The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-14

In many cars pressure feed to these l bearings is rart Of the regular equip ment, but in others, and the majority ! 2, that, this fabrication is simply splash. I Owners who are converting Ford chassis ! will find splash systems therein and il l is necessary to substitute pressure. In l cases where it is purposed to use the car for nothing more than short bursts oi speed, not exceeding half an hour in dCra tion, splash to the main bearings may prove efficient enough to get by"
 HIGH SPEED ENGINES
 For the engine designed to give high speed, alterations of the valve timing and lift will be necessary. It + common pra ctice to change the valve lift by 1-32 CTS even try 1-16, though this means a new camshaft For the owner converting a Ford chassis. it is possible to get a new camshaft with valve lifts altered by 1-is of an inch.
 It is necessary, or better advisarble to increase the size of the valves, par tioGlarly the nlets. TO do this the seats will have to be counter-bored to receive the new valves. Unless the owner has the proper equipment, he will have to call upon a machine shop to do this, but the cost is not excessive and the results justify it. If the exhaust manifold and muffler are to be left just as they are 1 it is a good plan to fit larger exhaust valves, to care for the increase on the inlet side. In counter boring the seats, the utmost care should be taken not to take out too much metal Practically any engine will allow of the removal Of | 1-32 of an inch.
 IL will be obvious that it is important | in the search for mere speed to make the valve gears just as light as possible. In adjusting a motor of the overhead valve | tba arms and the vertical rods by having them machined. The removel of the ad- | irsting nuts of the valve gear is another ddge to take if little weight where ' it's absence will do the most good
 | Of course particular attention must be given to carburetion in the engine in- l tended for speed work. It will be neces-
 sSry to fit a larger carburetor than the standard size. An incre ease of an eighth l to quarter of an inch will usually fill the bill and it is possible that the change may make a new inlet manifold neces- l sary, In some cases it will be found | better to fit two carburetors of the stan l dard size instead of one of a large size | When this can be accomplished. it IS bet l ter to discard the inlet manifoM alto- I gcther and bolt the carburetor directly to the cylinder block, which is entirely feasible when a two outlet manifold is used and two carburetors are fitted
 VACUUM TANK METHOD
 Many modern cars use the vacuum tank method of feeding the fuel and this lsystem is not always satisfactory in the iengine inteded for high speed work, as
 the tank will need some help to enable it
 to feed fast enough. The solution is a vacuum pump, adjusted to operate at
 fixed intervals, determined by experi-
 ment, so as to keep the tank full enough
 to insure constant feed to the carburetor
 | Iy, ,I1E,
 way out is to fit two tanks, one in the
 rear and another on the cowl, where a
 sufficient head of fuel may be generated
 to feed by gravity. The gasoline is
 forced from rear tank into the smaller
 receptacle by means of a small hanc
 pump. The only alterna tiyes to these l methods are straight pressure and the
 ordinary gravity feed, neither of whict ; is entirely satisfactory in high speed work.
 } Next we come to the extremely i'm portant matter of ignition Not long > ago the magneto was sole ruler of tht r racing car field, but lately the batter, : ignition system has begun to make head
 Way for this class of speed car. Wher [ :, a magneto is used it is of the double l distributor type, which sends sparks tt ; two sets Of plugs at once, insuring bet , ter flame propagation. The magnett l does not weigh as much as the battery , system and this is point in it's favor } When a battery system is used, it is
 will to add breaker taking the cur
 rent from two breakers instead of one Special racing spark plugs should by al [ means be fitted in the car designed fol 5 high speed work, as the standard sizes
 ldo not stand up under the extra work. If the cooling system is of the therno l syphon type, it is possible that it max not be strong enough to handle tht 1 added heat engendered by high speeds Wien the car already embodes a pumI ) driven cooling system. do not jump tC
 the conclusion that larger pump must : be fitted. Sometimes the larger pumr
 will throw the water into the radiator sc : fast that this part cannot cool it and l the result is oyerheating. For the same , treason it is not always necessary to in