that, it can be disregarded, as three cases have come beneath the writor's notice where trouble has been traced to broken internal pipes.' The first ease occurred in a Lagonda, in which one of" the small pipes had becomo -unsoldered, but had not \cansed any. apparent • trouble owing. perhaps to the fact that the spray from the splash had- lubricated the parts In-the'.sec-ond case a. small pipe was carried through into' the timing-gear' ease to lilbricate the timing' chain. The chniii had stretched and rubbed en the email pipe, completely dosing up tho.; holo through .which the oil should have passed. ■ The third case concerns a Calcott. After some repairs, the small pipes ihat feed tho' main bearings evidently had nbt been bent,; so that they passed over the troughs, with the result that the oil ;\vas conducted back to.tho sump without effecting any lubrication of. the centro bearing. This jnad to rely upon splash to- fill the trough. There is no reason why the bottom of the base chamber should not consist of a- large m<ite that .could be removed to render cleaning easy and thorough;"

.Accidents... : .. .'. Even,the'most careful driver, says an .exchange, is sometimes .the victim,of.an accident. In such an .event it is necessary for the, driver to ke?,p perfectly cool and proceed, in a methodical man; nei\ . The number of the other' ear involved- in. the collision,, if this, is" the cause of the accident, should, be'taken, (and it is.-as woll not to disclose the fact 'that one is - insured if such should -be the case.- Evidence of the course' followed by the cars generally can bo'ob.tainod by.looking at the wheel'tracks on■ tho .road, and .a. closo inspection of these often will reveal .not only.' the cdursß'followed,'but also the spot where .the brakes' were first applied.' A rough sketch accurately 'dimensioned should be made if the. severity of tho accident -war•rants it, and, "if the signatures of, any witnesses should be obtained as :a : guarantee" (hat the porticulars given are correct. ■-• In any -Case,-- witnesses of an accident should' be interrogated and pe»u<ad«l'.:to.-.give their-names and dresses. As a matter of course a clear and 1 concige'report of'W'hftt'has happened should be'forward j d, with a copy of the sketch", to the insurance company who, as a.ru.le,-will .be very, reasonable, and do all.that is required if approached in a'.Courteous'hi.-i'iiner.' . " ,'...,,

Here and -There,.•.'■'■ , '- : , Coses have' been known, where the ..owner has been worried by .the'oil.gauge not working, owing to its. being stopped by a pieco of foreign matter'which has. entered, or by - - the -'.frashor" ''brcakihg. '■Consequßntly, it leas well, "before . looking . at the. jjump. and other- ! pdr,ts,. .to!, .'disconnect the pipe! from,the gauge and.ascei;.taiu whether.6il : is actually arriving at tho gauge. ■ ! 'A somewhat remarkable valve ib' being produced' by -an'"Ariiericah' concern !with : a' viow•■' to special, durability -and cooling under conditions such as .in aircraft engines. The stem, is rather large, hollow,, and partially filled'with mercury. The -valve. w ( orks, in the;- overhead' position, and when it becomes hot..the mercury volatilises, and .carries its heat to the. cooler upper■'. portion. of the stern, where .it tends, to condense, (all back to its' Original''position,.' and' ropeat - the -cycle...- -It is,clairaed (that a-positive' and effectual-cooling action 'is thus -produced. • The car 6hquld never be washed'in. direct sunlight.'! If. thV operation, is riot carrie'd'.'o.ut. jn : the. garage the vehiclo .should be .in' tho shade -while . being •washed.. An. obscure, cause .of dxcessivo - oil" consumption is fqund -in the rear crankshaft bearing. • If •• looseness of the fit of the shaft in this Bearing develops, the oil is able to work' its way out. -Lighting-up time:-—To-duy. 7.18 p.m. Next Friday,' 7.23 p.nY. '•""■"