The Motor Drivers News.
Page 25
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Spring Washers are Necessary.
\V. M." (Manchester) sends the following for the Drivers News :—" I should like to impress the necessity for the use of some form of spring washer under all nuts on heavy vehicles. No matter how tightly an ordinary nut is screwed up, it will, sooner or later, become loose, and, in all probability, be the cause of some bad accident. In this district, where setts abound and the macadam is bad, I find that, even with spring washers under the nuts, I have to go round my wagon at least twice a week. This slight amount of trouble is amply repaid by the knowledge that everything is 'tight and in good order.' "
Good Work by a Heavy Engine.
" G.E.W." (Tirnsbury) adds his testimony to the value of steam engines for hauling purposes :—" I shall be glad if you can hod room to publish tne following facts in The Drivers' News. I have been driving a 6h.p. steam traction engine for the last seven months, and during the whole ot that time I have not had a single mishap of any kind whatsoever. The engine is one of those which are built by Wallis and Steevens, Limited, of Basingstoke, and, when I state that the mileage totals up to no less than 6,000 miles, I am sure that my brother drivers will agree with me that it is a fine performance for a motor which weighs seven tons in running order. The district I work in, viz., between Bath and Timsbury, is a very hilly one, and the roads are bad at most seasons of the year, as well as having numerous steep hills at different points. I should like to see other mileage totals published in these columns."
Ignorance may be Bliss, but
" J.C." (Thame) writes the following letter, which he wishes to appear upon this page :—" Just a few lines to you to show how ignorant some owners are of the internal economy of the vehicles which they run. The affair happened a week or two ago. I had just finished some pretty stiff work with my steam wagon, so, when I arrived home, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to make one or two running repairs, which required doing, such as closing brasses, washing out the boiler, etc. After finishing these details, I found that I still had an hour to spare, and I thought it would be a good time to pack the piston and valve-rod glands. The packing is kept at the office, so I went for some, and on the way I met my employer. He asked me what I wanted, and I replied, in a meek voice, that I required some packing for the glands. The answer was, Packing ! What the do you want it for? I have never known a driver who used it except yourself. I don't use it on my car—a four-cylinder Darracqand I don't see what you want it for either.' Well, the joke tickled me so that I could only walk back to my wagon simply bursting with suppressed laughter. Shortly after this episode I had to tow my master's car home, because he had forgotten to put any oil in his differential gearcase, the result being that the bearings seized. We drivers do not expect all owners to understand the mechanism of the vehicles which they purchase, but we do expect them to have some confidence in the men whom they pay to work their machines."
Temporary Teeth for Fibre Wheels.
" G.3.1." (Kilburn, NW.) says :—" I notice that you invite details of experiences of roadside troubles, so I send you some. I was travelling on one of our motorbuses a few nights ago, and came upon another of the same company's vehicles hung up " by the roadside. 1 enquired the cause of the delay, and found that it arose from the fact that some of the teeth belonging to the fibre gear-wheel on the pump had " stripped." I was rather non-plussed, because, after hunting through my bag, the only thing I could find, in addition to the actual tools, was a quantity of wire nails. I did not know what to do under the circumstances, but, at last, I conceived the idea of driving some of the nails into the wheel, so as to form temporary teeth where the original ones had been broken off. This I did, afterwards cutting the nails to the correct length to form the stump teeth. After the repair had been made, I replaced the wheel, and started the engine. The result was quite satisfactory, and the vehicle was able to proceed to its destination. I should like to know if a similar mishap has ever occurred to another motorbus driver, and, if so, how repaired."
A Good Testimonial for a Steam Wagon.
" T.P." (Leicester) writes :—" I have pleasure in sending you the cost of upkeep for a Foden steam wagon for last year. My work is chiefly to deliver flour, etc., to country bakers and provision merchants. During the 12 months, I have never had to keep the wagon in the deptit for repairs, or on account of the weather. I give a tabulated cost sheet below The total distance travelled was 7,097 miles, whilst the weight carried amounted to 2,053 tons. I am very pleased with the wagon, as I have very little to do to keep it in proper repair. 1 hope the above will interest your readers."
A Valve Spring Repair.
" W.M." (Southfields) sends this letter on the 4th instant :—" One morning, my clutch-withdrawal rod broke off close to the clutch lever, at the point where the rod goes through the lever and is secured by two nuts, one on each side. I had not a spare part on the car, and it was too early for the road engineer to be out. I had a spare il-inch nut in my pocket, and I screwed it half on the broken end, and then screwed the other broken piece into it. I next pushed the joined pieces through the clutch lever, until the nut was bearing against it, and tightened up the nut on the other side : this enabled me to drive the motorbus to the garage, to get a new rod put in. The only difference the repair made was that the clutch pedal stood up a little higher than it did before. On another occasion, one of the inlet-valve springs broke at the place where the end is bent inwards to pass through the valve stem. I happened to have a long nail in the box, and I flattened this with my spanner a little. After some trouble, I managed to get the nail through the slot in the tappet rod, with the spring above it. This acted quite well, and lasted until the road engineer put a new spring in for me. I now keep the nail handy for emergencies."