Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-03
S|NPL|F|ED LESSONS IN
PROPER CARE OF AUTOS
Everlasting Frequently Troubles
Motorist Who Is Advised to
Watch Radiator Closely.
WATER CIRCULATION STUDIED
Automobile Expert of Tines- Dis
patch Explains Purposes OF Vari-
Gus Appliances and Proper Func-
tions-Qucstions and Answers.
AUTO LESSON NO. rs.

the ignition, tho mixture, OF the COM
preston. that you would receive
signal OF this fact by the engine miss
ing. losing power or even stopping.
but that you would not receive such
signal. except when too late, In case
OF failure of the fabrication or cool
ing system. True. the fact that the
water in the radiator will boil when
there is overheating. VIII often give u
signal that there is something wrong
In the cooling system. but this cannot
always be observed by the driver, un-
less he happens to be in front of the
car. 1t Is good practice for drivers
TO get into the habit of holding the
back OF the hand on the radiator and
80 get accustomed to how hot the
radiator should be. In this way they
will often observe when there is a
tendency to overhead in time to i'm
restigate and make the necessary re-
pairs
In studying the faults of the cooling
system which are liable to cause over
heating. let us first see thc course Of
the water. the purpose OF each unit
in the system and how 1t can cause
trouble.
We first have the radiator. How can
II fail to function properly?
In time. especially If there is any
amount of lime In the water used. a
lime-scale will form in the tubes. which
scale VIII act as an insulation against
the transfer Of the heat in the water
to the air drawn through the radiator
TO cool it. 1t is we'll, therefore, per-
haps once or twice a season to dis
solve this scale with soda water.
The above is accomplished by drain
a "a
with water In which soda. in the pro-
portion OF handful to bucket. has
been dissolved, and then running the
engine for a while. This water is then
drawn off, and the radiator reGlled
with pure water number of times,
until the water comes out clear.
Behind the radiator Is the fan.
Overhcating Is very often due TO the
driving belt of the fan slipping. because
IL has stretched. or become oil soaked
On practically all cars the fan bracket
is 50 designed that the fan can be
moved farther away from the driving
pulley. and SO tighten the belt. Thus,
in the illustration. il the nut (A) be
looscned the arm OBJ can be swung
on its pivot TO tighten the belt.
When the belt is oil soaked II can he
cleaned with Kerosene and then treat.d
with castor oil, or. for emergency. some
Fnller's earth can be sprinEicd on IL.
The radiator IL always connected to
The cylinders or pump by short pieces
OF rubber hose. These will. in time.
rot on the inside. and sometimes loose
portions OF the inner rubber or fabric
VIII check the flow of the water. This
hose should, therefore. be replaced
once year, or at least. once in two
IA hoa
perfect condition from the outside. hut
De absolutely rotted on the inside
After the hose comes the pump. on
practically all the present-day cars this
Is OF the centrifugal type. which is sim
pie and seldom gets out OF order. The
water In the pump is liable to be the
first 10 freeze in cold weather and. be-
cau.e OF this. the pin by which the
pump impeler Is fastened to the drIv
ing shaft sometimes is sheared or or
course. this means that the water will
not circulate.
H. on an extremely cold day. your
engine seems TO be stuck" or frozen
up" II would be we'll 10 pour some hot
water or to put hot-water-soake rags
over the pump. SO as TO melt the Ice, in
case the water has frozen
a large portion OF the cars built have
no pump. hut use what is known as
natural circulation. or the thermo-
syphon system. Where this is the case
extreme care must be observed 20 al
ways have the radiator we'll filled with
water as il the water in the radiator
becomes much lower than the inlet nine
the water will not circulate properly.
outside OF lime-scale forming i'm the
water Jackets OF the cylinders, there
Will be no trouble here. The treat
ment for the lime-scale in the radiator
Will also dissolve that in the water
Jackets.
In addition to faults in the cooling
system itself. as given above, over
heating may be due to carbon deposits
in the cylinders, to running too long on
the lower gears. to too rich a mixture
or running with spark too far RETARDED
Improper valve timing will also cause
overheating. but this. OF course, will
only be on cars on which work has been
done on the half-time, or cam shift
driving gears.
IF the car Is used in the winter time
nonfreezing mixture should be used
in the radiator. The writer likes plain
denatured alcohol
You can judge the amount of alcohol
to use from the following table:
Twenty-Five per cent alcohol, rs
water. freezes at zero
Thirty per cent alcohol. 70 water,
freezes at degrees below zero.
Forty per cent alcohol. 60 water,
freezes at 20 degrees below zero.
In time the alcohol will evaporate
and so some additional liquid must be
added from time to time. No rule can
be given for this. as in q car the water
Of which has a tendency to boil. the
alcohol Will evaporate quicker than one
in which the water is comparatively
cool 1t Will also evaporate quicker in
n car which is driven much than in one
little driven.
Tt is often good practice to cover
the lower portion OF the radiator, so
as to prevent the passage of the air
through 1t. If the water in the radiator
tends TO boil this covering should BIO
removed.
When there is alcohol mixed with
the water, the mixture will boil at a