Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04

months, promises to be a very interesting,
beneficial and enthusiastic gathering. The
summer session marked the most i'm
poftaRt step ever taken in the engineer
ing. end Of the American motor car In
dustry, and the annual meeting to be
held In New York city January II and
II, during the automobile show, will de-
veiop an advance in the progressive work.
There will be reports from several di-
visions of the society's standard COM
mittee. Some of the papers to be pre-
scented are the following: Automobile
Springs. by E. K. Rowland: "Highways
tor Motor Traffic. by Logan Waller
partment Of goods roads; Motor ore tests"
Commercial Gasoline" by Frank Harris
Floyd; "Gears With Rolled-in Teeth"
by H. N. Anderson.
Former Gov. Carter of the Hawaiian
Islands Is one of the many prominent
American citizens of those islands who
has taken up automobiling.
. Keep the gasoline tanks and, all gaso-
line pipe free from sediment. Above all,
see that there is no sediment In the car
buretor.
y
Under the combined influence of motor
vehicles and good roads the price of
land in rural communities is going up
hand over fist.
A great many people drive mostly at
top speed, burning their tires up Then
they complain that. they have not had
sufficient mileage. This is just one in
stance of where che tire is always get
ting the worst Of 1t.
II. L. Glendinning has returned from an
extensive tour. The run included cities
In western Maryland, West Virginia and
the Shenandoah valley. Mr.. Clenden-
ming says his trip was particularly en-
joyable, due to the absence of the usual
little troubles which beset the nlotorist
when travelling the country roads.
If a modern engine becomes noisy In the
first few thousand miles of its running
life. q likely cause is maladjustment of
the valve tappets. With the strong valve
springs now used in nearly all cars. the
tappet heads and valve toes wear faster
clearance at this point is a prolific cause
Of noise. The adjustment of the screwed
tappet heads on any engine is consider
ably facilitated by the use of feeler
gauges, plus g. couple OF special open-end-
ed spanners, which exactly fit the hexa-
CONS OF the loose tappet head and it's
lock nut. A piece OF tin, of about one
thirty-second OF an inch in thickness,
should be slipped between the valve toe
and the tappet head, after the engine has
been revolved by means of the starting
handle until the tappet to be adjusted is
at its lowest point. The tappet head
should then be screwed up till it nips the
feeler gauge against the valve toe; then
the lock nut must be frightened, and the
gauge withdrawn. rms plan is much bet
ter than visual test, even with a verti-
cal engine and is almost essential on GER
tain engines.
The essential nature of the work per-
formed by the mechanics Of the various
racing cars was remarkably emphasized
during the grand prize meeting at Sa-
vannah. Several cars failed to finish and
one was ruled off the course because of
the inefficient work Of the mechanics.
Those drivers who succeeded invariably
insisted on sharing the credit with the
men who rode with Them
a mechanic In road race is q busy
man. His first duty Is to keep sharp
lookout In the rear. warning his driver
regarding the approach Of faster cars.
He il also supposed to keep track of the
condition OF three OF the tires.
He watches the fabrication system and
regulates the low Of oil through the
pump which he operates. He keeps track
whenever needed on the speed attained
on various portions OF the course.