The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-20
ENGINE SAYING HINT
FOR HOT WEATHER
Don't Let Motor 0vereat and
Overhead, Warns
Expert.
ny II. CLIFFORD BRoKAw.

by II. CLIFFORD BROKAw,
Technical Director West side Y. NJ. O..
A. Automobile School, Neto York CITY.
It is about as bad for an engine to
overhead in summer as for an individual.
and ono will do this about as easily as
the other. Both can overeat too, with
about equal disadvantage-too much
motor fodder, you know, will produce
engine indisposition and high tempcra-
ture follows There are other reasons,
of course, and the novice. particularly,
ought to learn causes and results and
cures.
While last winter was not especially
cold, most drivers found a radiator
cover needed and some found that the
fan belt were best removed. Then the
trouble was to keep the motion warm
enough to vaporize the gasoline now the
trouble, since tho real hot days have
come, is to keep the motor cool enough
to run properly.
with most cars the nearer to the boil
ing point we can run the engine without
actually turning the water into steam
the better 1t will run. Many engines do
not develop full horsepower because
they are kept too cool for efficiency {;
yet we hear plenty of complaints about
overheating and boiling radiators. II
the engines were being handled as the
manufacturer intended. this would not
be. Some OF the trouble is due to re-
tarded spark. In cold weather the
driver WING retards the spark too much
uses up lot of gas that gives no power,
but the engine does not overhead With
the rise in the mercury comes the over
heating and the driver cannot figure II
o,t he Ia driving iu tba
1t should be remembered that driving
with retarded spark will produce EVER
heating. Much manipulation Of the
spark lever is needed with present day
battery ignition systems. Many drivers
when they find the engine knocking at
low speed retard the lever and fail to
advance It again twhen running at
higher speed. with magnetic ignition
the spark control lever may be advanced
about three-fourths OF the full range and
be left there for about all speeds except
the very high. This is because the
nature of the spark changes with the
speed of the engine. equivalent to an
automatic spark advance and retard. II
Is not so with the battery system.
Another cause Of chronic overheating
| may be traced to sediment in the radia-
tor. which prevents proper radiation
This Is a deposit of mineral substance
from the water. Examine an old tea
kettle and you will find in the bottom
| exactly the came sort OF deposit
Usually this may be removed by running
a saturated solution OF washing soda
through the cooling system. II yor
haven't cleaned the radiator this season
drain Off the water and replace u with
the soda solution and run with this II
| for several hours. If there is a watel
pump disconnect the upper hose from
the radiator and run the engine to pumI
out the solution. feeding water into thu
radiator from hose, so that the sys
TEN Is thoroughly flushed before con
Meeting the radiator hose again.
with a thermo-syphon system dis
connect both upper and lower hose from
the radiator and put the hose into tn
upper aperture Of the engine to fiusl
out the water jacket thoroughly. and ais
flush the radiator to get out the last o
the sediment. Part Of the sedimen
comes from sand and vegetable matte
carried In solution and part from linn
and other substances affected by tn
heat and more readily separated from
the water for deposit; likewise there |
some rust from the water Jacket.
Fan belts get out of order readily Il
: warm weather because grease and oi
fly more freely than when II Is cold
They need oil enough to keep soft an
pliable, but free oil makes the bel
slip and the fan does not perform 1t
mission. There is a belt adjustment
TO take up the tension. but when the bel
begins to stretch II were better re
placed A friend who took a long tri
into Maine recently had this trouble an
forgot to take along a new belt. II
hunted several hours in 'he night +
Massachusetts to get a new belt and a
length found one-of all places-in
tailor shop. The explanation is tina
II was a round belt the same as use
for sewing machine and the tailo
had an extra one
Where the flywheel spokes are shape
to form the fan, It is necessary TO kee
the hood and drip pan closed so tina
the air will be drawn through the rad
ator rather than elsewhere. It will nC
do in such a case to lift the hood to hel
cool the engine. The radiator must b
kept clean also II oil is allowed to &c
In the air passages II will collect dus
and not only clog the passages but in
sulate the radiating surface. For tn
same reason the face of the radiato
cannot be painted very much.
or course there may be wear In tn
pump to make trouble. but usually on
may look everywhere else first. One ma
soc whether the pump is operating freel
by taking off the radiator cap Will
the engine is running and peerinR II