ROADSIDE AN GARAGE.
Page 63
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for Drivers, Mec anics and Foremen.
• A Page A Broken Radius Rod.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the extra payment of 5.s. this week, [2303] " W.S." (Eltham) e"writes :— "There have not been many letters lately on your 4 Roadside and Garage page from steam-wagon drivers, so that the following may be found of special interest.
" I have had tremble occasionally ow
dig to the breakage of radius rods. Usually the fracture occurs at the socket into which is screwed the end of the rod itself, and it generally happens that there is not sufficient depth of screwed portion left to enable one to -screw the rod into it and hobble along until a repair is possible. I have found in such circumstances that the best thing to de is to take a bolt, the same size thread as the end of the radius rod, screw it into the broken piece of socket, cut off the plain part of the bolt and screw the rest of the socket on to it. It will generally be found then that, there is sufficient thread still available inside the Socket to accommodate the end of the radius rod, even if only for a time.
This repair is only safe if carried out on the chain side of the wagon, as in those circumstances the chain:will hold the red up to its work. If it happens to be the rod on the opposite side that has broken, reverse them before effecting a repair."
Curing a leaky Radiator.
,[2304] " (Dedham) writes: " The following is an account of a temporary roadside repair. which I executed some tittle while ago. When on a jour.. ney with a 28-seater char-a-banes about half-way out I found the engine suddenly overheating. Stopping to find the cause, I. found a crack 1 in. long in the bottom of the radiator, where the undershield had at some time chafed. " I effected a. repair n the,spot in the following manner. Js the tool box I found one in bolt, set e sheet brass, some old motor tyre tu e, and an old file, and I firat filed the eidee off the head of the bolt, making it T shape, then enlarged the crack so we could insert the head of the T bolt lengthways to the crack. I then turned the bolt crossways in the crack, and then cut a large washer from the motor tubing, also one from the sheet brass. I put the rubber washer on first, then the brass washer and then screwed the nut on. The worst job of all was to stop the bolt turning in the crack while -screwing the nut up, but after some little trouble this was sucees.sfuly accomplished.
"After filling the radiator I found the job was quite a success, for it net only stand the rest of the Journey, but for several weeks after, until the radiator could be taken down and a permanent repair effected."
When Handling Road Wheels.
[2305] " JO." (Nottingham) writes e--" I have noticed several letters lately on your 'Roadside and Garage' page describing and illustrating means whereby the heavy rear. road wheels of a commercial motorvehicle may be taken on and off their axles by one man unaided, without much fatigue. The following is a method which I invariably employ myself, and it may possibly be of interest.
" As a preliminary I jack up the axle until the under-side of the tyre of the wheel is three or four inches from the floor. Take a piece of 12 in. plank about 2 ft. long and slip it in right under the wheel and underneath that put three rollers each about 12 hie. long and of a diameter which varies in eccordance with the nature of the floor surface upon which the lorry is standing. On a smooth floor half-inch rollers will suffice, larger ones however are necessary when the floor surface is not so 'good.
"With the plank and rollers in place the jack may be lowered uutil the wheel rests lightly upon the plank. With care a nice point will be reached at which the plank is taking the weight of the wheel when the jakk is taking the weight of the
axle and lorry. When that stage is reached it will be found a. comparatively easy matter to roll the wheal away from the chassis on its plank and roller, and very little manipulation of the three rollers wilt be necessary in order to make it possible to transfer the wheel to any point in the garage. A not unnatural development of this idea is to make a little truck, time ,avoiding the trouble with the rollers."
Repair to Cracked Casting.
[2306] " (Lanark) writes: " The following method of dealing with castings, such as water jackets in which a crack has developed, or a porous casting of aluminium, such as a crankcase which is losing oil, or a radiator casting of iron or aluminium, will be found as satisfactory as welding, brazing, or soldering where these cannot conveniently be done.
" Drill and tap the crack along its length to receive copper plugs which have been screwed to.suit. As each hole Is drilled and tapped, a plug will be screwed home, and the holes which follow should be bored so that each succeeding plug merges in the one which precedes it. 'Leave a slight head on each plug, ,se that it stands about 1-16 in. above the face of the casting, this for the purpose of caulking if necessary. Having proceeded in this manner to the end of the crack, the job ma' be tested. A little caulking may be necessary, after which the job may be faced up with the file, which will leave a neat and presentable oil or water tight facing of copper where the crack was showing. Plugs of in. diameter evill be found suitable in most eases, but, with a porous casting, the diameter of the plug or plugs will be determined by the actual condition of the casting as ascertained while boring."
Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, October 22nd, light your lamps at 5.22 p.m. in London ; 5.20 p.m. in Newcastle ; 5.27 p.m. in Birmingham; 5.26 pen. in Edinburgh ;• 5.20 p.m. in Liverpool; 5.32 p.m. in Bristol; and 6.12 p.m. in Dublin.