Evening star., 1942-08-16

tnllduelpHld 10 learn more aOOul
splitting engines" to conserve gaso-
line. returned last night convinced
that the motorists must be willing
to make sacrifices If he would use
this method to travel farther on the
same amount of gas
After attending press conference
and demonstration by the Sun Oil
Co. which announced the new
method last week, the experts
learned that those who would split
their motors by blocking off half
the cylinders. must be prepared to:
Put up with excessive vibration
and a chattering motor
| Shift into lower gear for small
hills.
Give up quick starts in an effort
to get away at traffic lights.
BY splitting" motor, half the
cylinders are blocked off from the
fuel supply and the output of the
carburetor is reduced. Some say
you are supposed to short-circuit
the sparkplugs in the dead CYL
inders to prevent their firing, while
others say you arent-that it doesn't
| make much difference.
For those willing to experiment
with the future smooth operation OF
their cars-it will be no mere job
of driving into filling station and
ordering: Split the engine for
me, boys"
Mechanic Held Needed.
Such a change Is a job for an ex-
perienced mechanic, according to
scientific report reaching Washing
ton yesterday.
Mechanics naturally are inter-
ested in the proposal, but are divided
in their opinion of its merits. Both
the American Automobile Associa-
ton and Keystone Automobile Club
are studying the matter, but neither
group has expressed an opinion.
Some mechanics thought the
'split-engine" would work on the
highways where high speeds are
possible, but not in city traffic at
slower speeds, because Of vibration.
Others doubted that 1t would
work at all
The Sun Oil Co. meantime made
overtures to the automotive indus
try as a whole to cooperate by
sending letters asking help of engi-
neers and carburetor manufactur-
ers.
The reason for the oil companys
scientific tests and recommendations
was given simply as desire to
make "a contribution toward con-
servation of the Nations supply of
petroleum"
Skeptics may we'll wonder, from
the vibration that the change would
bring about, whether the split mo-
tor plan may not also be "a con-
tribution toward the Nations sup
ply of scrap metal"
With only half the cylinders fir
ing, it is reported, the explosion of
fuel in those that do function sets
up motor chatter.
Favorable Reaction Noted.
Road tests with some of the lead
ing makes of cars resulted in sew
eral conclusions.
One Of the conclusions as detailed
in the Sun Oil Co. report said:
I'm general, the consensus among
the men who have driven these cars
has been very favorable. Some
| what more gear shifting is necessary
of course; not only on hills, but IN
picking up from low speeds in traffic
Operation in high gear at particu-
larly low speeds is impractical espe-
cially on the six-cylinder cars; OBJ
jectionable chattering occurs on
these cars below approximately 16
miles per hour.
Although the pickup, and hill
climbing abilities are low, a little
practice enables driver to antic-
ipate a grade and make the proper
shift or approach at the proper
speed to get up the hill, without
great deal of lost speed A driver
soon learns, also, that in passing
another car, he waits until he has a
clear path ahead before he pulls
out.
"All five of the original test cars
mad top speed on level road ir
excess of so miles per hour; opera
ton Is perfectly smooth throughout
, the entire range with the exception
of particularly low speeds.
Accords With War Practice.
. ''All in all, it is felt that it is ne
: serious hardship to operate cal
under these conditions. And, parti.
cularly since high speeds and fas
getaways are frowned upon nov
anyway, this plan of improving
fuel economy by eliminating one
half the number Of working cylin'
ders seems to be very practica
means of conserving the nationa
fuel supply"
Frankly admitting some of tn
, difficulties, the report says: LAS wa
to be expected. the performance o
. ! (