Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-01-20

Frank CoombS, one OF the leading
automobile experts in Honolulu, Is
a believer in quality in a car. His
business comes from troubles with
machines, but at the same time he
IL always willing to give information
on the better care OF the car, Service
means more TO a growing company
than anything else, according to
Coombs. In discussing cars and their
cares he has this TO cay about valves:
car Is only as good as It's valve
system. The valves and manifOlds Of
the car comprising the intake and
exhaust system are to the car what
the breathing organs are TO a man.
The engine breathes in its fresh
breath, utilities L to maintain its life
and eXpels the used gas in just the
same way that a man takes in his
breath, extracts the oxygen from 1t
for the use OF his body and rejects it
after he is through.
A wheezy car with leaky valves is
not performing efficiently. 1t is cost,
ing the owner money and pleasure
Money. because II will not run as far
or as fast for a given quantity Of
OF fuel Pleasure. because il is noisy
and will lack power on the hills,
causing a lot Of gear shifting. which
ordinarily would be unnecessary. 1t
will pay, therefore, TO look after the
valves and TO keep them tight and
sound. II is the purpose OF this ar
ticle to give a few instructions as to
how II can be done by the ordinary
owner.
In the first place. when the car
leaves the factory the valves are
sound. They have been seated by
grinding tool. Il the. valves are OF the
ordinary type known as poppet valves.
When the owner gets the car he has
a fresh start. The valves are as they
should be and all the adjustments are
right. When the throttle Is opened
the motor VIII piIrr and there will be
no grinding or tapping sounds as the
car is run along the road or even
when 1t is idling within the garage
II Is very advisable for the owner
driver to operate his car by ear. He
should become used TO this purring
noise made by the new car and be ever
on the alert to hear the slightest
deviation from the correct sound.
This Is the first step In being a good
driver. The racing driver can tell
you the condition OF any part of his
car simply by the feel Of the accel-
orator pedal and by the noises he
hears under different conditions. The
private driver should be almost as
acute In this as the racing driver, II
he wishes to be a really good opera.
tor. -~.@.
The first sound that greets the ear
after the car has been in use some
time. is likely to be the regular tap,
tap, tap Of a valve stem in which the
clearance is too large 1t has grad.
ually worked out of adjustment, with
the result that as the cam rises to lift
the valve the push rod is moved
through considerable distance be-
fore II finally brings up again the
valve, with q sharp click.
This condition should be cured at
once or else the clearance will grad.
ually work larger and the tap will
become louder. II 10 not alone for
the unpleasant noise that the trouble
should be cured, but also because of
the fact that each amount Of clear
anee above normal subtracts just
that much from the proper amount of
valve lift and. hence reduces the area
of the valve port by consequent
amount. The engine is being choked
in the SAME way that q man would