Evening journal., 1920-02-02
REND OF engine
CHANGES shown
Progress of Motor Construc-
tion Both Here and
Abroad Analyzed

Every automobile owner would Ike
10 know the progress that Is being
made in automobile engine construc-
ffon and what the future holds for the
different types, both ia This country and
In Europe. An analysis OF the engine
situation shows that the overhead valve
is fast becoming lhe American stand
ard. and though The six-cylinder Is the
leader. with the four second, the eisht
shird, and the twelve last. there viii
be IN a few wears sudden turn 10
mull-cylinder engine gradually creep
to believe that also abroad viii the
mult-cyliRder engine gradually creep
ilio lrs, position ], may be difficult
Tor many % see how The siX-cylinder
can be displaced but The same view
Asas held of ihe four not so many years
ago The ideas that the eight and the
3welvC present mechanical c0mDllca-
Hons and tina. the mtre cylinders the
more trouble have been shattered.
There are two outstanding features OF
the multi-cylinder engine which win
make It's appeal all the stronger. one
IS its performance and the other its
auietness Smoothness OF torque-
great pulling ability on high when the
car Is running slowly. quick pickup,
reduction Of vibration are the results
uf multl-cylinder construction. Speed
and power, while they NAL be had in
The four or six, cannot be had with the
same smoothness Of operation as in the
eight or twelve.
II was believed that the use OF eight
or twelve cylinders entailed the use OF
long or wide hood because the engine
took UP more room than a four or six.
AS a matter OF fact we now have
aights, with cylinders In row. that
arc shorter than any six producing the
Same power and speed In Europe the
1ancia Co is building a tweNe-cylin-
der which IS no larger than a six ana
'looke exactly like one, owing TO the
: casting OF ali cylinders I'm one block.
The two rows Of cylinders are only
seventy-two degrees apart, and only one
: earbureter Is now used As time goes
on the all-in-a-row idea viii take, hold
and we shall see many such models in
sproduction.
In Europe the aXenage car has four
cylinders and four-speed transmits
sion. while at present the American
eyerage IS a six with a three-spoed
Transmission. Europeans do not object
10 the least 90 shifting gears. and they
are not so insistent upon obtaining the
nigh gear performance demanded by
American buyers, hence The four-cylin-
der engine with The four-specd trans
mission
Vr,,.xx,,. f,r,,,,,, A.. t,,.a,.,.o, Ilo.o
Gradually. though, the Europeans are
foming TO American ideas for the Paris
and London shows, recently held. indi-
cate the following ideas that are being
taken up virtually by an European
builders: Vacuum fuel feed. block cast
ing Of cylinder. removable cylinder
sheads. battery ignilion, electric start
4ns and lighting.
During the war American builders
had a wonderful opportunity 90 work
ont details OF design for the postwar .
enriBes, using some OF the knowledge
.yainet in the design Of airplane en-
zines These builders have not worked
out their designs as quickly as the
Foreigner. who already have more than
"a dozen overhead valve ingines win
overhead camshafts. We shall see l3ese
.dcsingns on cur cars year OF TWO
,icnce.
70 has been thought by The averase
.a1tomobile owner that valve in head
engiuc is necessarily more powerful
.lhan an l. head or I head lhe valve
location Is nos The determining factor
in power output so 70 is possible TO
: Save an / head OF given size even
snore powerful and speedier than an
overhead valve engine. However. The
overhead value engine on the average is
= more efficient type. The one obiec-
4ion TO il, namely noise, has been al
most entirely eliminated by improve
1nents in design detail OF the valve gear
Overhead Valves
Iho automobile owusr or buyer
Should consider that Just because a
Gar has an overhead valve engine IL
doesn't make that car faster or better
1han one with another type Of engine.
AS a matter Of ract, the engine may
have many Umes the power and speed
pf another, and the car IN which It is
mounted give poor performance. The
: work the engine has 20 do must be
, considered. An engine OF a big truck
1nay produce IS horsepower, yet The
truck can only travel a maximum OF
twenty-five or thirty miles per hour