New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-03
Engines, Too, Get
Overheated i'm
Summertime Use
Watch Fan Belts and Cool
ing Systems; Keep Spark
Advanced When Driving
to Get the Best Results
By n. Clifford Brokaw
Technical Director, Vest Side Y. m.
c. A. Automobile Schools

which the motorlst should be familiar
with.
overheating may be one reason. II
the engine is allowed to gorge itself
too unrestrictedly on motor fodder. it
will tend TO overheating. Those who
radiator in winter and take off the
fan belt to keep the engine hot enough
to run smoothly and with proper
vanorization and firing, may find that
thev have as much trouble during the
heated term keeping the engine cool
enough to run properly.
Generally speaking. the nearer to the
boiling point the water in the radiator
+. GETS without having it actually boil,
and steam away, the more effective
viii he the results. Some engines de
velop much less than the maximum
horsepower because they are too well
cooled. Others seem to become over
heated on slight provocation, causing
the water to boil.
This would not occur If everything
were working as the designer intended
: II should. During the cold weather the
motorist who habitually drives with
retarded spark gets away with IL be-
/ cause thu temperature is in his favor.
But when the mercury goes up, he
finds that his engine overheats and
gives trouble. He has not changed his
method of driving and cannot under
stand the cause of his difficulty.
Keep Spark Advanced
In hot weather one good way to over
heat the engine is to drive with re-
tarded spark. A considerable manipu-
lation Of the spark control lever is re-
CURED for getting the best results. The
tendency is, because the engine knocks
at low speed, to leave the lever partly
retarded instead of advancing it when
q higher speed is reached.
With the magnetic, it is the general
practice TO advance the lever to three
fourths of seven ighths of the full
range right after the engine is started
and leave it there for practically ala
work except very high speed. The nat
ure of the spark given by the magnetic
changes somewhat with the speed of
the engine, and the equivalent of an
automatic advance and retard of the
spark occurs with the variation Of
speed of the motor. With the battery
system, however, there, is very little
change in the nature of the spark af
.fected by the engine speed.
Overheating may often be. traced to
sediment in the radiator, which cuts
off free radiation of heat. This may
be removed usually by the use of q
saturated solution of washing soda and
water. With the advent of hot weather
zach year it is well to fill the cooling
system with solution of this sort and
run the engine for several hours. Then
81 drain the solution off and refill the
system with clean water.
II in the system used pump is en-
ployed, the upper hose should be dis
connected from the radiator and the
engine should be run to pump the solu-
ton out of the system. At the same
time water from hose or other source
should be fed into the top of the radia-
tor as fast as it is pumped out, and
thus flush the entire system before
+ connecting UP the hose again.
Where the thermo-syphon SYSTEM Is
Ted, which does not employ a pump, it
is, Of course, impossible to do this.
q But one should remove both upper and
lower hose connections after running
the engine with the solution and wash
!. it out with fresh water as well as pos
sible. A hose inserted IN the upper con-
nection of the cylinder probably would
force all the solution out, with any col,
lection of sediment, and the same
process with the radiator ought to
clean it out.
Watch the Fan Belt
Fan belts are more likely to get out
Of order in summer than in winter.
This may be because the engine throws
grease and oil more readily in hot
weather. Belts should have grease
enough to keep them soft and pliable,
but too much causes slipping. They
should be wiped free Of all Oil occa-
siohally. There is always a belt ad-
iustment, and this should be frightened
so that there is sufficient tension to
drive the fan at all engine speeds.
Wherever the fywheel has spokes to
form a fan the oil pan and hood should
be kept tight, so that air will be drawn
through the radiator rather thar
through other openings. If the radia-
tor is not kept free from oil the out
side passages will very quickly collect
dust which will prevent free flow of
air and cut off the radiating surface
The same effect is secured when the
front of the radiator is too thickly
smeared with paint.
-. Pumps will wear out in time. But
this is one of the last places to look
for trouble. The action of the pump
may be determined usually by remov-
ing the radiator filler cap when the en-
gine is running and noting whethSr or
not the water is circulating. But if q
paHe plate is placed in the filler open
Ing 1t cannot be seen, and test can
De made IN the same manner by which
tne Cleaning solution is washed out.
Look Out for Sediment
500 With the thermo-syphon system
teere Is very little pressure generated
and slight obstruction will stop the
flow of water. Therefore, it is more
! necessary to keep the system free from
sediment and to see that the gaskets
at the joints are made with circular
openings of full size, SO as not to OBJ
struct the flow of water. Likewise,
water must be kept above the top hose
OF the radiator in order to have any
circulation in this type Of cooling sys-
TEN.
Carelessness in stretching the hose
over the pipe is another cause of over
heating. And it is difficult to locate.
Some times the lining of the hose is
i!oosened and folds back inside, cover
3 ing the opening of the pipe so that
water does not flow freely. Also the
inning of the hose will some times
{ ioosen Up and pieces will lodge where
1hey cut off the circulation.
In addition, keep the engine free
from carbon and keep the valve push
reds adjusted close, have the mixture
as lean as possible and be sure the ex-
naust from the muffler is free. And
the discomforts and trouble from over
heating during the warm weather
months will be lsssened, if not entirely