Passing Comments
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Scottish Transport nURING the debate on the Problems Emphasized 1—• Trunk Roads Bill, the in Commons. . . . attention of the Minister of War Transport was drawn to a number of transport problems in Scotland. Many Scottish Members spoke, and almost all mentioned road and ferry schemes urgently required for the modernizing of communications in the North. A particularly strong case was made out for the construction of bridges to replace ferries, notably at Ballachulish and Kessock, Inverness. The present Bill does not cover these plans, but they are being given separate consideration by the Minister.
The Economy Factor IT may not be generally of That High-octane 'known that the use of a
Fuel high-octane fuel can bring
abo It a high degree of economy, even to the extent of doubling the mileage for a given fuel consumption. Experiments carried Q it by General Motors Corporation have revealed some extremely interesting figures, and they are of particular interest, in that they show the relationship of the compression ratio employed to the octane number of the fuel used. With a compression ratio of 5 25 to 1 the best octane number is 69; with 95octane the compression should be raised to 8 to 1, whilst with 100-octane fuel the ratio should be 10.3 to 1, or nearly 100 per cent, greater than with the 69 octane. These facts, in themselves, are interesting, but the actual results obtained axe more so and are conclusive evidence of the step-up in economy resulting from the use of the respecti.re octane number in conjunction with the correct compression ratio. Using the 69-octane fuel and driving at 40 m.p.h., the consumption figure returned was 12.5 m.p.g. This figure rose to 18 m.p.g. with the 95-octane spirit, and to 21.3 m.p.g. when running with 100 octane.
A Bodyworks Which AN extraordinary variety of Produced Much War r-twar products came from Material the works of Briggs Motor Bodies, Ltd. These were listed by the chairman, Sir Allan Powell, G BE, D.L., at the tenth a.g.m. of that company. We cannot refer to all, but, as examples, there were Armyvehicle bodies of many types, welded hulls foBren gun carriers, jerricans, shell ammunition, bombs, gun shields, parts for Tanks, sea mines, steel floats for boom defences and pontoons, fire-resisting lifeboats, aircraft components, and fire-pump trailer units. In addition to the two factories at Dagenham, seven others in different parts of the country were taken over, adapted and operated, and the value of the war-time supplies amounted to £.61,000,000. Of ierricans alone, over 18.000,000 were made.
Sparking Plugs Can THE condition of a sparking Indicate the Engine's A plug can tell the story, of Health engine fitness. It is pointed out by the Lodge concern that for the most reliable guide, plugs should be removed just after a vehicle has returned from a run of several miles. If oil or " wet " carbon deposit be seen on them, piston rings, and more probably cylinder bores, are badly worn. The presence of soft black soot indicates too rich a mixture, whilst if the plug be white and parched-looking it is too weak. If the engine be in good condition and the mixture correct, the points should be grey-black and quite dry. An occasional morning inspection may show other faults. For example, moisture on the points sometimes indicates a defective gasket, although it may be due to atmospheric condensation in cold weather, particularly if the engine has been allowed to stop with the throttle closed. This can be avoided by opening the
throttle fully, at the moment of switching roff and hold1ng it open until the engine stops, thus expelling all burnt gas, which contains a high proportion of water.
Accessories and CornTHE chairman of the Acces .ponents Holding Up sories and Components Production . . . . Section of the S.M.M.T. made a recent call for a speed-up in the demobilization of draughtsmen and skilled artizans, as they are urgently needed by the industry, He said that many vehicle makers to-day purchase from 50 to 60 per cent. of their requirements from outside concerns, including assemblies, wheels, lighting sets, etc. A hold-up in the delivery of a single item from such suppliers resulted in a stoppage of production at the main plants. The change-over from war to peace had a good start, but since then severe drawbacks are being experienced