The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-09-25
AUTO SUGGESTIONS

a mixture. BY a little study of his
carburetor he will soon learn how to
adjust it TO cut down on the gas o.
introduce more air in the mixture.
This not only means a big saving in
gasoline, but less carbon and a sweet
er running engine. The average mo-
torist has a mistaken idea that the
gravity of gasoline is an absolute test
and proof of its efficiency for motor
car use, when in fact a lower gravity
gasoline will propel a car more miles
per gallon of gasoline. The reason
for this is easily explained because the
lower gravity gas requires much more
air in a c%arburetor for proper com
bustion. Scientific tests have demon
strated that there is 20 per cent more
mileage in a 63-degree gravity gaso-
line that there is in a 76-degree gray
ity. AS the gravity Of motor gasoline
has gotten lower each year, it Is well
TO remember that a c~arburetor now
one, two or three years old cannot
work as efficiently on the present
grade of oil-unless it gets more air.
After a car has run two or three
seasons the muffer is probably St
back pressure which represents pow
er loss is set up. The only satisfac-
tory method of cleaning out. a muf-
fer in this condition is to take il,
apart and remove the carbon by chip
ping and rubbing it briskly with a
stiff wire brush of the kind used for
! cleaning tiles. Kerosene is a great
help in softening the hardened layers
before beginning the s%craping.
In teaching his wife to drive, a
motorist found that she was having
great difficulty in remembering the
several gear-shift positions, and as
a result was slowing up her shifting
considerably, due to having to stop
to think which lever position was
which. He hit upon the idea OF EN-
ploying some small metal numbers,
and the like. Procuring a /, 2, 8 and
an r, he nailed them to the foot board
in proper position to indicate the way
the lever had t be shifted to effec,
any given speed change. The idea
worked to advantage, and the beginner
had only to glance down at the num-
bers to know exactly which way to
carry the lever, eliminating all uncer-
tainty.
Very often old piston rings can be
r~ejuvenated, and the wear they have
suffered may be compensated for by
the use of parts of an old clock spring.
After having removed the old rings
and cleaned them thoroughly, cut off
pieces of the stock spring of about
the same length as the inner circum-
ference of the rings, allowing enough
space at the joint to take care of the
expansion. Then slip the piece OF
spring inside the ring with the joint
at the opposite side from that of the
ring, and put the assembly back on
the piston. This e%xpedient in many
instances has proven a good remedy
for COMPRISING loss and seems to
help in the prevention of oil working
up into the combustion chambers.
A crack in a castiron pipe or a cyl
inder jacket can be repaired without
a great deal of trouble in the follow
ing manner, if the pressure the part
has to withstand is not too great:
Dissolve some sulphate of copper in
water, and after cleaning the edges of
the crack well with a file or sandpa'
per. paint these edges with the sui
phate solution several times until
there is a coat of copper on them.
The crack can now be filled with soft
solder, which will adhere to the cop
pered edges.
A popularity of most all amateur
repairmen is that, although they have
work clothes especially adapted to re-
ceive grease spots and car dirt, they
never bother to put on these ol0
habiliments for doing ordinary tinker
ing because. for some reason, they
never expect to get dirty. Ten min
utes time to change many save a SIS
suit. Spend the time and put the saw
ing into Liberty bonds or thrift stamps.
But, if you do have the misfortune
to get grease or oil spots on your
good clothes, here is a valuable hint
that comes from an old dry cleaner
friend Of ours. 1t is most effective
where the spots have not been al
lowed to stand too long. First,
sprinkle the spotted places with tai
cum powder, rubbing it well into the
cloth. This done, dust more powder
over the spots and put the garment
aside for several hours. This gives
the powder time to absorb the oil or
grease. Later, brush the spots with
a stiff brush, and nine times out OF
ten the process will leave the cloth
entirely free of the offending spots.
1t is worth trying W. in the worst
cases.
The polished surface of the best of
patent feathers will crack. This sur
face is an enamel, and an enamel is
yef 20 be made that will stand a con
tinued bending strain. But sc Ions
as the cracks do not extend through
the leather itself, there is no occasion