Evening star., 1921-03-20
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FOR THE AU7ONOBLLLSTS
Answers to Questions of Two Weeks
Ago.

Answers to Questions of Two weeks
Ago.
I. When the car has been inactive
for a great length of time a few pre-
cautions should be taken, especially IN
winter, before the engine is started.
A period of inactiNn causes the oil
to condense or to leave the bearing
surfaces and cylinder walls OF the
motor. If the engine were started
while cold and with the bearings in
this condition serious damase from
increased friction nigh; result. BE
fore taking the ear out after IA long
period of idl, ness fill the motor with
good oil, crank it with the hand crank
a few times to start circulation OF
oil. then apply the electric starter
This will not only timber up the en-
Rlne. but will save large current
drainage on TIE storage battery
p. To clean the commutator Of the
generator or starting motor use a
Very fine grade of sandpaper. THIS
sandpep per may also be used IN
smoothing or reSurfacing the brushes
tator with the rough side of the paper
toward the brush. By lowering the
brush against the paper and drawing
the latter back and forth a few times
the brush will be cleaned. DO not
use oil or gasoline in cleaning the
brushes. because the windingS may
become saturated and ignite when the
machine is run.
3. A possible ignition cause of the
back firing of an engine is short
circuit in the high-tenSiou wires lead
ing to the spark plugs. If the in
Sulation of these wires is broken.
worn through or porous. and If these
wires happen to touch each other, the
current jumps from one wire 10 the
other, causing spark at ihe wrong
spark plug and firing d cylinder out
of time.
4. Automobiles made by Americans
are now shipped TO every civilized
nation on the globe. The United
States manufacturers export their
products to eighty-one foreign coun-
tries.
5. Two conditions exactly opposite
to each other are necessary for the
efficient operation of an automobile
engine. They are cooling and heat
ing. The cylinders of every gas en-
Eine must be cooled TO prevent over
heating and to increase the motors
power. The cylinders must be heated
and to give quicker combustion for
each power stroke. Both heating and
cooling must balance in order that
both may give the necessary increase
IN power. winch averages ~
to zoo degrees, the temperature of
cooling water
s. The fan behind the radiator il
most necessary at low speeds of ten
miles an hour or less
Above ten miles an hour the mo-
mcntum of the car insures some circu
1ation of air through the radiator and
the fan is not so necessary.
:. An unusual, though simple. cause
of backfring. which will cause poor
operation and possible stopping of the
engine. is clogged strainer in the
gasoline tank which prevents dirt
from passing through the gasoline
line to the carburetor. An accumula-
tion of sediment in the gasoline will
eventually settle at this strainer and
may in due time completely clog up
the outlet. This form of trouble may
be avoided by cleaning the strainer
occasionally.
8. A car with a long wheel base is
more apt to skid than one with
shorter wheel base, because of the
increased length of leverage and
centrifugal force.
g. A car is less likely to skid on q