Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
Page 15
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Ten Shillings Weekly for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for anything else published.
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject which is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Long and successful runs ; services with no "lost journeys" ; workshop tips and smart repairs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a ktter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" before publication. When writing you must mention your employer's name as a guarantee of bona fides (not for publication), and you should state whether you wish your own name, or initials only, to be published. Payment will be made immediately after pubi cation. Address your letters to The Editor," THE COMMERCIAL Moroa," 7 15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.G.
Electric Lighting for Garages.
[513] We make a few extracts below from a collection of notes on the electric lighting of garages which we have received from" Electrician " (Kelvinside).—" Where a great deal of light is required arc lamps will be found to be more economical than incandescents. The former give about six times more light than the latter for the same consumption of 'juice.' An arc lamp taking to amps. at so volts will give a light varying from i,000 candle-power upwards. The smallest practical size of lamp takes 6 amps. at so volts and gives 300 candlepower. This will cost about 1.7d. per lamp per hour. Arc lamps burn badly and seldom last more than,.eight hours when supplied with alternating current."
Temporary Mudhole Doors for Tractor Boilers. The sender of the following communication has been awarded the los. prize this week.
[514] A contributor who signs his letter " CLUTCH " (Fulham) writes to us as follows :—" I beg to submit the following contribution in the hope that it may be of use to you for publication in the Drivers' and Mechanics' columns of " TIIE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
" It frequently happens, especially during frosty weather, that, after washing out boilers of the tractor type, when the mudhole covers are being screwed up, and the final nip is being given to the nut, the covers break across the studhole. This, of course, is an annoying thing to happen and often entails considerable delay until a new mudhole door can be procured.
" A very simple and effectual makeshift, and one that I have found to be both easily and quickly put into practice, is the following scheme. Cut out a piece of iron plate about the thickness of the boiler plate (or a little thicker
if the mudhole is rather large); this new part should be cut as nearly as possible to the same shape as the mudhole and about one inch larger in diameter. A hole should then be bored through its centre to take a 1-inch bolt. A red-lead joint is next made, all round the mudhole, outside the boiler shell or fire-box, whichever the case may be. This joint should be about one inch wide. Some fairly fine tarred string or asbestos should be carefully laid on the lead joint ; it should be wound round the hole, commencing from the inside and working to the outside. When this has been carefully done the bolt must be passed through the bridge and the latter pushed through the mudhole. Care must be taken that the bridge be so placed as to allow the bolt to stand out centrally through the mudhole. The plate is then passed over the bolt and is adjusted to its proper position. A small asbestos washer is slipped on to the bolt next to the plate; after that an ordinary iron washer, and finally the nut is put into position. All can then be tightened up and a good joint is thus made in the manner shown in the accompanying sketch " If there be insufficient room, in the case of a firebox joint, to get the bridge and the bolt head to clear between the shell plates, a piece of square iron may be bent into a U to take the place of the bridge."
A Magneto Adjustment.
S.F.." (Cornwall) sends to us the letter which we publish below :—" A short while ago I had a great deal of trouble with a 2oh.p. petrol engine of a well-known make. Jt would do well for a few trips, and then it would stop dead. On some occasions it was only necessary to give a sharp turn to the starting handle, and the engine would start quite readily and would run as well as everOn other occasions, however, it would take me quite half an hour to get the thing going. This state of things went on for some days, until at last I received word that the car to which the engine was fitted was stuck up, and that its driver could not get it to start. I proceeded to the spot, and, after going through the regular routine in order to discover the trouble, I found that no spark could he obtained from the magneto. I washed out the latter with petrol, and I found that I could then get a slight spark, but not sufficient to start the engine. I tried the contact, and found that the spring was very weak. I tightened this up a bit, but this did not enable me to get sufficient out of the magneto to start the engine. As a last resource, therefore, T took the brass bar off the end of the magneto, and fixed the end of the bus bar to the end of the armature pole. I kept it irt its place by again fixing the brass bar and by tightening it up with the nuts that were provided for that purpose. The engine then started up with very little trouble, and the car continued running for two days before an opportunity occurred to change the magneto."