WAYS AND MEANS.
Page 67
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Useful Contributions From Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
Overcoming Valve Troubles.
VALVE troubles on the goad seldom happen to-day, and the reliability of the modern valve tends to make us careless and not trouble to carry a epare. Through this reason, "ES.," of Orpington, has had on several occasions to get cars home without a spate. He writes that there is no cure for a stem broken from the head. In the case of breakage through the cotter hole, the item can be drilled and a round pin inserted. A soft pin will shear immediately, but a piece of silver steel, or the shank of a twist drill, will stand the work for some time, especially if the spring be weakened by cutting a coil or two from the bottom.
Another way, which only requires a file to fit up, is to file a groove round the valve stem and taper the hole in the cap, then fit in a ring of wire as shown in the sketch. In each ease the tappet head will have to be raised, being careful not to overdo this, or the spring cap may strike the valve enicle.
Should a valve spring be broken near the end coils it can be packed up with washers or a gas back-nut. If broken in the middle, the spring coils usually screw in together and become too short to allow the engine to run. In this case take out the broken halves and turn the broken ends to the top and bottom, leaving the good-shaped ends to butt in the middle.
Removing and Replacing Lorry Wheels.
IN our issue of March 22nd we gave
a description of a trolley which was used for removing and replacing heavy lorry wheels. A correspondent, "W.T.R." of Huddersfield, whilst fulb. admittingthe nsefulnese of this trolley, -points out that he has been able to handle heavy wheels with a more simple device with the greatest ease, and although a trolley is always handy for moving things about in the garage, one often has to do the best one can without such an. appliance. His plan consists of a smooth board with an edgingof the aluminium beading used in bodywork securely screwed to it. The board he Uses is 3 ft. long by 6 ins, wide. He coats this board with a thick layer of grease, and places• it under the -wheel to be removed. He then lowers the jack until the wheel just rests firmly on the board, when, owing to the grease, it will slide off its axle, and can then be bowled to wherever it is wanted. When it is necessary to replace the wheel, all that is required is to place the board under where the wheel is to go, and to bowl the wheel on to it and push it hack on its axle, which, if the jack has not been disturbed, is an easy matter. When not in use the board eau be hung en a wall. He finds grease better than oil for this purpose.
Faults in Brakes.
ONE of our Correspondents, " H.M,," of West Bromwich, tells us of an unpleasant experience he had lately while in a queue of cars which was stopped by a policeman at a cross-roads. He had the misfortune to stop his engine, and put on his brake while he got down to restart. Althodgh his brake was on, he found that his vehicle was moving backwards, being on a hill. This nearly caused a nasty aceident. He shortened the rod by means of the adjustment, but Me did not have the desired effect, so when he got home he made a thorough inspection, taking off both wheels, but all seemed to be in order. Eventually he found what had
happened. The cruSs-rod (I) carries two short levers (B) and one long one (C). The levers 313 were so designed that they fouled the bottom of the slot in the joint of the rod E, so that when the brake was applied the rod, -which was bent upwards as shown, fouled the woodwork of the body and prevented the brake from acting fully. By lengthening the rod F, and shortening the rod E. he was able to get hie brakes to act fairly well.
He suggests that it would have been better if the three levers had been arranged so that they hung underneath, instead of being above the crass-rod, or perhaps, better still, if the long lever (C) had remained in its present place, and the short levers (B) had been placed underneath, and the pull-rod had been replaced by a push-rod. The brake then would be transformed from a pushon to a pull-on.
A Useful Tool for Handling Springs.
DIFFICULTY is often experienced when replacing the springs of brake shoes,as, owing to their eyes being small, and the springs (especially those used on lorries) being stiff, it is not easy to get a firm hold of the eye with, out obstructing it from hooking into its place.
"EM.," of Glasgow, has experienced this difficulty, like most others who have had to do the same job, but, unlike most others, instead of complaining, or, worse, swearing over his damaged finger tips, he set to work to devise sonic tool which would enable him to handle the job with ease.
The tool consiets of a piece of tube
12 ins, long with a bore of about in., and-4 in. on the outside. Through this he places a piece of steel -1§6 in. in diameter, which is screwed at one end to receive a winged nut, and .formed into a hook at the other end.
This enables the operator to get a firm grip of the wire by tightening the nut, and yet allows the point of the hook to be free to enter the loop made for it in the brake shoe, as it enables both hands to be used to stretch the spring.
Removing Dents. A USEFUL tip for wing repairs is sent by " G.Gr.G.," of Norwieh, who
says: When a mudguard, valante, or any other part that hag been dented is removed from the vehicle, the best tools for removing the dents are a rubber mallet, a rounded pieee of hardwood aed a thick piece of felt. If the outer surface of the damaged part be laid on the felt, a good sharp blow with the rubber mallet will bring out most of the dent. Gentle taps with the ball end of a ball-pencil hammer will finish the job fairly neatly. The felt on the other side of the job .prevents the ball pent from raising a lot of small bumps, A " G " cramp used over two pieces of wood, one on each side of the dented part, can often be employed to remove the worst part of the dent when the damaged part is in situ.