The Washington herald., 1919-06-08
CAUSE AND CURE
OF ovERAEAT|NC
Engineer Tells How Most
Common Trouble MAY
Be Remedied.
NJ X. A. TARANTors.
Memker q A. E.

:
son OF the year when oSerheatlng
of the engine is a trouble freque ntiy
encountered and in come instances
becomes almost a chronic condition.
This IL not to say that overheating
IL a seasonal i'll OF the engine, be-
cause IL often occufs in zero tenn
peratures. However, II is more fire.
ouent In summer and consequently y
the car owner should take all due
precautions to prevent Il.
Now in the first place Il should be
understood that -overheating is no
mere annoyance: sit IL more serious
than that IL the condition becomes
chronic it contributes TO the rapid
deterioration OF the engine and its
equipment and IL should be remedied
as quickly as possible.
A number OF conditions may pro-
duce overheeting. some functional
and some mechanical Perhaps the
commonest cause OF all IL driving
with the spark lever too far ad-
vanced. When this IL done the
spark occurs while the piston is a
considerable distance down in the
cylinder. leaving a more than nor
mally large area of the cylinder
wall exposed to the flame. whereby
an increased amount OF heat is car
ried into the cooling water. which
rapidly boils.
Advance spsrk on Hills.
The car owner frequently notices
that when he is obliged TO climb a
steep hill with the spark retarded
to keep the engine from knocking
by the time he gets to the top his
radiator il steaming. II this is
characteristic of any given engine
the owner OF that outfit had better
get at the fundamental cause Of IL
and cure IL. SO that the spark lever
may be kept further advanced on
hills.
In the race to determine the most
prolific cause OF overheating our
old friend carbon is well in the van
if not the actual leader. Carbon de-
posits cause preignition with Just
the same effect as If the spark lever
had been too far advanced. The
specks of carbon become incandes-
cent and fire the incoming charge
before its proper time. You see in
this case also the fame occurs when
an undue area Of cylinder wall is ex-
posed. SO that an excessive amount
of heat finds it's way through into
the water. The symptoms Of this
cause of overheating are knocking,
backfirinE and a noticeable falling
of in power. The only cure. of
course, is removal of the carbon de-
posits. which may be done by scrap
ing or by the oxygen method.
Cooling system TO Blame.
Nafursllv enough a second common
cause of overheating Is to be found in
some failure of the cooling system.
This trouble is easily discovered
simply by removing the radiator cap
while the engine is running and
noting whether or not there is a cir
, culation of the water. 1t the water
is not running obviously the system
Is clogged up. and the next thing
| is to find the cause. Now the causes
behind impeded circulation vary ac-
corJiing to whether the system is
thermo-syphon or pump.
In the thermo-syphon cooling system
the only thing that can stop the flow
of water is a direct stoppage in the
system The first thin; to do is TO
open the drain and permit the water
to run out of the radiator and engine.
BY watching the rate of flow Il is
easy to determine whether the stop
page is in this port Of the water sys-
TEN. II the radiator is stopped up IL
should have a thorough cleaning. As
a general rule this job should be
handed over to a firm that speCializcs
in this sort of work When il is mem
toned that sometimes as much as
four pounds OF muck will be taken
out OF a single radiator the reason
g
is shown.
Let it be emphasized that the aver
age car owner is far too casual in
the sort of water he uses in his cool
ing system. II dirty water is used in
this connection. a little foreign mat
ter entering at each filling soon ere
ates the material for a complete stop
page.
On the other hand. with the pump
system there is not much danger Of
overheating due to stoppage OF the
system because the positive action OF
the pump forces the water around and
prevents the tying up of the system
in this way But when anything goes
wrong with the pump the system AT
once ceases to circulate the water.
which Immediately boils. with the
usual consequences. By opening the
drain Of the pump system the rate at
! which the water pours out will give
an accurate line on the way in which
the device is functioning.
Many engines in use today include
a so-called thermostat. the functi>>
Of which is to keep the temperature 81
the engine at the favorable operating
roint. II anything happens TO tho
/ thermostat so that il fails to open at
/ the appointed time circulation in the
! water system stops and overheating
| is instantaneous.
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