Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-30
THINGS MECHANICAL
ABOUT THE AUTO

Practice using the hand brake, s,
that in an emergency it's existence ma,
not be forgotten.
1t is a bad practice to run the engin,
on full throttle for long periods. On
the level and down hill give it a res
by advancing the spark and nearly
closing the throttle.
In engines which have separate ex.
haust pipes and no compression taps
cylinder which is missing may easily
be detected by dropping little-a droI
or two is enough-water on the ex.
haust pipes. Needless to say, the water
is not converted into steam by the
exhaust pipe of the offending cylinder
| In testing a coil, first make sure thai
your batteries are strong. Many a mo-
torist is sure on this point, only tc
f1nd that he is mistaken. Substitute
another coil and note it's effect to be
sure that it is in the coil. If you are
satisfied that it is the fault of the coil
send it back to the ma.-er, as the usual
| jump coil is too delicate for inexperi-
enced hands to try to better.
1t is always well to carry along a
| little white lead on the car, as it is
very handy in stopping leaks of the
| radiator by inserting plugs of waste OF
cloth saturated with the white lead
The white lead carried must be mixed
with oil and kept in a small tin box
similar to backing boxes. If it should
harden it is sufficient to add a little
turpentine, or even little gasoline
from the fuel tank will do.
One of the inconvenience of the
| spring washer so commonly used in
a1lfn0nnhiIa ie fc oh hnY.+
lease of usefulness. AS the nut is
screwed down upon it, it gradually
loses it's elasticity, and finally snaps,
and is then little better than nothing.
However, no motorist need despair If
he has any twine with him. The twine
should be formed into a loop just
smaller than the washer, and the end
wrapped over this loop, forming a
grommet. Put it in place, screw down
the nut, and you have a washer that
will hold the nut and cannot be broken
or split.
Men who have graduated on cars of
comparatively low horsepower fire.
quently get into the habit of coaxing
them over hiIltops sby temporarily
slipping the clutch or adopting the
same method to enable them to start
on the third or fourth gear. A word
of warning should be issued against
lbiC PAoSblNC bCAAi6 t1QOELCh III NOlA4CC-
tion with higher horse-powered We
hicles, especially when a leather cone
clutch is used. The friction generated
in such cases is very great, and sooner
or later will have the effect of burn
ing up the leather. When changing
speed. also, it is always advisable to
throttle down, as otherwise the engine
will race momentarily, and great fric-
ton will be caused when the clutch
is let in.
A cylinder that is becoming over
heated, either from a stoppage of the
oil supply or any other cause, makes
its trouble known by a scraping, graf
ing noise at each stroke of the piston
as the dry metals rub against each
other. A loss of power can also be
noted. and the driver should get down
at once and ascertain what the trouble
IS To keep on forcing the engine to
run may cause serious damage.
1t is important to see that all the
movable joints in a brake are really
working and not rusted fast; this is
often the cause of an inefficient brake.
1t is important that all the connec-
tions of the mixture inlet pipe of a
engine should be per-
fectly tight. Slackness at any point
permits the entry of a certain quantity
of extra air. which renders an opera
ton of starting the engine more diff
cult and reduces the power. Many
cases of poor running, which have been
difficult to locate, have been due to
this point.
Replacing pistons in their cylinders is
sometimes attended with considerable
trouble, due to the difficulty of starting
the rings into the cylinder bore. If too
much force is used the rings may be
injured. A turn of fine steel wire should
be taken around each ring, and its ends
drawn together so tightly that the ring
is compressed below the level of the
piston surface. After the edge of each
ring has entered the cylinder the wire
can be clipped off.
One of the most commonly neglected
parts of car, so far as fabrication is
is the clutch operating
mechanism. In the case of some null
tiple disc clutches. which are inclosed
thrust collar and the lever which oper-
ates it is automatic. but in the. case OF
many cone clutches, and, in fact, all
that do not operate in an oil bath, the
thrust collar and lever require oiling
by hand. The duty Of these parts is
stantly in use in throwing in and out |
The clutch. Very frequent fabrication |
IF the ball thrust bearing and of the |
end of the lever which actuates 1t is
thus demanded. Not only so, but the |
bearing of the clutch pedal and the |
pins which secure together the clutch |
operating linkage should be frequently |
supplied with oil
A gasoline engine will often have
good compression when cold and have
next to none at all after it has run for
some time. When an engine acts IN |