HIGHROAD & BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17976, 22 March 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)

HIGHROAD & BY-ROAD

—= BACKFIRE. What is a backfire? It seems like a very simple, question, but few motorists know one when they hear it. A true backfire is not so very noisy. What most people take for a backfire is what is known as after-firing. This happens in the exhaust and muffler. After-firing is merely ignition of unburned gases in the exhaust. It’s realty an explosion. A true backfire is ignition of gas back through Lhc intake and into the carburrcttor. Often it is not much more than ordinary “popping back” through the carburettor and is accompanied by smoke under the hood. When an engine actually backfires there is danger of its getting afire. The driver should be on his guard and ready for trouble. STOPPING PETROL PIPE LEAKS. A lot of the trouble with petrol pipes is due to the fact that the pipe, as fitted into the nipple of tire union, is too slack. t If the end of the pipe bo annealed and a piece of steel bar driven into it, and if it then be properly soldered, it will never come loose. Alternatively, one can stop leakages from this cause by turning over the ends of the pipe on to a brass washer. v? SPARKS. The Pope has just had a statue of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, erected in his garage. # * * # Experiments have been carried out with a car, the engine in which is run on a mixture of water, airland acetylene. It is said that the'test made in Pittsburg, United States, was successful. $ * * * In New South Wales there are 706 mail services using iau torn obi 1,55 , in VietoVia 408, in Queensland 304, in South ‘Australian 144, in West Australia 202. Each of these is subsidised at between sixpence and tenpencc per mile. • • a ® Retail benzine prices in countries other than America arc lowest in Japan and Rumania ' and highest in Bolivia and the African Gold Coast. The low price of lid a gallon in Rumania, as compared with laid to 19d in France and 19d to 21 Id in all the United Kingdom, was attributed to the fact that Rumania produces and refines its own petroleum. The lowest retail price for is in Japan, where the cost ranges from lid to 14Ad a gallon. Benzine in Bolivia costs 32d a gallon and on the Gold Coast, from 314 d to 32d.

* * * » An addtional 2,000,000 young rubber trees are now being planted in the Malayan- plantations of the Dunlop Rubber Company (England), and in 10 years’ the new trees will .be yielding 5000 tons of rubber per year. The bulk of the native workers 'arc specially recruited Tamil, the rest being Chinese. Temples for their worship have been built by the Dunlop ■organisation, which, has also provided houses and hospitals for them, and schools for the children. »** ' * In 1922 the Society of Automotive Engineers (U.S.A.) sp6cified a standard bumper height of 18 inches for the front bumper and 19 inches for the rear. The society has now recommended that, this should be altered to 17 inches. The measurement is to be the horizontal centre line 'of the bumpers, and is to be the mean height I between the no load’ and full load po--1 si lions. **' e * The third Australian Grand Prix, the greatest'road race in the Commonwealth will be held at Phillip Island, Victoria, on March 24 over a distance of 200 miles. The cars will be separated into four classes, each of which will carry prize money, while all will compete for the Grand Prix Cup. Last year the race was won by Mr A. J. Terdich, who holds the fastest time for the distance at an average speed of 61.7 m.p.h. - \mo« » . * With ’ the ' idea of studying rapid methods of communication between North Africa arid French West Africa, a French mission has just left on. a “grand tour" of the Sahara desert. A number of prominent men form part of the expedititfn, which consists of one 10 h.p./two 15.7 li.p., and one 18 h.p.- cars. They-arc ordinary fo.urwheeled vehicles, with special back axles and radiators. The mission will attempt to cover the course in the shortest possible ime. It is proposed Lo average'3oo miles a day, and'the round trip from Paris to Timbuotoo pnd back to Paris will occup only one month. Gi Q Q Motorists should be careful about using old tyres in hot weather. With lhc hot days, it would be very unwise ■. to undertake any long trips on cove/’s or tubes that have 3ben their -best days. It is really 'looking for trouble to *do so. When the thermometer ■readings are high, any weaknesses in the cover or tube are accentuated and trouble arises. It is always advisable to fit new covers and tubes for summer touring.

9 « 9 9 Denmark holds first place in Europe with regard to the', number of fuel stations in relation to registered motor vehicles. It lias 5700 stations and 106,000 vhicles, making 18.4 vehicles to each station. Then follow France with 22.1 vehicles to every station, Switzerland with 22.9, and Germany with 23.3. Holland has 23.7, and England 27.6 registered vehicles to every station.