RUNNING ON KEROSENE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 302, 13 March 1928, Page 6

RUNNING ON KEROSENE

AUCKLAND EXPERIMENT Tests were recently conducted in Auckland on a heavy service car—a Hudson —to determine whether kerosene could be used instead of benzine. There is a considerable difference in price in favour of kerosene, and if some of the disadvantages of kerosene can be overcome it might be a means of reducing the heavy running expenses of service cars. The main difficulty, of course, is in the starting. Cars will not start from cold on the heavier spirit, but in this test it was demonstrated that the car will fairly readily start on kerosene when the engine is warmed by a period of running. A relatively inexpensive fitting can be made however to start the engine on benzine, changing over to kerosene when heated up. Particulars of the test conducted last week are quoted below. It should be explained that the same car was driven over the same course twice, under as nearly identical conditions as possible. The distance was about 100 miles, and a speed average of 30 miles an hour maintained. The radiator water was 160 degrees Fahrenheit at the commencement of each test. With the second grade motor spirit used in the first test the consumption worked out at 20.9 miles a gallon, and with the kerosene, 21.7 miles a gallon. The pulling power of the kerosene was slightly weaker. Carbon deposit was slightly heavier than with benzine, and the water temperature at the finish was 2deg. higher—l7odeg. as compared with 168 deg. Otherwise the engine appeared the same. Another test was conducted on a

hill about a-quarter of a mile pull, grade of 1 in 8. With the benzine the car flew up the hill in 61sec., and with the kerosene in 76sec. From the particulars it would be extremely difficult for a mechanic to prove that kerosene is a better fuel than benzine. There are points on both sides, and for the kerosene there is certainly the. saving in consumption and the lower cost. The difficulty in starting and the expense of a special tank attachment, together with the slightly increased carbon deposit, may, however. very largely offset the advantages. TYRE DEVELOPMENT “GOODYEAR’S” LATEST A new “all -weather-tread” balloon tyre, probably the most important improvement in tyre construction since the introduction of the balloon tyre, is Goodyear’s latest addition to the tyre market. Following experimentation with tread designs ever since the advent of the balloon tyre several years ago, Goodyear has been developing a tread to match the Goodyear balloon tyre carcase made of supertwist cord. Eighty different treads were tried out and mileage tests aggregating

> hundreds of thousands of miles were run on test cars, with production finj ally of the famous “all-weather-tread” | scientifically redesigned for balloon tyre use as a result. The five interesting factors with re- | ference to this new tyre are: Improved j traction, greater resistance to skid- ‘ ding through design, slow even tread wear, quiet running, the very toughest tread stock and higher mileage.