HINTS ON MAINTENANCE.
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How to Get the Best Out of a Vehicle, to Secure Reliability and to Avoid Trouble.
623.—An improved Method of Securing the Rear Wheels on the Subsidy A Maudslay.
In the subsidy A-type Mauchlay the wheelretaining nut is locked by means of a large splitnin passed through the axle sleeve and the nut, but if excessive end-play be permitted in the wheels this pin is sometimes sheared.
To prevent trouble of this' nature it is, first of
all, necessary to ascertain whether the floating bushes and the thrust washers (inner and outer) are in good condition. If so, replace the wheel on its sleeve and tighten up the nut as hard as possible, whilst permitting sufficient clearance for the wheel. If the wheel then runs freely, mark a radial line on the nut and the axle, remove the nut and mill a slot to a width of Ain. and a depth of in. in the nut, and then file a similar slot in the axle sleeve so that this will register exactly with that in the nut.
The next thing required is a piece of tool steel, -A, in. by in. and long enough to pass across the nut and the axle sleeve at one side. Drill, tap and, preferably, countersink the key fo a A-in. steel sereW, and after replacing the nut, fit the key and pass a tapping-size drill through the hole in it, so that the nut itself can be drilled. Remove
the key, tap the nut in, and refit the key with the setscrew in position, being careful to make the last-named as tight as possible. The splitpin can well be utilized as a second protection.
When further end-play develops in the wheel. another slot can be made in the axle so that the nut can be taken up to the required extent.
624,—An Improvement to the Pistons of the Peerless.
When Ei Peerless engine is taken down after a lot of service, and particularly if the lorry has been standing for some time before that service, depressions with slight scores leading from them may be found at the top of each cylinder. These marks make very little difference to the running of the engine. Therefore, it is unnecessary to fit new cylinders. There is only one drawback,, this being that the standard piston rings are rather narrow, and the slightest mark on a cylinder may cause a broken ring. In fact, these sometimes break in cylinders which are in quite good condition.
A permanent cure for this can be effected when the engine Is down. If all four pistons be removed
from their connecting rods and the grooves widened
slightly to accommodate rings in. wide, the trouble would not recur. Such firms as the British Piston Ring Co., of Coventry, have stock sizes which include one that will suit the altered piston, i.e., 41 ins, by in. These rings are much stronger and make a more substantial job, and after the alteration the engine will probably be found to pull better and to run more steadily.
It should be noted that the amount removed from the piston-ring grooves, whilst only being a few thousandths, should be taken from the bottom side of each groove, thus obviating any chance of weakening the already small flange at the top of each piston.
If cylinders are found to be badly scored, they can he repaired quite easily by specialists such as Barfinar, Ltd., Lamb's Conduit Street, W.C.1, The New Welding (Southern), Ltd., Rosebery Avenue, ROA, and Laystall Motor Engineering Works, Ltd., Ewer Street, S.E.1.
625.—Lengthening the Life of Disc Wheels on 20-cwt: and 30-cwt. Fiats.
There are many hundreds of reconditioned Fiats of the 20-cwt. and 30-cwt, type on the road and fitted with steel disc wheels. These wheels are made in sections and riveted together, and after much service, particularly in rough districts, the rivets are apt to become loose, causing considerable noise and ultimately cracking the centre flanges fitted to the bosses, in which case new wheels are the only remedy.
To increase the life some owners have their wheels taken off periodically and re-riveted, but, in the opinion of one of our leaders, a better method is to place them in the hands of an expert welder and have them welded along the edges of the various sections, as shown. This job is a minor one, not taking many minutes and, If done while the wheels are tight, will give every satisfaction.