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The Motor Drivers News.

6th June 1907, Page 21
6th June 1907
Page 21
Page 21, 6th June 1907 — The Motor Drivers News.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

An Awkward Breakdown.

" M.B." (Chalk Farm) sends the following communication :—" I hope you can find a place for this letter in the Drivers News.' I am a road engineer to one of the London motorbus companies, and the wayside repairs that have to be made are various and fairly numerous. The other day, I had to work upon a motorbus engine, in which all four cylinders had cracked—not the water jackets. The consequence was that the circulating water found its way into the interiors of the cylinders and things were in a rather bad way. I, however, determined to see what I could do under the circumstances. I, first of all, drained all the water out of the radiator ; then I took the plugs and soapstones out. Next I wiped the parts with a cloth to get rid of the water. I, then, started the engine up before filling the radiator, otherwise I should never have managed it owing to the water getting on the plugs and shorting them. Needless to say that I had new cylinders fitted when we got the vehicle back to the depot."

Steering-gear Repairs.

" S.T." (Cape Town) writes :—" I should like to say how I look forward each week to the arrival of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. It is a most interesting link with the Old Country, and I am sure that those abroad who read its pages need have no fear of falling behind the times, as regards the heavy motor industry, if they study its contents regularly. My object in writing to you is to draw the attention of other drivers to the necessity for keeping the details of the steering gear in proper order. If the worm or sector gets worn, it allows of a serious amount of back-lash,•which is very bad for the various pins that hold the parts in their places. The constant hammering increases, and this soon wears even hardened-steel pins, so that it is false economy to let the steering gear get slack. When the pins, and their corresponding eyes, get badly worn, the latter should be reamered out, and new pins, turned to a proper fit, should be inserted. By this means, a badly-worn steering gear can be made almost equal to new and at a small cost, especially if the driver of the wagon can do his own turning and fitting. When doing a job like the above, always remember to connect up the two front wheels so that they, are perfectly parallel with each other, because if this is not so, the tires will wear out much sooner than would otherwise be the case, owing to the rubbing action between the tires and the road's surface."

A Mysterious Hitch.

" W.B." (Slough) sends this letter for inclusion in the "Drivers News" columns :—"A few days ago I was ordered to take a motorbus of a very well-known make for a journey of close upon one hundred miles. The vehicle was handed over to rne with the laconic remark : Pulling badly.' This was not pleasant, considering the distance which I had to drive it. I started, however, and found that the first driver was correct in his statement as regards the engine not being up to its work ; in fact, it was so bad that I determined to stop and make an examination of it before going further upon the journey. I found that Nos. ' and '2 ' cylinders were not working at all, so I had a look at the tappets and plugs, and I found that the latter were covered with charred oil. I cleaned the two plugs and replaced them in the cylinders, thinking that everything would now be all right. Then I started up the engine, but, to my disappointment, the result was precisely as it was previous to the cleaning. I next had a look to see if all the valves were working, then I followed this up by taking off the valve caps. The valves were badly fitted, so I ground them in—a long job, as they were so bad—and then tried my luck again. Result the same as before. I was sure that the plugs were all right and that none of them were shorting : the whole thing was a mystery to me. I next took the exhaust pipe down and started the engine up, and then it ran beautifully. Directly I put the exhaust pipe back again the old trouble showed itself once more. I found out, at last, that the strainer in the silencer-chamber was choked so that the two front cylinders were out of action. I never had such a thing happen to me before and I don't want it to occur again, as I spent a long time looking for the seat of thetrouble—to say nothing of the time taken in grinding thevalves. I hope this may be of interest to others," [We do not understand what our correspondent means by a " strainer in the sileneer." We shall be glad, therefore, if he will send us further details.—ED.] A Week's Good Work.

" J.S. " (Earlswood) writes :—" I see, in your issue of the

23rd ultimo, that you publish a week's work done by a Foden wagon, the details being sent in by 'G.G.,' of Bradford.. I found the account a most interesting one, and I send you. an account of my work for a period covering the same length. of time as that of your Bradford correspondent.

"I am employed by a firm of removal contractors, sothat my usual work is to transport furniture or other loads. from one point to another. In the work under consideration, my motor was drawing a heavy pantechnicon, and. the total weight of the load was about seven tons.

"I started from Redhill on Whit Monday at 5 a.m., and reached Otterburn at 6.30 p.m. There I put up for the night, the total mileage for the day being 64 miles. I left.

the next morning (Tuesday) at 8 a.m., and ran through. to Bournemouth, arriving there at 5.30 p.m.; • the total run. 'Tor this day was 33 miles. The whole of Wednesday was devoted to unloading my freight, and I left Bournemouth, . on the Thursday at 6 a.m., arriving at Alton at 7 p.m. I 'ilept the night at the latter place and left the next morning (Friday) at 9 a.m. • I arrived at Redhill at 5.30 in the evening. The total distance travelled during the four days amourited to 194 miles, or an average of 481 miles per day. On the Saturday I washed out the boiler, packed certain.

glands, and made new joints on the principal lubricator. Then I got up steam and drove to Merstham, to pick up another load. I stayed at Merstham the night, as I was due to leave there for London at 12 o'clock midnight on the Sunday. The fuel consumption was about 2icwt. of Welsh. steam n coal. Now, I really think that the machine and myself did a good week's work, and I should like to know if others have done as well."

How to Set a Slide-valve.

" F.C.H." (Nottingham) writes :—" A driver was asking • my advice the other day, as he did not understand valve • setting, on how to take the slide-valve out. I helped him out of this difficulty by giving him the following hint, which may be of use to others. First, make a small mark with a file on the slide-valve and a corresponding mark on the valvespindle. Then, take a pair of dividers and take the exact measurement of the distance between the two marks. Transfer this measurement to the steam-chest joint face. If a pair of dividers cannot be obtained, a piece of stiff wire, sharpened at the ends and bent to make a trammel, will do almost as well, but dividers are more exact. I find it a good plan, in order to check a cylinder wearing oval, to watch the brass ring at the end of the stuffing box and, so soon as it begins to wear, either to turn it round a little way, or to get a new one. The rings do not cost much and they may save a good deal of unnecessary wear in the cylinders. Another good thing to do for cylinder and valve faces is to mix a little graphite with the cylinder oil, occasionally. I have run one engine for a year and the valve face and cylinder walls are as smooth as glass, and that in spite of the fact that very bad water has been Used. After using graphite, always use • plenty of oil, as, if graphite is left in the cylinder, it gets . about as hard as emery. As soon as piston rings (cast iron) get slack they should not be scrapped, but should be knocked out a bit. Get a smooth piece of iron and tap the inside of the ring with a hammer, moving it round a little at a time. Rings can be made a good fit again by this method, but care must be taken to see that the hammer hits fair, or else the •

rings will be broken. If there are two rings and an inside cast-iron spring, the spring should be made a fairly tight fit . in the rings."

[We fear that the method of re-fitting old and worn piston rings, as described by our correspondent, would not give satisfactory results. It is much the best policy to obtain a new set of rings from the makers of the vehicle.—En.]

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