BEHIND AND IN FRONT OF THE WHEEL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 58, 30 October 1931, Page 6

BEHIND AND IN FRONT OF THE WHEEL

. ^ ' MOTOR NOTES BY "SPARK PLUG"

HINTS TO MOTORISTS Many a car which has been merely pleasantly warm during the winter . begins to become hot in the front • seat by November. In addition, an "engineroom" atmosphere may pervade the whole body, which is conducive to headaches and nausea, besides being very unpleasant. Modern cars are worse offenders than the old-timers, for while the engine is about the same height as ever it was, the body is now many inches lower. The result is that one is now sitting behind the engine instead of more or less above it. In addition, . modern engines worlc harder, thus . evolving more heat, and are "bo'xed : in" under the bonnet in a manner which helps materially to exclude dirt, but is apt to prevent desirable air currents eirculating and carrying away heat under the car. The hottest part of the engine is the exhaust pipe, and where it runs . close to the floor boards it may be wound with asbestos string. Better still is asbe :tos braid. Either is given a neat and substantial finish by the use of a radiator hose clip to secure the asbestos at each end. Where floor boards and dash are of - wood no insulating- covering should he needed over them. Where they are of metal, it will be found a great improvement to cover them with felt glued in place. A heat deflector of sheet asbestos may sometimes be fixed between the exhaust and the floor or dashAdequate ventilating louvres in the bonnet are a great advantage. In one car, however — the Armstrong Siddeley — they should not be added, as the fan is in the flywheel, and a proper cooling- effect can be obtained only with a practically airtight bonnet. Cowl ventilators for the body are of great assistance. Those at the §ides are best installed *with the opening- facing towards the rear. They will then act as extractors, quicltly j drawing out hot air without stirring j ' up floor dust or causing unpleasant \ draughts. Some form of air-scoop , ventilator should be arranged at the ; top, care being taken that it is of a j type which is raintight when closed. j A ventilator of similar type, but open- j ing towards the rear, may with advan- ■ tage he placed in the roof of a saloon ; body, about one-third from the rear ! end. Rubber strips arranged to keep the ; pedal slots closed are of great value, ' and any large holes through the dash ' should be closed in the same way. j

ENGINE SMELLS Engine smells are best dealt with at their source. When the piston rings become worn, large volumes of smelly gasses are forced out through the breather- Do not try plugging the breather completely, but fit a plug with a larger diameter tube leading out of it and terminating either outside the engine tray, well in the air ■stream under the car, and pointing towards the rear, or leading into the air intake of the earburettor. Oil leaking on the hot exhaust manifold will also cause an unpleasant smell and is fairly common with overhead valve engines, having light pressed-steel covers. Tightening these down to reduce leakage often causes distortion and increases the trouble. The remedy is a new gasket of corksheeting, and more rational use of the spanner. Exhaust gas leakage causes bad headaches and sore eyes. Faulty gaskets at the various joints are usually the cause, but sometimes the gas drifts up through the floor boards due to the use of a tail pipe which does not project far enough behind the car. Certain motor buses and rail-cars are very bad offenders in this respeet. Exhaust gas is definitely injurious and has been known to cause loss of consciousness and death. Austin Seven Hint. Owner of old model Austin sevens should remember that lubrication points are provided at the end of the torque tube, and at the universal joint. Lubrication is required about every 300 miles. The torque tube end especially should be generously greased and is capable of holding a large quantity, which makes the job rather a long one with the ordinary gun. A time-saving method is to remove the nipple, and to inject the grease with an old-fashioned low-pressure gun. The nipples must be replaced afterwards to retain the lubricant and exclude dirt. 1932 Tendencies. Advance details of . 1932 cars indicate very little raidcal change in existing models, though a number of additional models are being introduced by leading manufacturers. Most of this year's changes are mere improvements in appearance, brought about by refinement rather than radical change of radiators and coach work. New cars are mainly in the nine and 10 horse-power class, many of them being fitted with four-cyclinder engines. Prominent new makes in this field are Triumph, Rover, and Hillman. The Morris Minor is available with a new "family" chassis having a longer wheel base to accommodate a more roomy body. The most interesting of these new small cars is the Invieta, a 10 horse-power six, with a

GENERAL NOTES When checking the level of the lubricant in the gear box or rearaxle, always do so with the car standing on a level floor, and shortly after returing from a long run- Many gear lubricants are too thick when cold to flow readily, and this is lilcely to give the impression that the level is lower than it really is. Research by engineers shows that an overwhelming majority of cases of difficult starting is due to the dirty or otherwise defective condition of the platinum points of the distributer or magneto. When descending hills requiring the use of the engine as a brake, close the throttle as far as possible, but do not switch off the ignition. The spark will prevent the plugs oiling up if the rings are worn, and prevent unburnt fuel washing oil off the cylinders if the rings are good enough to keep down surplus oil. A strong solution of washing soda is an effective cleaner for engines made entirely of iron. It must not be allowed to come into contact with aluminium, however, for it strongly attacks this metal.