MOTORING NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 34, 5 November 1920, Page 13

MOTORING NOTES.

OIL RESEKVOIR AS GREASE CUP. The car owner who is handy with tools may find it profitable to replace a number of the grease cups which lubricate import. ant parts of the niechanism, by an oil reservoir with leads running to these various parts, such for instance, as the thurst bearing or throwout collar of the clutch. This oiler should be constructed much like a mechanical oiler with controls for each lead. LUBRIC A T10N ERR.ORS. There are four very common kibricatioji errors responsible for many troubles. The statement that '*oil is a gocd thing, you can't have too much of it,'' is a mist-ake. Oil should be kept at the proper level — no higher. Over-filling causes,. excessive carbon, gummed valv,e stems, and sooty spark-plugs, Another erroneous belief is that a heavy oil. will offset the hindrance of a badlv worn erigine. As a matter of fact, heavier oil isno substitute for worn parts. Worn engines need overhauling, and nothing else. The cleaning of the engihe crank-case with kerosene is a third misfcake. The better plaii is to drain the crank case when the engine is hot. This will carry off ihe sedimcnt before it .settles. Then flush out with a quart of fresh oil and refill to the correct level. The fourth error rnay be summed up in the statement, "My oil se'ems to . work all riglit." The motorist cannot, however, watch from day td day the inside of an engine/ hence. he is in no position to k'now accurately the effects oi diffefeiit oils. While many oils may seem to work alright," only one of those oils may bo giv'ing hirri scientific liibrication. AN EASY STARTING DEYICE. Rather an unusual form of starting gear has been introduccd receutly on the -achardson light car — a small machine which is equipped witli a two-cylinder air-cooled Y engine. On this engine an exhaus't lif'ter similar to that used on a motor-cy'cle engine is fitted, the method of starting in such cas.es being to rotate th'e engine as fast as possible with the exhaust vaives lifted ; and then, wN n the necessaty speed has been a-ttained, to drop the exhaust valve lifter ; when the inerita of the flywheel causes the crankshal't to rotate se'veral tinies over (•ompression at a. fairly high rate of speed. A peculiarity, however, of the' starting system is the introduction of a geared up starting handle.. The spindle of the' handle itself is conriected to a train of gear wheels" arranged siinilarly to tiie back gear of a lathe. To the last- gear wheel oi: the train the starting shai't is attadhed, the rosult being that the rotation of tlierstarting handle causes the shaft to tuni at a higher speed. With this device, when the exhaust vaives are lifted, the engine can" be spuii at a high speed without ovenmich exertion, and when Ihe exhaust vaives are dropped the engine is able to start at once. A NEW PETROL SUBSTITUTE. From the lowly and sticky molasses is being produced "motor alcholol" — a substitute for petroi. Diecovered by J. P. Foster, chemist oi oue of the big sugar plantations on the Island of Maui, Hawaii, production within the next threa nionths will be sufficient to furnish fuel for all cars on the illands should a benzine shortage occur. According to the first r sports of the' nevy fuel brought. to San Francisco, "motor alcohol" gives more power, gr,eater mileage, easier _starting'and more freedom from carbon than benzine. It can be used Vvithout an adjustment oi tbe carlurettor. The new fuel is performing in automobile, marine, stationary, truck and tractor engines. In a 36-hour test made with a 75-horse-pOwer tractor the consumption of "mofor alcohol" was four gallons an hour compared to four and a-half gallons of benzine in the sam9 engine on the same work. Examination of the cylinders showed most of the old carbon deposit removed and the remainder Eo soft it could 'be removed with the fingers.