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ROAD RACE OF A THOUSAND THRILLS
Death-Trap Route And
Many Spills
Special Ali Mall Service
Landon, April 15. The race of a thousand thrills- such is the best description of Miglia, Italy's to-day's Mille gruelling 1,000-mile motor race over mountain passes, through villages and along towns and roads of every variety,
Fog and heavy rain over a large part of the route turned the roads. into death traps, and only the inost skilful driving averted many casualties. "There were more rashes than ever before.
"Earl Howe had a wonderful es- cape when, after driving the race telegraph of life. his car hit a pole. The pole fell on his head, splitting his crash helmet, but he was only stunned.
Mr. Penn Hughes and Count Lurant (M.G. Magnette) did best of the British team, finishing se- cond n the 1,100 cc. (llght car) class.
There was a dramatiq neat and neck due for first place in the unlimited class between Varzi and Nuvolari, the famous Italian drivers. Vaizi won in the record me of 14 hours Bmin, 5sec-re- presenting an average speed of 71 miles an hour with Nuvolari on ly eight minutes behind him.
..
79 M.P.H. In Rain, and Darkness
Earl Howe drove magnificently, in the dark and rain over wet mountain roads; before his crash, five miles from Florence. In less than 140 miles, driving at an average speed of 79 intles an hour, he had made up nine minutes on his most formidable adversary.. Taruff, on a very fast Maserati." He overtook. Tarum, who had started eight
be- minutes
sum.
fore
mit of
the him, rear
the Futa Pass, be Bologna and Florence.
tween. Tarum put on a great spurt and got ahead once more, and it was in pursuing him down the moun- tainside that Earl Howe crashed.
Missing a corner in the dense fog, his car hit a telegraph-pole The pole snapped in two and the top half fell on Earl Howe's head splitting his crash helmipt and knocking him unconscious. But for the helmet he would have been killed. ?
Wounds Washed With Wine'
After hitting the post the car slid along a wall and Earl Howe's
cut, arm was badly
A peasant washed his wounds with wine, since the water might have in- fected them,
He recovered consciousness while being taken into Florence by car, and was immediately put to bed pending an X-Ray ex- amination. When it was dis- covered that no bones were bro- ken he was allowed to return to the Hotel Vittoria át Brescia.
Although ordered to rest by the
اوه
doctor, he
insisted
on coming
down to dinner. His wounds are painful but not serious,
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Thomas, Earl Howe's machanic, hud a wonderful escape and, al though wet to the skin, remained behind to look after the wreckage of the car, when had the super-. charger smashed and the front axle torn off,
Mrs. Ha's Courage
Another pair in the M.G. team who
per- put up a wonderful formance were Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Hall the latter the only woman in the race. They headed the rade all the way to Florence, and by Bolognia had gained two min- utes on the redoubtable Taruffi, and were holding his" lead suc- cessfully.
R
At Bologna, owing to wheel-spin on the wet roads and heavy go- Ing on the muddy sections, they ran short of petrol and had to All up at a roadside pump. In spice of this stop they reached Slena only two minutes behind *Taruff.
.
Mrs. Hall has had a bad cold ever since she started practice. and last night had a high tem- perature. In case she should not be able to start, efforts were made. last night to find a spare driver, but at 3.30 this morning Mrs. Hall declared herself fi to race, and 35 minutes later she was in the car on the starting line,
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1934.
MOTOR JOTTINGS
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
The Humber Twelve
Since the Humber Twelve was first introduced during last year It
has rapidly become popular amongst owner-drivers. One of the reasons for this is that its design is such as to make "care and maintenance an easy matter for those enthusiasts who take, a pride in looking after their cars themselves, for the chasis is on orthodox lines and has its various components very accessibly -ar- ranged.
Only detall modifications have been made in the 1934 model, and, therefore, the following parti- and culars regarding care maintenance
all apply to models, except in one or two
where the instances.
differ- ences are explained. As regards the power unit lubrication is, of course, extremely important, es- pecially if the car is new, in which case it should be noted that an upper cylinder lubricant 13 recommended during the run- ning-in period. During this time the engine should be treated gen- tly, and 35 to 40 m.pl. should be regarded as the maximum per- missible speed on top gear, with correspondingly low speeds on the intermediate gears. In particu- lar, care should be used on hills, end it is better to change down to a lower gear and to let the engine run, fairly fast at a low throttle opening than to hang on to top gear and have to use a generous throttle opening.
Checking Oil Level
The oil level in the sump should' be checked every 200 miles by means of the dipstick on the off side of the engine. close to the o ller. The all level should be kept up to the mark on this dip- stick, and oil should be added When necessary to restore the
After such determination to win through it was, a bilter disap- pointment for both when a loose core plug in the cylinder head caused the water from the radialevel, as the less oll there is in
tor to leak into the oiling system and the crank-case with wa- ter. They had to return to Siena from the scene of their break, dan. 17 miles beyond.
Penn Hughes's Fine Race
The only surviving hope of the M.G. team was in car No. 3, dri̟- ven by C. Penn Hughes and Count Luraní These drivers had in- structions to keep within strik- ing distance of Taruff, and put up an excellent performance. They were the third car in "at the Siena control, 19 mjautes be- hind the Maserati driver.
At Rome they were 39min. be- hind, but by Perugia, 512 miles from the start, they had recover- ed 9min, having averaged 56.7 m.p.h, since the start. Their car was the fourth to injsh, and they took second place in their class, covering the course at an average 'speed of 59 m.ph.-a wonderful achievement considering the-fact that they had to drive over wet, roads for practically the whole thousand milles,
The most thrilling duel of the face was that between Varzi and Nuvolari-last year's winner-in the unlimited class. Italy's two supreme drivers were each going.
all out" to win.
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the-sump the greater will its tem- perature become in the course of running.
Check the all when the car is standing on the level and when the engine is not running. If the engine has been running, wait some minutes before using the dipstick, so that the oil inside the engine can drain down into the
Withdraw sump.
the dipstick, wipe it on a clean rag, replace it, and again withdraw it to obtain a true reading. The olls recom- mended are Mobiloll BB or A, Shell Triple or Double, and Cast- rol XL or AA, the first-mentioned grades being for summer use and the latter grades for winter use.
After the first 500 miles the sump be drained and replenished. The drain plug is on the off side of the sump, and draining should be carried out when the engine is warm. After draining. replace
the plug securely, and pour in. fresh'oll through the oil filler un- 'til it reaches the correct level on
the dipstick. Subsequent sump. drainings should be carried out every 2,000 miles, "and it is re- commended that the sump should be detached and cleaned but every 6,000, mlies.
N:
This is a simple matter if it is tackled systematically, and, first of all, the sump should be drain- ed and the dipstick removed. Blocks of wood can then be plac- ed beneath the sump to support it, while the sixteen set screws which secure it to the crank case are removed. Take care not to damage the basket between the flanges of the sump and crank case. Withdraw the sump and detach the filter gauze, which is secured in the top of it by four set screws. Wash the filter in pet- rol, using a soft paint brush, and -taking care not to damage the gauzė. Stand this aside to dry". while washing out the sump, and allow the sump to dry also,
Refitting the Sump
Replace the gauze and place the sump in position beneath the crank case, raising it on blocks of wood so that the set screws can be inserted with ease. See that the gasket is undamaged and in its right position, and replace the set screws, tightening them up a little at a time and working diagonally from one side to the other, so that the sump 15 held avenly up to the crank case, mak- ing a good cll-tight joint:
There is another gauze filter at the bottom of the oil pump cas ing, this being held in ✅ place by four nuta: It is not necessary to remove this gauze, and it could, if necessary, be cleaned easily with petrol and the brush, while it is in position:re
Also included in the pressure lubrication system is a relief valve consisting of a spring loaded plunger, located in the side of the crank case close to the breather pipe from, the oil Aller. This is not adjustable, but should the oil pressure fall at any
time when there is plenty of all in the sump the valve may be
the.. withdrawn by unscrewing hexagon head, so that it may be cleaned. A particle of grit pre- venting the proper operation or this valve might result in the ou pressure being below normal
Trouble with the lubrication system is unlikely. If it is given proper attention. as the oll is forced under pressure to the main bearings. big-end bearings, and
even to the gudgeon pins.
Do not forget the water pump, which has a screw-down "greaser, for its spindle. This greaser should be kept filled with Mobil- grease No. 6, Shell cup grease, or Castrol-water pump grease, and should be given one turn every 500 miles. The 1933 pump has a gland-adjusting screw and lock nut on the near side, and if water leaks at the gland loosen the lock nut and tighten the screw just enough to stop the leakage; then tighten the lock nut. When all the adjustment is taken up, re-.. move the adjusting screw, insert ..a new gland packing, and 'replace
the screw and lock nut.
On the 1934, engine a different form of gland packing is used, with
gland nut secured by & locking washer. In case of leak- age, remove the locking device. and turn the gland nut clock- wise. Replace the locking washer." When a new packing is required, slack back the gland nut unti the new spilt packing can be in- serted. and then replace "the gland nut and lock it in position.
The fan is on the water pump" spindle but has its own bearing lubricator, a screw-down grease tup on 1933 models, and a nipple for the grease gun on 1934" en- gines.
Another small but im- portant point on the engine re- quiring lubrication is the distri- butor spindle, the oil cup of which should be given a few drops of oll every 1,000 miles. `
The transmission does not need frequent lubrication, as the clutch 'thrust, bearing is a graphite ring. and the withdrawal lever has an oll-less bush. No lubrication is required at these points, there- fore, but the set screw In the end of the lever has a small wick in its head where it bears agairist the boss.at the base of the clutch pedal, and occasionally a spot or two of engine of should be given at this point.
Gear Box Lubrication
Box Lub
Gear-box lubricant should be any of the three summer grades used for the engine. The filler plug on the off side indicates the correct level, which should be in- spected every 2,000 miles and be. "brought up to the bottom of the orifice by the addition of fresh oll. With a new car drain the gear box after the first 500 milles: the drain plug in the bottom of the box should be removed when the car comes in off the road. After draining, replace the drain plug securely and up with. fresh oll to the correct level.
A free-wheel is incorporated in the 1834 model at the back of the gear box, but it is lubricated au- tomatically from the gear box, and does not require attention.
Every 6,000 miles attend to the universal joints at each end of the propeller-shaft, using the grease gun filled with gear oil. No other attention is required, by.. the propeller-shaft, but if at any.. time the front universal joint is detached from the shaft care must be taken in reasembling it to see that the arrows stamped on the propeller shalt tube and the universal Joint shaft are in line with one another.
On the rear axle there are two removable plugs, but the upper- most, on the top of the housing, is merely to close an inspection orifice provided so that the mesh of the final drive may be ins pected when the axle is assem- bled. The filler plug is situated in a projection on the front cover plate of the axle, on the near. side, and this should be removed every 2.000 miles, so that the oll level can be seen. If necessary. add oil to bring the level up to the bottom of the orifice, recom mended lubricants being Mobiloil C. Shell gear oll, or Castrol D. With a new car the axle should be drained after the first 500 miles. Remove the rear.: +cover plate when the car comes in off the road, and after all the old oll has drained out rell with fresh oll to the correct level.
Both front and rear hub bear- ings are lubricated - with the grease gun through nipples dis- closed when the hub plates are removed. Every 2,000 miles ap ply the grease gun charged with: Mobil-grease No. 4, shall motor grease soft, or Wakefield Castrol
else mediľuzi
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-
SAFE DRIVERS
Reduce Taxes For
Good Driving
It is very reassuring, in these days of road accidents and ill- feelings among road users, to reflect that somewhere over 80 per 'cent. of all motorists are nevér involved in a collision of any kind throughout the year. As it is the opportunity might be grasped for seeking a reduc- tion in the horse-power tax for. those who avoid accidents and thus put a permium on good driving. It could be done in this way. Supposing £1 per 10 h.p. was "made" the basis for fedne- tion, each motorist who drove throughout the year" wthout an accident, would have his car licence reduced by that propor- tion at the beginning of each new year.
as
Take a car rated at 15 h.p."as an example. The owner, instead of paying £15
at present,, would only be asked to pay £13 following year; if he 10s. The had still a clean sheet, he would be required to pay still less, and so on until after seven more years he would be suitably re warded by having to pay no horse-power tax At
The same method could be employed with other road vehicles as well as cars.
The easiest way to trace those who did have accidents would be forwarded to have their names from the court of law where they were proved guilty to the County Clerk or office which issued the car licence in the county or town in which the owner was resident. At the beginning of the "next year, when new licences were being granted every motorist would be rewarded in the way suggested except those who had their names recorded.
Naturally, this would make a big difference to the road receipts, but its influence would be very gradually felt, and "it might prove to be a better mea- sure of relief for motorists than a straight reduction of the petrol tax. And-of even more import- than this-it would go a very long way towards providing a solution of the road accident problem.
ance
OVERHEATING
A Suggestion To Owners Of Old Cars
Although the modern car engine is not as a rule prone to overheating, it not infrequent- ly happens that owners who have kept their cars for several years and that the cooling pro- perties of the radiation system seen deteriorate bom "year to year One is apt to suspect that
by the trouble is caused
the formation of deposi in the radiator water spaces and in the cylinder water jackets themsel- ves.
This. doubtless, .often accounts for less efficient, cooling, and the trouble is one upon which it is worth while to con- sult an experienced garage pro- prietor.
On the other hand, the loss of cooling properties is frequently due to another cause, the re- moval of which is a very simple matter. Most private car owners know that the radiator is con- nected to the cylinder block by two pieces of rubber hose piping. This hose usually consists of a thick fabric casing, of which the inner surface is covered with a layer of rubber. In course of time the rubber perishes, and strips of. it become detached
from the fabric casing. Some- times they come away bodily, and either lie in the water passage in the hose or find their way into the connections be- tween the hose and cylinder jacket. Sometimes, however, only one end and both sides of a strip will break away so that it is supported from one end and tends to curl up and block half 'the effective diameter of the
pipe.
It is probable that no symp- toms of this process of disinteg- ration - will be apparent at the outside of the hose pipe, though in due course. the pipe will feel
the very soft to
"touch. Ob- viously, the remedy is to renew the old hose pipe with a new length. At any rate, if the cooling of the engine seems to be less satisfactory than it used to be. It is worth while taking of the rubber water connections and examining them before con- templating any... more dràstic action.
Investigation on the lines suggested should be one of the routine jobs in preparing the machine for the road after the winter.
THE A.A.U. POLICY
Is to bring to your attention the various forms of Insurance Coverage that will protect you and
your business from financial loss.
ar
It is also our policy to render you the very best in Insurance Service.
"Forall your Insurance needs, consult
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