RUNNING, UPKEEP AND OVERHAUL
Page 83
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from Maintenance Engineers, Drivers and Mechanics
Interesting Contributions Driving in Fog.
_ti A s we are now at the beginning of the season when fogs are expected, it is well to look ahead in such matters, and to prepare for that enemy of the driver which 'is often with us during the winter.
We have received from " P.P.," a Lancashire driver, a Ring letter on the subject, which contains many useful tips, and we hope by publishing these that others may give us equally useful information on this very important topic.
Our correspondent appears to have made a special study of fog, and tells us how he was able to proceed on his journeys with his bus and to keep time, while other bus drivers on the same route were seen crawling along following their conductors walking with lamps in their hands.
His method is to arrange his lamps as follows: The near-side side lamp is made to shine down just in front of the vehicle and about a yard to the left. The,. near-side headlamp is made to throw its beam about 15 yds. in front of the vehicle, and should also be slanted to the near side. The offside lamps are also adjusted in a similar manner, excepting that the headlamp should not be slanted downward quite so much as that on the near
side. Apart from this he suggests means whereby coloured beams of light may be obtained by any driver.
He procures some
of the thin transparent gelatine used for covering food, which he dips in a dye made up of yellow with a slight percentage of scarlet to produce a deep orange or amber. While wet he places this film on the upper part of his headlamps, to which it adheres, but can easily be removed if not wanted. This allows a white light to be shown on the ground, but prevents the fog from reflecting the light shown by the upper part of the lamp.
He tells us that he covers his side lights in a similar manner, but is not sure that he is legally right in this. With a windscreen completely open he appears to be able to get along in a fog better than other drivers.
Cettinn Out of Soft Ground.
A VERY practical correspondent,
of Hill Top, West Bromwich, tells us that he recently saw an articulated six wheeler in trouble, having for some reason got off the roan into soft ground. He criticises severely the methods employed to restore it to the hard road, and makes certain sug• gestions as to what a driver should carry with him and how he should be instructed to use such applianns.
From his account of what happened the lorry was to be seen still in difficulties eight hours after he first saw it and he does not know how much lortvr.
The method adopted was apparently to place blocks in front and behind the wheels. These, he suggests, only formed very efficient scotches. Towing by other vehicles only resulted iu the snapping of both dumbirort hooks. The vehicle had a load of 14 tons, which was not removed to make; n-mtters easier.
Our correspondent suggests that the right way to tackle such a job is to jack up the frame and pack it up -with blocks of wood, then to place under, the wheels pieces of timber as shown in an accompanying sketch, first having dug pieces for them and having filled in the depression with anything available. He suggests that when thin has been done the wheels can be lowered on to the timber and the clutch let in' while the jack and other supports are still in place; they will topple over so soon as the vehicle begins to move. Our correspondent does not mention the fact that when lifting by the frame the axles must be securely lashed to the frame, otherwise the top leaves of the spring will be badly strained and the axles will not rise. A Steering-arm Repair.
ALTHOUGH we do not as a rule approve of the 'repair of such' important parts as those connected with the steering, and would always suggest procuring new parts, there are, howec er, times when a vehicle roust be in service while a new part is on its way from the makers.
• " F.T.," of Charlton, tells us how he has repaired a steering knuckle of an old lorry, which came loose owing to the hole in which fits the ball-ended pin being merely a parallel-sided one ; once the pin began to move in its holo there was no proper means for tightening it.
He bored out the hole so that it was tapered, then he turned a taper bush which fitted the pin and the hole. This bush he split as shown in an accompanying sketch. The bush should project from the lower face of the boss about in. and should be a good fit on the pin. The bush is then split on one side so that it can contract on the pin, and the nut tightened up ; a blow is given to drive the bush well home in the taper hole, then the nut can be given' an extra turn and split-pinned in the usual manner. Our correspondent suggests splitting the bush on one side only, but we have found that in such cases it is not always sufficient to allow the bush to contract, so we suggest a partial split on the opposite side.
Economizing Engine Oil.
THE method of reducing the consumption of engine oil described by of Chippenham, Wilts, is a simple one which he claims has, in his case, effected an economy in engine oil of from 40 per cent. to 80 per, cent. The vehicles are heavy lorries.
His plan is to chamfer the lower edge .of the bottom ring-groove in the piston, then to drill six or eight I-in. holes.
A chamfer is then put on the upper•edge of the ring that fits into this
groove. This, he says, prevents a scraper'action when the piston is rising, but allows scraping on the downward stroke.