For Drrivers, Mechanics, and Foremen.
Page 23
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We revive this popular " C.M." feature in connection with Our "Keep Your Lorry Fit " Series. and offer a prize of ONE GUINEA for the best communication concerning any chassis to which reference has been made in that series.
Other letters on subjects of interest will be paid for on publication at the rate of One Penny a Line, and failing any award of the above prize, TEN SHILLINGS will be paid for the best letter published each week. Mention your employer's name, in confidence, as evidence of good faith. Address D,, M, and k 1,, "The Commercial Motor," 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, EX.
Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, 25th November, light your lamps at 4.28 in London, 4.19 in Edinburgh, 4.17 in Newcastle, 4.32 in Liverpool,. 4.31 in Birmingham, 4.38 in Bristol, 4.50 M Moonlight.—No moonlight this week-end.
Magneto Repair.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s prize this week.
{1687]" A.H.H." (Llandaff) writes :—" In the course of some years' experience on magneto repairing, I have accumulated quite a number of tools which are
of great assistance in that work, One of these is useful whenever it is necessary to replace a slip ring or to remove an armature for rewinding. It is illustrated by the sketch enclosed, [We have had this redrawn.—En.] and costs little to make.
The first operation in a case of this sort is to remove the armature from its bearings. The outer covers of the ball races are driving fits into the front and rear end plates respectively. With these removed, it is an easy matter to take the balls and cage off the inner races, which are then left on the ends of the armature spindle. For removing the latter, I have made the tool described below: Two ,pieces of Ain. square steel are forged so that together they make a clamp in halves. After fitting these together and securing them with a couple of countersunk set-screws, they are machined so that the inside portion fits the outside of the ball race. Two holes in the body of the clamp are drilled to take in. bolts, which serve as centres for a couple of swinging arms. These arms are screwed * Whitworth thread, and carry at their outer ends a cross-bar which has a forcing screw tapped through its centre. With the clamp fixed on to the ball race and the rest of the apparatus so arranged that the forcing screw bears on the end of the armature spindle, there is no difficulty in removing the ball race. This clamp also serves to remove the ring.
Keeping a Thornycroft Fit.
[1688] " H.V.H." (Portslade) sends us a few supplementary notes on how to keep a Thornycroft chassis fit. If the radiator has B. -tendency to leak, a handful of cornflour makes a good tempprary stopping. If the steering gear is a little stiffer than usual,. make an immediate examination to find out what is wrong, at the same time look out for slack joints. The axle should occasionally be jacked up and the wheels examined for side play. The gearbox and rear axle casings when supplied with the proper amount of lubricant, should be about half full. As a general rule, drive to-day so that you will be out to-morrow.
Nuts on Live Axles.
[1689] " A.J.H." (Brighton) writes :—" Retaining nuts on the ends of hollow live axles usually work on a fine-thread screw, and constant hammering has the effect eventually of destroying the threads. To renew these is, of course, a big job, and one to be avoided if possible. I have a number of wagons in my charge, and after having experienced this difficulty with one decided that, as prevention is better than cure, I would so arrange matters on the other vehicles that it would be an impossibility for these nuts to come off. I therefore screwed each nut up to its correct position and drilled two holes, each through both nut and axle, as shown in the enclosed sketch. [We have had-this redrawn.—En.] "Each of the boles thus made is, at the middle of this length, half in the axle and half in the nut. With the aid of a suitable reamer, these holes were made taper in form to take suitable-sized taper pins, which were fitted and cut to such a length tat when driven home tightly they did not protrude beyond the circumference of the nut.
"The result was a satisfactory job, and as the holes were drilled and the taper cut so that the large ends of the pins were uppermost, no difficulty was experienced owing to the taper pin dropping out."
Note! We inadvertently omitted, tact week, to award the ten shillings prize. This should have been gixen of Luton, the writer of the letter number 1685, and a postal order for that amount has been. forwarded to him.