The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-05-03
EXPERT AUTO ADVICE

lime, and onos | used q radiator CO.
mont to stop a leak In the pump. Cir
e~uIation appears good, and the radiator
10 hot top and bottom. Half q dozen
times ! nave put In washing soda, once
a quart Of muriatio acid to remove the
lime and once gasoline to remove any
grease. The timing 10 correct, valves
good, compression low and tho cyIin-
ders are worn The mixture 10 lean.
What do you diagnose and advise?
From the symptoms you have men,
toned 1t seems that the trouble must
be due to using the radiator cement;
but, not knowing its character or chem
ical composition, it Is impossible to say
Just what Will dissolve it.
1t may be that the overheating Is due
to faulty fabrication. The oil pump
may be worn so that the oil does not
circulate properly, or possibly the oil
leads are clogged up so that the flow
Of oil is greatly hindered. An inspec-
ton Of the pump mechanism will read
lily show whether the fault is there,
and If 1T is due to dirty oil passages
they can probably be cleaned by flush
ing the system with kerosene.
1t Is possible that the water nump is
worp and therefore does not ~,.rculate
the water as rapidly as it should. In
spect the fan belt to see whether it Is
tight or not, for l%oOseness at this point
Will often cause Overheating trouble.
Running with too late q spark will
o%verheating very quickly, and,
alfhnJnh fhn rnnonntn 4, ,No,
timed and you are driving with the
spark lever I'm the same place rs before
your trouble occurred, this may be the
case, because 1t is quite possible that
the linkage between the spark lever
and the breaker box on the magnetic
has slipped a little, causing the spark
to occur later than ii should.
Which is the best way of stopping a
motor to secure a rich mixture for
starting?
The throttle should be opened wide.
causing the motor to speed UP. and then
the ignition cut off. If you have Il dash
printing arrangement on your car, if
you will operate this on cutting off the
ignition a very rich mixture will be
drawn into the cylinders.
Will you kindly advise me as to the
number OF miles the average racing
car goes to the gallon of gasoline?
The number of miles per gallon va
ries sc greatly that any fixed figure
cannot be taken as applicable to all
sets of conditions. The reason for this
Is that In speedway racing speeds are
so much higher than they are in road
racing, for instance, that the gasoline
consumption for the same cars would
be much different were the consump-
ton measured first on the track and
then on the road. The piston displace-
ment also varies to such an extent that
a fixed figure could not possibly apply
to all sizes Of cars. With these circum-
stances In view 1t Is impossible to give
a broad average consumption figure for
all gasoline cars because If such a fig
ure were taken based upon all races it
would mean absolutely nothing. In
races where the piston disbursements
are limited to 800 cubic inches the gas.
oline consumption Is somewhere around
six miles to the gallon.
How often should a storage battery |
be cleaned and refiIled with liquid?
A storage battery should be tested
and filed with pure water without fail
once every week In summer and every
two weeks in winter.
Can o tell mo how to cleanse out
my radiator? The water hero 10 quite |
hard, and hence scales form. What
will renove It? 10 il necessary to re-
o the rubber hose whom cleaning?
Your radiator can be cleaned by the
use Of ordinary washing soda dissolv.
ed In boiling water. To a water pail |
full of boiling water add a couple of
double handfuls Of washing soda, |
forming about q saturated solution.
This is poured into the radiator and
the car operated for a short time, pos
sibly three UT four minutes, to let the
soda thoroughly reach all parts of the
system. 1t Is followed up by clear
water. which rinses out the soda and
the uldtteF WHICH Is lOOSeQeU by lCS |
cleansing action. If this is done quite
frequently the radiator will be kept
free Of scale. 1t is not necessary to
remove the rubber hose connections
In doing this. as in fact the motor
must be run in order to thoroughly
reach every part Of the circulating sys
tenn with the soda solution.
Would you please tell me what is used
for covering or coating cork floats to
keep them from getting gasoline or wa
terlogged? ! believe hat there is some
thing better than shellac, which Mas
formerly used. The shelIac forms in
little blisters or air bubbles over the
cork. and then il allows the gasoline to
get inside, which makes the float too
heavy.
Some Of the carburetor companies are
now using q secret compound for Gov
ering their cork floats. You can. how
eve make Il very satisfactory job