South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-05-16

fabricated at all times and go over
IL carefully every week or so. u
runs fne and never gives any trou-
BILE. except Il rattles when running
around % miles an hour. Sounds
Ike a loose bolt with washers jump
ing up and down. When running at
20 or below or over Is IL runs
quietly / nave been trying 20 To-
cate this trouble for weeks, but
can't find anything loose Also have
trouble with right front fender. All
bolts seem 20 be tight, but IL takes
spells OF rafting that Is very annoy
ing. I've heard Il said that you use
more gas when your tank Is full
than you do when you have five gal
Ions or so IN tank. IS there any
truth in such a statement G. @.
Rattles are hard 20 locate unless
you have some one ride with you
who can move around on the car
and trace the rattle 10 its source.
From the drivers seat the noises
are deceptive. Perhaps when your
engine turns over at a certain speed
the vibration of the hood or mud
pan causes the noise. Then. again,
YOU can often trace n bad rattle to
sideplay IN the spring shackles.
Take some mechanic with you and
let him crawl about the car while
I'm motion. II IS an easy matter 10
locate the source IN this manner.
The quantity Of gasoline IN the tank
does not affect the rate of consump-
lion.
Motor Department:-I am a reg
ular subscriber and read with inter-
est the mOtorist query column.
Please answer the following ques-
ton in your next issue. / own 1917
Chalmers roadster. once or twice
lately Il failed 20 crank up in the
morning The battery is good and
4. spanked on all six plugs. on one
occasion the mechanic took out the
spark plugs and poured over each
piston "a mixture OF gas and lubrl-
eating oil and by this means the
motor started. This morning I had
the same trouble, but the above
remedy would not start II. The me-
chanic accidentally disconnected the
sixth plug from the rear and the
motor started at one turnover. is
IL possible that there is a short in
the connection Of the sixth plug wire
or do the pistOns leak oil and lose
their compression? / thank you.
REGULAR SUBSCRIBER.
II your engine runs all right after
II is started there is no reason TO
suspect a short circuit in NO. wire
which would materially affect start
ing Overpriming the cylinders IS
worse than none at all, and this is
probably what happened on the sec
ond occasion. Some persons mix
special bottle OF printing fluid made
up OF gasoline and about 20 percent
ether. This is a very volatile mix
ture and facilitates starting when
the engine Is cold. No more than
a teaspoonful should be used when
printing the cylinders. Be sure
that your ignition supply is up to
standard. as a weak spark always
causes difficulty in starting. If the
pistons pass oil you viii have con-
slant trouble with carbon and fOuled
plugs.
Motor Department: - Recently I
purchased from an automobile sup
ply house a set OF six dry cells. I
used these cells in my car and they
lasted only three days. I was told
they were new and would last for
several thousand miles. Everything
I'm the wiring seems 10 be all right
and they are kept in a dry place.
How can you account for this2 Do
you suppose there is some short
circuit somewhere The engine
seemed 10 run all right on the bat
teries when the cells were new.
r. T.
There may be no trouble with the
wiring. IL is possible that you were
given stale cells. Purchasers should
insist upon having these cells tested
at the time of purchase. The store
supply OF dry cells IS not always
fresh. and then, too, they depreciate
very rapidly. even though not IN
use. Without doubt the cells you
purchased were practically dead
when you obtained them.
Motor Department:-Doe II make
any difference IN replacing the
magnets on a magnetic as TO how
they are replaced, so long as they
have the same polarity on the same
side2 I had 20 take miro off and
now am in doubt as to how TO put
them back. d. NJ.
long az all the north poles Of
your magnets are together they will
work all right. Try them together
20 find which poles repel. These
poles should all be on the same side
Before removing them another time
mark them with piece OF chalk.
Motor Department: - Please ex-
plain how a timer works on an en-
CINE when IL Is advanced or re-
tarded Also. why IL knocks on a
hill and why IL stops when spark is
retarded r y.
The 1irst purpose Of a timer is to
cause a spark 10 occur Just as the
piston passes over dead center. be-
ginning the power stroke. When
the explosion occurs II forces the
piston down rapidly. The next
power stroke gets the spark al the
same time. but the piston is going
so fast that Il does not get the ex-
plosion pressure until too far down.
We advance the spark so that II
will come down at dead center or
even before t. The explosion
pressure IS advanced at the same
time and presses on the piston near
the top OF tho stroke. giving more
power. II We run a car up a hill
the engine Is slowed down BY the
extra work and we must retard the
spark. Otherwise we get the ex-
plOsion pressure on the piston com
ing up. which makes a knocking
sound or may even stop the engine
Motor Department: Can Won
please tell me WHY racing antonio.