The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-08-24

experienced aut0m0Dlle mechanics
admit that they have more to learn
about automobiles now than ever be-
fore. These troubles are not, as one
might imagine, confined to some Of
the newer refinements and deyolp-
ments in designn, but often apply to,
those basic features of car design
and construction which were thought
to have been mastered years ago.
Every automobile owner has some
pet story to tell, and every automo-
bile manufactures who surveys his
profit and loss account for the year
knows that engineering bugs" have
had their effect.
However, motordom has pro-
crossed far enough to appreciate
that one way to fight the elusive
trouble is to discuss some of the odd
and curious things that go wrong
with cars.
Many Trouble Stories
The clever reasoning that serves
TO solve ones problem now is viewed
as the hest possible weapon to use
IN fighting any problems of this ma
ture.
The mechanic. or owner who hits
upon an explanation for strange &C.
y
mastered more than a mere trouble,
and that out of his experience he
will be able to fashion new mental
tools that will be of immeasureable
value to him in unearthing the
causes of other mysterious things in
connection with automobile behavior.
Trouble stories" are Interesting
and enhghtening, They are told at
the club. on the train. in the office,
on the street and in the garage.
Motorists have worked for weeks
and even months 10 solve certain
problems, enlisting the aid of COM
petent service men and factroy ex-
perts.
The thought is that every trouble
conquered Is step ahead in knowl-
edge of the automobile and in the
direction of that perfection of
motoring to which an motor trans
portation rapidly Is heading.
Stalled BY MuffIer
One Of the most interesting stories
recently told concerns the operator
of brand-new truck. who after
dumping load of stones into a
clay dump ground, could not get
his engine to do more than idle
Every time he tried to accelerate
It and let in the clutch the engine
would stall.
"A number of repair men and,
other experts attempted to unearth
the cause of this peculiar condition
but so unsuccessful were they that
it was decided to install new
engine.
One evening the owner decided
that he would delve into the trouble
again himself and see what he could
make Of it.. In spirit of Jest a
friend said to him, This time you
had better start at the end of the
truck and work forward to the
engine" This proved to be the
solution of the problem.
Getting under the car while the
engine id1ed, the owner found that
when the throttle was opened and
closed there was a peculiar knock
ing noise in the muffler. Taking
off this unit he discovered a hard
lump of clay on the inside. Every
time the pressure in the exhaust
reached a certain point this piece
Of clay was forced against the pipe
at the rear of the muff1er, thus
blocking the escape of gas and
stalling the engine,
Thinking back over his expert
ence. the owner remembered that
as he delivered the load of stone
he had backed the truck into some
clay.
Some Of this had been forced up
through the exhaust pipe and had
dropped into the muffler There,
under pressure and intense heat,
the clay hardened. Pressed against