MOTORING NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 32, 22 October 1920, Page 13

MOTORING NOTES.

CLEAN OUT DIRTY OIL. Dirty oil is injurious to an engine. It also means worn oil, which has been used too long and needs replacing. Once a week for the more used parts is not too frequent. A bearing on the ignition unit, the armature bearings of the lighting generator and starting motor should be oiled as direct-ed by the manufacturer. "WOBBLY" WHEELS. "Wobbly" wheels cause the tyres to wear twice as fact as they should. The wheels, therefore, should be watched constantly and tightened up as soon as they show a sign of wavering. Worn bearings might looseness in6the rear wheels, and thWrront wheels wobble because of play in the bearings, spindle bushings, or steering connecting rod bushings. Demountable rims not firmly bolhed to the wheels may also cause trouble: TO OYERCOME JERKING. The fact that the car jerks when it- is throttled down below 15 miles an hour indicates that the carburetter is poor. if it is impossible to adjust the carburettor to overcome this jerking it is probably caused by worn intake-valves. If t'U'-e valves are loose enough to spin tliere is probably enough leakage to prevent gvod carburetter adjustment. This cond'tion allows the outside air to come in di: cfc contact with the valve when it comes in contact with the gas t-aken through the manifold. It causes condensasion a-.d a choking effect which makes the engine puil irregularly, causing the car to jerk. LOOSENESS OF TREAD. Trouble is often experienced in gettiag the tread to stick on small tyre repairs. This may be due to anyone of several reasons, the most common of which is that the cement has heen applied over wet fabric. The moisture in the fabric, even if very ■ slight, will blow the tread loose. Another common cause for loose treads is the failure to roughen up the old carcass sufflciently. In this case the cement will not hold properly, and after a few miles of running the repair will separate. It is also well to riiake sure that proper pressure is being applied to the repair when it is curing, gv/that the patch will be thoroughly embedded in the tyre. CARE OF THE FAN-BELT. Undoubhedly, the crudest part of the engine is the fan-belt, and yet it is a most important part It certainfcy is a most frequent source of trouble, and by that token demands frequent and careful attention by the ca.r-owner. All fanbelts are provided with an adjustment, some eas^j some less so, and these adjust. ments are necessary. The wise motorist will not forget to give the fan a twist every time he has the bonnet up. The best results are attained when it is possihle to turn the fan with considerable resistance, but not to spin it. If a quick twirl of the fan is followed by a little turning, after the ha-nd is removed, then the belt is too loose. Do not have it any tighter than necessary, for then it is under excessive strain and will stretch, wear? or break the sooner. THE CUST OF SPEED. The law is just as immutable in that it collects a greater cost for speed in a motor car as it does of any machine^vr of man. If you run fast, if you work hard, you require more food. If you drive your car at a fast speed all the'time, it requires more fuel, more petrol anl more oil. If you wo-rk fast and hard, you wear out more quickly, and so does an automobile. Tyres, for rnstance, last twice as long on a car this is driven 15 miles an hour as they do upon cars that are driven at 30 miles an hour. Remember that the servibe your car gives you is much dependent upon the manner in which you operate it as is your own health dependent upon the manner in which you care for it.