MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 178, 23 April 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

a- . • (By "Clutch.") Motor Defects and Reifisdies. In the early day* of motoring in this country no driver would venture on a long trip until he was fnirly well acquainted with the mechanism of the car, ;md able to remedy any little matter likely to get out of order. Nowadays thousands drive cars, and are absolutely ignorant whore to search for causo of • trouble when tho enginu ceases running and tho car coinC6 to a stop. A lew points as to tho likely cause, of trouble nie here briefly touched upon, and may be the means of helping a few of tho venturesome ones to again get going when the inevitable "stop" docs overtake them. ' Taking for granted that the tank-is not empty, nnd tho patrol is turned on—both, points which the beginner" is apt to neglect—the most likely cavso is the ignition Byetcm, A sudden stopping is verv often tha result of a wire breaking, or one of the terminate becoming disconnected. These, therefore, should be Uaatilr examined. Sometimes in ascending a hill when the potrol is low it does not reach tho mouth of the feed-pipo, and this,, of courso, will cause a stop. Tho entn'o.applies to a total loss of compression, due to tho valves breaking or Sticking in their guides. The latter trouble- may be duo to overheating, but it is gonernlly caused by a doposiir of burnt oilin the'guides, which should at onco be cleaned out by a copious application of paraffin, and if tho troublo re-, ouisj• the valve or valves should bo re-, moved, and tho guides cleaned'; if the Yiilvc-stcm is still a. tight fit, or lfl rough, j£ should bo smoothed with emery cloth. : As a rule, an engine stops gradually, and the process is frequently accompanied by misfires. In this case a short circuit or failure of tho ignition system may account for tho trouble, and its roiirce should bo located. If the engine then runs satisfactorily, the motorist will know he has diagnosed tho trouble. If, however, thero is no improvement, ho should soaroh for- a short circuit, ov a locfo terminal. Failing that, he might examine the plugs. Tho points may be fettled, or tho plug.may be broken. If there is any doubt on tho question turn Dff the petrol tnp, disconnect tho supply pipe, then turn on the tap and see if the petrol flows in a full stream. • If thorc is nothing wrong here clean tho carburettor, removing all foreign matter, and if there is still trouble examine the jet, which may bo choked.. . If tho petrol is turned on while the jet is exposed and the spirit does not 6purt through freely, it may bo taken for granted that there is a stoppage. A verv fine wire passed through the jet will clear the obstruction. The next point to exntninc is the filter. This sometimes gets choked with dirt' , and interferes with the supply. Should the supply bo partially ■obstructed . through any of theso crises, the car will piobaWv run fairly well on the level, or when the carburettor is flooded, but wall still on moating a hill. Water m the petrol is another cause of stoppage, lo ■remedy this tho tap or nut at tho bottom of tho carburettor should bo opened, nod the wafer whioh hae collected will run out with the spirit. A valve spring broken or out of place also mov affect: tho running- to sudi an • extent that the car will stop on a hill. Ii tho pißton seizes from overheating, caused bv want of lubrioation, or failure in the circulation system the engine will, of course, come to a sudden stop; but ft careful driver will never allow this to occur, as the preliminary symptoms are unmistakable; The engine will begin to slow, thero will bo a knocking noiso, tho water, will steam, and, as a rule, there will bo a. smell of burning. Needless to say, a Molten connecting-rod will have tho sam>> effect, but this is a very rare occurrence. Sometimes in the garage,' and frequently when on tour, the motorist will have a fow spare minutes, , perhaps hftlf-oft hour, winch could ho spont in looking over tl\o engine and other essential part'' of tho motor, when ho might detect more or less serious incipient defects, which, if not remedied might devo'.op,-■ and lend to trouble and delav. Examination of the engine and other parts whenever pass Me tends to make the driver familiar with the motor and its operation, of which he nover will know too much. Motor Vehicle* Britain. The highest total ever reached in the United Kingdom for motor-ears,motor-cvdes, and hackney motor vehicles, v>as Eed~.ri.l9«4e,wh ? nSo2,2Micen S es were issued, while in March, 1919, there were in use approximator ,5,515 commenial Vehiojte. The additiono these the Jo-Sion bwlay/ This feure » not American totals. In New York State , aC tee are 4850 M motor while there arc no fewer than 6,400,000 ■ in the whole of the United States. Wings on a Raeing Car, An important Mann mater to cxperj. menting with streamlining up-to-date. S racing car will probabb■ look « little like a motor-car as anythinge\er seen on wheels, for the. driver will be wmpletelT enclosed in the fi'Selaße-liko Sy, nod'there will be small wings, not . mightT possibly be .conjectured to he tL case with the ob cot of thing he mffi off the ground, but of holding, it down at high speeds. Stolen American Cars, The highway department report s-howa that 2049' motor-cars stolen in Penney vania during 1919, of which only 272 w«e recovere/. The automobile code of 1919 provides or reports to the State authorities of all cars stolen. It is estimated that the value of the stolen t£ was approximately 2,MANI Mto. Of tho .care reported stolen 1352 vera taken after the approval of tho now law which established a penalty, of MOO dollaw «nd ten-years m prison as the maximum. In addition to the 2,2 cars recovered, tho State is holding under advisement seventeen cue* wherein proof of ownership has not boon established. Jottings. D'd you know that tho average dog is moter-madP asks an American writer. That lie wants to bo-riding all tho ume,and that he will wait nours at a time foV his master or mistress to go motor- ' ne. K is a fact, and dog exports all ov*r the country have been trying to find a solution of the problem, fliciconuensua of opinion seems -to lie that tne automobilo » tho only medium in which a dor can travel as fast a B he wants to 80 . Way a dog will jump uitn a car in the garage and wait there for a long U unnll.iso«nor lakes, lmnoutof a i„in. The "motor, mania seems to bo "a dog family failing, for almost all dogs will rido in an automobile without previous training; Many dogs ko to rido on the running boards of the caw, aril it is uncanny the way some of these motoring dogs call hang on to their nar- , row ncrches. They stick no matter what th - speed and tL faster the car » driven the better they like it Tho inventor of a novel typo of bicycle created a mild Femation at tho ro,c„t six-days' race- J* liow lork. when he gave an exhibition on the Steeply banked track. The machine has pSalictyred wheels about ( the b:,» , of a small dinner-plate, but vertically it is not dwarfed, for tho rider sat, or rather- stood, upright in contrast with tho average cyclist who inclines forward. Tho inaohino was designed for uso in iho cilv streets, and is compactly congtmctod. It hna a wheel base of less than Bft., the drive being innsnutted froin a largo sprocket nlMiod to the crank axlfl, to tho rear or driving wheel. Tie sprocket is set. nlxivo the two road wheels the whole forming a sort of nanule of "wheels.: The inventor is of tho opinion that the machine, being so compact and comparatively light can easily be housed in the office or he home, and never need be left at the kerb. The inventor olnims that under favouraole conditions a- pace of 20 miles an hour can be attained with this miniature cycle Lighting-lip -timei-To-day, 5.10 p.m. tfext Friday, 5 p.m.