A MISCELLANY OF USEFUL IDEAS.
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Suggestions by Our Drivers and Mechanic Readers.
MWO useful lips for steam-roller drivers are given by " of Tattiworth. Difficulty is sometimes found in getting the roller close up to drain gratings, because, in the ordinary course Of events, it is undesirable to run a heavy roller over them for fear of breaking them. To overcome this difficulty "AR." uses a substantial piece of sheet-iron some in. thick,
• and of suitable dimensions to cover gratings, say, 3 ft. by 2 ft. In use, the plate, is laid on top of the• grating and the roller driven over in the ordinary way. The plate, of course, distributes • the pressure and reduces the risk of grating fracture. Wood has also been used by "AU.," but this has not siifficient strength to be a lasting job, whereas the iron plate can be made to serve for long periods.
Removing gullies from the road is a task usually performed by hand, but this is by no means easy, and the use of a roller is helpful in such circum stances. The procedure is to remove the earth round the top of the gaily and to disconnect the pipe before
attempting to move it. A piece of Ordinary rope is taken and fastened to the sully and taken over the top of s one of the hind wheels of the roller, which has previously been backed up as close as possible. When the roller is started in a forward direction the wheel acts as a.winding drum and hauls up the gully. Lamp-posts or poles can be removed in a similar manner, and by the use of rope the -roller paintwork is not damaged, accord
ing to " " claim.
REMOVING overhead valves is not difficult, but in many cases special tools for the purpose are conspicuous by their absence from the tool kit. Advantage can be taken, says " C.C.." of Felton, of the lin which exists on the edge of the cylinder block in some cases ; this lip is the flange on to which the valve seat cover fits. " C.C." uses a simple two-piece tool, one part resembling a buttonhook, which can be slipped under the flange on the cylinder head to provide a fulcrum for the actual depressing lever, which consists of a handle with a hole in it to pass over the valve stem and is provided with a hooked end, which goes into the " bettonhook " piece.
Another system consists of providing .a fulcrum by slipping two or three large nets over one of the convenient studs on the cylinder head and tightening them down on to one end of an open-ended spanner. -Under the shank " of this tool is slipped the nose of the depressing lever.
ON the Garrett overtype vehicle, states " water-pump trouble can generally be traced to the suction pipe from the tank, or the suction strainer which is fitted above the suction-pipe union in the tank. The fine gauze sometimes gets choked up almost solid, due to the dirt in the water. Excessive suction breaks the gauze, which, when in pieces, travels up -the pipe and sets up valve trouble. The man-hole lid in the tank should be taken out once a mouth and the injector strainer and pump strainer can be got at and cleaned. Underneath the tank also is a mud-plate. which can be taken out and the tank swilled out from time to time.
An ingenifts repair for a leaking water tank is mentioned by " A.W." In the case in question a crack developed under the tank on a flat surface. A piece of tubber 1 in. thick and 8 ins. wide was cut out to cover more than the entire length of the,crack. This strip was coated with red and white lead, and placed in position over the crack, being held there by means of a strip of 1 in. wide hard wood clamped by long bolts,' passing down the tank sides and through a cross-member of angle-iron above the tank.
MAKING and fitting piston rings is a
fairly tricky job and needs to be done with care. " A.S.B.,"of Derby. practises the following method. The first job is to true up the grooves in the piston, removing as little metal as possible, as it is no use trying to fit a new ring into a slot that is worn at the top by the old ring. Start by turning new rings out of a tube of close-. grained cast-iron of suitable size, allowing about 1 ram. more diameter than the bore of the cylinder per in. of bore, making the rings about 1 mm. thicic per in. of bore, and cutting the ring off a dead-tight fit for the grooves in the piston. The next step is to rub the sides of the ring on a sheet of emery cloth on a flat surface, until it can move in the grooves.
The ring can be cut with a 45-degree slant, or, in some cases, may be cut straight across if a stop is to be used.
• The ring slot should be Meil until the ring can be inserted in the cylinder, pushing it up with the piston to keep it square in the cylinder ; a little blue or red should be applied to the walls. " Proud " points should be filed off until the ring fits well all round, this being most easily done on a round piece of wood held in the vice. Lapping should next be carried out and the new ring will be in a serviceable condition. After lapping both piston and cylinder must be thoroughly washed.
SOME of the more awkward soldering jobs are chiefly so because the required angle of " presentation " is not readily obtained ; that is, the parts cannot be tipped to the correct angle for the solder to flow on tolhe right spots and to stay there while it is cooling. " of Bath, suggests a soldering tray, for holding in a vice, which will enable tricky jobs to be accomplished.
The idea is to support a small tray upon a stem having a ball-end which can he gripped at any angle in a bench vice. The tray can be tipped before work is commenced and the parts fixed to it by means of small metal clamps or tied down with wire ; in some cases fixings are not necessary. The shallow rim of the tray serves to catch any running solder, and not only facilitates work, but saves material,