Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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TEN SHILLINGS WEEKLY for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for any
-thing else published.
Drivers of co:nmercial-molor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject which is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Workshop tips and smart repairs ; long and successful runs ; interesting photographs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter. or a sketch to us—no matter hlw short, or bow written, or how worded. We will " knock it into shape" and prepare sketches, where necessary, before publication. The absence of a sketch dies not disqualify for a prize. When writing use one side of the paper onlv and men ion your emPloyer's name as a guarant:e of bona fides. Neither your own nor your employer's name all be disclosed. Payment wdl be matte immediately after publication. Address your letters to The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, 7-15, Nosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
A New Use for an Old Tool.
rite sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s. prize this week [GM] " (Notting Hill) submits the following contribution.—" The enclosed sketch We have had this redrawn.—En.] is of a very-old tool that I have adapted, as you will see, for the purpose of ` grindieg in ' valves. Thinking a description of this scheme might be useful to readers of the Drivers' and Mechanics" page, and that you might think it worth publishing, I send it to you as a slight return for many 'save time and temper ' tips which I have learnt through following t h a ' I was set thinking for some
dodge w li i c ii would be easier and quicker than the screwdriver, by having, while on night work in a bus garage, a good many valves to grind in. One man made a swingbrace, with a screwdriver end to it, for the job. I thought the old fiddle drill and bow might do quite well. As a matter of fact, I found it answer very well. You get the forward and backward movement, the same as with the hand screwdriver, but it is very much quicker in action. If a. light spring be used under the valve, just to lift it now and then, when the pressure is taken off, a little practice will, I think, enable anyone who gives it a trial to grind in a set of valves in about half the time it would take with the more-usual methods. I made this device out of a piece of steel tube, which was a little larger in the hole -than the button on the top of the valve. I put a saw cut down it about in. deep and brazed a piece of steel in ftS shown in the sketch. This keeps the driver central while the bow is being worked. Some valves have a sunk slot: if a piece be made, as shown in sketch, to fit in the tube, the above wrinkle will do for both kinds of valves. I used a cotton reel, made to fit tight on to the spindle, and an old wooden door handle for the top. I fixed a collar for the handle to rest upon (hut, of course, any dodge will do for the top). A piece of stout cane and a length of gut or good cord for the how makes op the rest of the arrangement. An advantage to anyone having a lot of sets of valves to grind in, is to make a clip to slide down the tube, so as to hold the cane part of the bow to it while not in use. This saves the job of stringing the reel each time you let go to examine the valve. I made one out of a piece of band steel bent to the shape of a hook and soldered on to the side of a short piece of tube, which was passed on to the spindle."
LA description of a similar device was sent to us some weeks ago by a writer who omitted to attach his name or address; it could not, therefore, be consiclered.—En.'
A Drilling Tip.
[Gird " ,T.G.P." (Luton) sends the following note. -" I recently had considerable difficulty in drilling four holes through the foot of a broken gearbox. The position was extremely awkward to reach, and 1 found it was not possible to get a ratchet brace and drill to work. It had been decided that the box should not he taken down from the chassis, so 1. got a short screw (Tamp and inserted a screwed centre piece in the place of the usual clamping screw. I was then able to hold up a very short drill which had a suitably-squared end. I could turn the drill with a short spanner and get the feed by screwing down the centre-piece in the clamp."
Packing a Cover with Bottle "Straws."
10561 " G.C." (Shepherd's Bush) writes—"I was driving a pneumatic-tired machine near a place called Perivale recently, when I had the misfortune to have an irreparable burst in one of my front tires. I only had a few tools with me and I hardly knew what to do. A little way up the road, however, I saw a heap of those straw cases which they put round spirit bottles. I thought I might make use of these. I picked up a bundle or them and packed my outer rover with them. After a little trouble, I got it hack on to the rim. I eventually reached home safely." [We have often heard of outer covers' being temporarily
stuffed with straw or hay, when a had tire burst has oc curred in the country, and when no spare tube or cover has been available. The use of straw bottle-cases is new to us, however, and will, no doubt, interest other drivers who are liable to be stranded in a similar way.—En.] Manganesite for Mudplugs.
[657] " W.D." (Sherborne) writes.—" Being a reader of the C.M.' for the past four years, I have naturally come across a large number of useful hints for drivers and mechanics. In return, I should like to submit a few remarks myself.
"I used to have a difficult job to get one of the mudplugs on my steam-wagon to hold, unless I made the joint of red lead. Joints made in this way, of course, have to he broken every time the boiler needs to be washed out. I.
therefore, came to the conclusion that I would try fixing the plugs with manganesite. To make a good joh with this stuff, it is necessary first to warm the manganesite, as well as the plugs, in order to keep the preparation soft. First of all a layer must be put on to the plug, and then a ring of asbestos, with a little powdered black-lead and oil mixed, in order to keep the ring from sticking to the boiler-plate. I have had plugs, prepared with joints like this, in use for two years and eleven months, and they are as good now as on the day when they were put in. They are taken out, as a rule, once a fortnight, and sometimes even more often, according to the nature of the water that is being used. They look as if they would stand another two or three years' service yet without breaking. This method, of course, saves a lot in red-lead and asbestos rings, which never last more than a time or two. " Sonic time ago, on my water glass, a Klinger's Patent,' the joints were leaking badly. When I took it to pieces, I found that the bottom face of the glass was eaten away in several places. I had no new one by me just at that time, and I knew that if I put the old one back, there Would still be a leak. r, therefore, got a sheet of rather-fine emery cloth, and laid it upon a smooth surface; by rubbing the end of the glass carefully backwards and forwards, I found that I was able to get quite a smooth end on it. I was surprised to find that I could make such an impression on glass with emery cloth. A good many gauge-glasses might be saved in this way."
A Nasty Knock.
[658] " J.N." (Preston) a rites :—" Sonic while ago. I had, under my care, a ear which developed a nasty engine knock after only six months of running. It Nil as quite new when I took it over. The noise was very much like that which is caused by pre-ignition. At that time I had only half-a-day per week at my disposal for overhauling, and, I think you will admit, you can't do a great deal in that time. Eventually, my employer decided to run another car and to send the faulty one back to the makers. These last good people took the engine down, and I took this opportunity of inspecting its innards.' A thorough overhaul was effected, but it was all to no purpose, as, when re-erected, the knock was still much in evidence. We then sent her to another firm, and again the engine was taken down and examined. Everything appeared to be in splendid condition. We eventually got quite weary. We seemed to have tried everything that was possible, but all to no effect. My employer was just on the point of selling the machine, but, as I can't bear to be beaten, and as I professed to be a motor mechanic—a qualification about which I was beginning to have serious personal doubts—I did some real hard thinking and came to the conclusion that one of the pistons must be hitting the top of the cylinder at every up-stroke. I again made a critical examination, after I had carefully located the noisy cylinder. There was no carbon deposit to speak of, and the only thing I could discover was a small lump on the side of the combustion-chamber wall. This was not bright, however, and showed no signs of contact. Accidentally rubbing it with my finger, however. I found it was as 'bright as a new shilling under the film of black. That cylinder had been examined a dozen times at least; no new big ends or pistons had been fitted, nor had any other adjustments been made. There was nothing, in short, to account for the piston's striking the wall like this. The only thing I could think of was that the heat had slightly lengthened the connecting rod when the engine was running 'hot.' When I had removed this little obstruction, the knock disappeared, and I have not detected it since. I do not feel quite happy about this solutien, however, Its there appeared to me to be plenty of clearance while the engine was cold."