Middletown transcript., 1922-04-01
VIBRATION Will
LOOSEN ENGINES
Driver Immediately Begins to
Realize That There Is Some-
thing Wrong.
SEARCH UNNECESSARY NOISES
Clicks and sIaps of Valve May Be De-
teeted by Rhythr,ical Regularity
Cause Of Several Other
Troubles.

One Of the greatest enemies of the
modern motorcar is vibration. The ef-
feet of vibration Is to loosen the vari-
GUS parts of the mechanism and the
immediate effect Of this is felt by the
driver Of the car, who realizes that
his car is beginning to be the seat of
numberless noises, which are far
from pleasant accompaniment to q
drive. But the noises are only the be-
ginning because the looseness that
causes the noise will result in break
age at no distant date, If it is per-
mitted to continue. The car owner,
therefore, should take engine and
chassis noises, not as mere passing an
noyances, but as symptoms Of some
thing far more serious and should ear
nestly hunt them down, just as soon
as they make their presence known.
Engine Seat Of Trouble.
The engine Is the seat of the greater
part of the unnecessary noises that
seem inevitable In the operation Of the
car. The commonest engine noises are
valve clicks and slaps, both of which
may be detected by the rhythmical
regularity of their occurrence.
The reason for noisy gear operation
is too great clearance between the
valve and its seat. In the case of over
head valves too great clearance be-
tween litter and push rod will cause
the trouble. The remedy is obviously
the reduction of the clearance to the
correct distance and this work should
be done while the engine is heated,
because Of the expansion Of metal
when heated, in which condition the
valves necessarily run.
While the valve system is the COM
monest seat of noise troubles in the
engine 1t is not the sole location where
this trouble may be looked for. The
bearings in most engines are of soft
metal, which must be kept copiously
fabricated or 1t will burn and flatten
out with a knock as the result. The
ordinary remedy for this is to take up
the bearing by removing the shin be-
tween the two halves, or else to trim
the metal on the movable part. Care
must be used in performing this opera
tion to see that the bearing touches
the shaft all around without being too
tight.
Reason for Many Noises.
Transmission noises are not at all
uncommon and generally result from
one Of the shafts being out of line by
reason Of worn bearing or binding
gear. Sometimes the entire transmits
sion is out Of line, so that both shafts
are out Of true. Very often gear
may be broken because the shaft has
been out of line. The car owner has
a new one installed, but this does not
help for long, because the entire unit
is out Of alignment.
Propeller shaft and universal joints
are not usually troublesome through
noisy operation, but the rear axle fire.
quently Is. While the driving pinion
and differential master gear are not
running true there will be loud hum,
with an accent or stress once in
revolution. Most units have some
means Of adjusting to take up wear
In this location, the adjustment con-
sisting Of moving the entire differential
unit. which is Job for expert hands.
This finishes the major noises, but
there are several minor ones to look
out for. Minor squeaks and rattles
from springs and body come in this
class. The springs and shackles, If
kept properly fabricated, will not be-
come noisy. Body noises may be
avoided by keeping nuts and bolts
tightly drawn up. Felt inserts will
stop door squeaks. Strips of rubber
wedged under the supports will cure
fender rattles.