SOME USEFUL TIPS.
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Interesting Contributions from Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
How to Make a Maudslay Valve-box Drawer.
ALTHOUGH the valve box shown in the sketch the by " of Middleton, near Manchester, is obsolete, there are, we understand from the makers, many thousands of this pattern still in use, sothe device he suggests may be useful to many. This type of valve box may, after being in place for a considerable time, become difficult to extract, as there is no convenient, place where one can get hold of the box to withdraw it. The device he has made consists of an old 2ilaudsley valve with the head cut off, and connected to a long setscrew by means of a sleeve. He then drills a hole across the slot and fits a loose tumbling piece as shown. An arch piece, which rests on the edges of the valve pocket, is made, and a clearance hole is provided for the screw to paes through. The old valvestem is passed through the hole and jerked nbout until the tumbler piece falls as shown, the nut is .then turned, and the valve box is drawn up with ease.
A Stay for the Headlamps on the 25-cwt. Bean. A USEFUL tip comes from "OW.," of Bolton, who writes : - " On a 25-cwt. Bean van which have in my charge the head and side lights are combined and situated on the mudguards. Owing to the vibration when the van is running light, the filataeuts frequently broke, which was very costly and annoying. " To overcome this trouble 1 resolved to put a stay across the two front mudguards. "The stay was made out of a piece of light steel tubing, such as is used by electricians for wiring purposes, and the total length required was 5 ft. 9 ins. by about i-in. diameter. "The tube was flattened bat at each end for about 74 ins, and then bent to the shape shown in the sketch. "When the tube is bent to shape the bolts that fasten the mudguards to their stays underneath should be remeved and the position of the holes marked on the flat portion of the new stay, which is then drilled, The mudguard bolts should be replaced by others half an hull longer. ." If a strip of leather he inserted between the new stay and the mudguard it will further assist in reducing vibration.
"•I have had very satisfactory results from this idea, and hope that this tip will interest your renders."
Retaining the Leaves of a Spring While Renewing a Centre Bolt. WHEN removing a spring to replace a broken centre bolt one often has trouble through the leaves springing apart when released, and by so doing making it hard to fit the new bolt. A correspondent, " J.R.," of Bootle. tells Us how he has used one of the clips by turning it On its side and in this manner holding the leaves together while he unscrews the second clip. Should the width of the spring be greater than its depth, a wedge can be inserted to make up the space. Broken centre pins are usually due to neglect in keeping the clips properly tight, and the particular form of clip which our correspondent shows is one that has many faults, as wet collects at the point where the screwed portion passes through the eye formed on the axle, and often causes the nut to rust so badly on its thread that it can-cot be proper) v tightened; consequently the leaves are allowed to move, which movement soou throws work on the centre pin which it is not able to bear, with the result that in time it breaks. In most modern designs the screwed part of a bolt is placed at the upper end, where it is more free from rust.
A Siphon Tank to Replace a Defective Autovac.
IT is not often that drivers have much trouble with the Autovac, hex " E.W.G.," of North London, appears to have had his Autovac fail on more than one occasion, and he tells us how he overcame the trouble on the road. He points Out that it is not wise for an ordinary driver, or mechanic, to tamper with this delicate mechanism and suggests that in eases-of failure the apparae tus should be dealt with V those who have made a speciality of such work. Realizing this fact, he decided to nbartdon the Autovac temporarily, so he hung a can of petrol about a foot above the level of the carburetter. He then. procured a length of gas or acetylene rubber tubing and, weighting one end, lie lowered it to the bottom of the can, thus forming a siphon. The other end of this pipe he fitted over the petrol pipe of the carburetter, after having disconnected the tube leading from the Autovac. In this manner he was 'able to get home. He suggests that this may be a usefal plan when testing a chassis if no petrol tank be available. The siphon tube must be sucked to draw the petrol Over, Mid this should he lone with care, for a mouthful of petrol is most disagreeable.
Getting Home with One Chain • Broken.
THE driver of a Peerless lorry. " W.G.G.,", of Rugby, sends us the following:—" I have seen from time to time descriptions of a ' get-you-home ' scheme for use on chain-driven lorries-, where, if one chain breaks, this can be lashed to the body. " I had the experience a few days ago on a Peerless lorry of a large solid tyre coming off towards the chain and getting so close as to necessitate taking the chain off, for the tyre could not be got back with a heavy hammer. "The lorry was loaded with 6 tons 10 ewt. of bricks. I tried lashing the chain, but as the load was so heavy this put such a stress on the chain that it was doing considerable damage to the body. "As a last resource I tried tightening the foot-brake band on the jack shaft as tightly as I could and slackening the other side, relying on my hand brake for the braking. When ready I kept any
foot on the foot brake to stop any move
ment of the shaft and got to my destination with the load, where another wheel was fitted quite easily. With an empty lorry this expedient would have enabled me to carry On for miles."