For DRIVERS, MECHANICS & FOREMEN.
Page 27
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TEN SHILLINGS is paid to the sender of any letter which we publish on this page, and an EXTRA FIVE SHILLINGS to the sender of the one which we :select as being the best each week. All notes are edited before being published. Mention your employer's name, in confidence, as evidence of good faith. Address, A, M. and F., "The Commercial Motor," 7-15, Bosebery Avenue, London, E.G. 1.
Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, August 21st, light your lamps at 8.39 in London, 9.5 in Edinburgh, 8.55 in Newcastle, 8.57 in Liverpool, 8.49 in Birmingham, 8 49 in Bristol, and 9.40 in Dublin. ,
Radiator Repair Tips. •
• The sender of the following communication has been awarded the extra payment of Sc. this week. [2126] " Foreman " (Manchester) writes : "It is possible, More frequently than is generally believed, to repair damaged radiators me even, to renew the centres of those.known as the honeycomb type. This
• affects considerable economy as against the fitting of entirely new components of this type. Running repairs to radiators, which are generally shunned as being difficult jobs affording workfor specialists only, are not really half so awe-inspiring as many appear to believe. "Take, for.example, a tube burst as the result of
frost. This repair is quite a simple matter.a • preliminary, the edges of. the gap should be brought as as close together as is possible • for thispurpose, a pair of pliers or similar tool will usually suffice. A patch must now be made of a piece of sheet brass of such a size that, when -wrapped round the burst tube, its edges barely meet on the opposite side, to that on which the burst has occurred. It is particularly important that a small gap, as small as possible, be left between the edges of the patch. Apply flux and solder in the usual way. Afterwards wash down very carefully so as to leave no flux behind, .as,repairs of this kind are very liable to corrode on account of the heat and continuous presence, of -water.
"When a honeycomb or similar type of radiator is damaged so as to be practically beyond repair, it generally proves to be economical to. remove the centre and replace it. Iltloany, however, not only do not know how to do this, but appear to be of opinion that it cannot be done by ordinary means. I have done this job on several occasions, and" generally use for the purpose either a gas blow-pipe or an ordinary blow-lamp. I direct the flame. on_ to the junction between the centre and the brass tanks of the radiator, breaking the joint there-and removing the centre from tank as I go along by slipping in pieces of sheet metal.
"Solder plays an important part in the manufacture and repair of radiators, and. it should be of good quality. Personally, Tthinkthe best :results are obtained by using a solder composed of two parts tin and one part lead.
"When more than the usual strength is required on the soldered joint, it shouldbe:sweated. Sweating is accomplished by getting a Small quantity of solder to stay on the job, as it were, and then resoldering until itmakes good contact. First apply the bit to the joint to be sweated, and get all parts of the metal thoroughly hot. Place some of the solder between two pieces of metal to bennited, and subsequently lay the soldering iron again on to the same to make sure that -the solder between the two pieces of metal runs in as deeply as possible.
"A good method of healing ' inside ' leaks is to heat the place to be soldered with the blow-pipe, throwing a very finoneedle-like flame and being careful not to burn the thin metal. Squirt flux on to the work with an ordinary spring-bottom oilcan. "When, repairing radiators like those fitted to the Ford, in which the radiating fins are horizontal and
continuous from side to aide of the unit, it is frequently necessarTto remove some of the fins so that the tubes can be rendered accessible for repair. Subsequently, these fins should be replaced by fresh ones, which may be made from ordinary sheet metal.
"All radiator parts, should be well cleaned after being repaired. The best bath for this purpose is raw muriatic acid, and if this should not prove*Sufficient, supplement it by scraping with a scraper or scrubbing with a stiff brush. This is particularly advisable in connection with cast-iron parts like the top and bottomboxes of.conimereial vehicle radiators. They are generally fairly heavily coated sith rust, scale from the water, etc. As a preliminary tr. putting them in the bath, they should be heated to a dull red colour, • and plunged into the bath in that condition. They may subsequently be tinned and soldered with ease."
[Perhaps "Foreman" will write again and tell us how to replace honeycomb radiator centres. IR writing of raw acid we presume he moans acid well diluted with water.—Eo..)
A Simple Valve Lifter.
[21.27] " T.W." (lleckmonclwike) writes:—" A substantial and well-made' valve lifter, capable of with standing any amount of rough usage and at the same time a very efficient 'one can be made. from ordinary scrap material as described below and illustrated by the accompanying sketch (whiche-we have had redrawn.—Ed.).
"The main spindle, or handle of the tool, 'is a piece of tin. round bar, 3 ft: long, flattened to 1 in. wide for ':a lengthtof 1 ins. at one end. A slot is 'then filed ij this wide enough and deep enough to miss the
valve stem when the tool is in engagement with the spring. in addition, to prevent it from slipping out of place, when in use, it is better to turn 'up the
extreme end of this portion of the tool 6 ins, from the end the. bar should be flattened, as shown, to about teen. thick. It should be drilled through the centre for a 5-16 in. 'pin. Apiece of 1 in. by bar, 7 ins, long, is forked,atsone encl'to!embrace this flattened, part of the handle. The ends of the prongs i of the fork are turned over to ,bear on the' 5-18 n. pin. Now take a piece of it in. round bar, about 18 ins. long, flatten it out at one end, and at,the otherturn it. down and. screw t in. Whitworth. Bend it to the shape shown in the sketch and screw it into the main spindle, 4 ins, beyond the vertical. The flattened _ end should bear, upon the top of-the valve, thus holding it in place while the spring is lifted."