ROADSIDE AND GARAGE.
Page 61
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Relating to Ball and Roller Bearings and Their Housings.
IN a somewhat long letter, " of Glasgow, raises some interesting points regarding the methods still adopted by certain firms in the housing of ball and roller bearings. So many of our correspondents have suggested a course of driving alone for long periods and in all weathers, also a course of repairing after long use of their vehicles, as means for educating designers,
that we really feel that more attention should be paid to the conditions which arise under actual use. Some have suggested "hanging a few designers" as a remedy, but we will not go so far as to countenance this drastic method.
One of the faults found by " E.M." is in the way bearings are housed and fitted to their shafts, which cause a great deal of trouble to repairers. One instance he gives is that of a front hub in which no provision had been made for the withdrawal of the outer rings of the ball bearings. In this case he appears to have bored away the part shown in black, so that when next the bearings wanted renewing he would be able to use a punch to drive the ring out, or, in the case of the smaller bearing, force them out under a press.
In another case he was not able to get the hub in a lathe, so he drilled boles as shown, by means of which a small punch could be used. It is essential, however, that such holes should be bored so that the beating ring closes them, otherwise grease may escape.
Although the methods suggested by " E.M." are useful, we prefer the plan of using any old disc or washer that will go freely into the ring, and bevelling one edge so that balls will be gripped between it and the ring as shown in our sketch. The ring can then be driven out under a press, by hammering, or by means of a bolt and nut aa shown. If no disc be at hand, the damaged inner ring can be annealed and one ridge turned off so that balls can be dropped in to jam between it and the outer ring.
A damaged outer ring can be treated in a similar way, an that it can be used to drive an inner ring off a shaft, where no other provision has been made.
Two Useful Tips from Cardiff.
THERE have been several suggestions sent us lately regarding means for tightening chains when coupling them
up after a breakage or after removal for any purpose. " J.F.W.," of Cardiff, sends us a description of the method he employs, which appears to be one of the simplest. Without any special tool he can tighten the chain in a few minutes so that the coupling bolt can be inserted.
He places the chain on its sprockets so that the ends to be joined come underneath and near the front sprocket. He then puts the gear into reverse and gets his mate to turn the engine around by means of the starting handle ; this tightens the lower part of the chain and enables him to bring the ends together so that the bolt can be inserted with ease.
Another tip from the same correspondent relates to the breakage of a petrol pipe, which occurred late at night and far away from any place where it could be mended. The pipe broke nearthe nipple where it joins the carburetter, so having no spare pipe, or rubber tubing with him, he had to do the best he could by adopting a somewhat dangerous method. He plugged the hole leading to the carburetter, then bent the pipe so that the petrol ran into the float chamber, having removed the cover. He then turned the petrol on just sufficiently to allow enough to flow to keep the float up to its proper level, then by running on half throttle he was able to get home without any further trouble.
Naturally, the petrol was turned off immediately he stopped, to prevent waste and danger of fire. The remedy is one that we should not recommend if there was any other way of dealing with the trouble. Some time back we published a number of letters dealing with broken petrol pipes, and many of the suggestions for roadside repairs and for improved construction were so good that we feel sure that their adoption would have ended the trouble for ever.
Care of the Fire Extinguisher.
THE fire extinguisher, like many other
things, is not often required, but when wanted it is wanted badly. "J.R.," of Bootle, Liverpool, tells us that in some eases he has found that the vibration of a heavy lorry produces a drip from the nozzle of the fire extinguisher, so when it is called limn for use it is found to be partly empty.
He tells us that he has found a good way of preventing this from happening by cutting a disc from an old air tube and fixing it in the holder, so that when the extinguisher is pressed into its place the rubber closes the hole in the nozzle. This, he says, has effectually prevented any leakage.
Petrol and Oil Pipes.
MANY tips have been given from time to time in these columns relating to petrol and oil pipes, the breaking and leaking of. which constitute a danger, but the points raised by a correspondent, " J.E.," of Leyton, E., appear to have been overlooked by previous correspondents.
" J.E." points out that the cone fitting at the ends of such pipes will often develop a leak through the cone being damaged by its seating. The usual remedy tried in such a case is to tighten up the union nut with great force, the 'result of which is invariably to increase the leak. It is true that the cone may be ground into its seating, but this necessitates the removal of it from its pipe, which is a long job. • The remedy suggested by our correspondent is to tin the face of the outer cone with the soldering iron, the soft solder easily adapting itself to the form of the inner cone.
He also calls attention to the fact that when fitting pipes it is a common fault to cut the tube too short, thus making it difficult to bring the cone into its place properly. Ample length should always be left, so that a breakage near the end—where it usually occurs—can be remedied by resoldering the nvple on to the pipe.