Page
SQUEAKS AND RATTLES
After taking delivery of a new car an owner is not likely to bo" troubled with rattles, but annoy- ing squeaks may develop from time to time. These very · often. rakę, the form of a high-pitched genuine squeak, or one of a lower pitch suggesting rubbing contact somewhere in the mudguarding. These noises in a new car are rather difficult to And, as their point of production is very un- certain, but methods used by fac- tory mechanics and testers in- variably result in their location and cure, and an idea of these may be of interest.` L
In the case of the aforesaid variety the first thing to do is to press down the wings, in turn, and, that does not reproduce she sound to stand on the run, ring-board and do a little fight to produce a jumping, intended “deflection that imitates the action on the road. The third test is to stand on the running-board and cause the car to roll by similar means, and by pulling the body with the hands.
Grease or Off the Cure
..
If carried out at either side these antics usually succeed in reproducing the sound in ques- tion, and ab assistant should then be able to And the spot respon- sible. A little grease or oil is all that is necessary to cure the trouble, and it is often useful to remember the type of noise and its position
to tracing similar troubles.
Likely points are where the mudguards join the chassiş, 'body and steps, or where the valances are attached; and recurrence at frequent intervals indicates loose 'screws and nuts, which should be tightened up.
!
Such noises are "not always caused by the steps or running- board" and, the wings, but often emanate from pipes and rods at points where they touch the dash and other parts, or where they pass through holes or rest in clips. Pipes going to the Autovác, clamped to the dash, frequently produce obscure squeaks, as also dą, spare wheels and their brac- kets, and the latter should be given a good shake when the trouble appears to be in their vic- mity.
Bonnes should also be carefully examined where they rest upon the fabric threaded through the. scuttle and radiator fange, and any point indicating excessive gloss should be given a wipe with: an olly rag.
As the car progresses through life rattles may develop from time to time which indicate loose- ness of some part, but this type of noise usually gives itself away, and if the various parts suspected be given a shake the noise can be quickly, located and cured by tightening the part in question, "
Not so easily found, however, is a rattle produced by the body being slightly loose on the frame, and a noise only developed perso- dically when a big lurch takes place опа rough road can often be traced to this cause. The reason for this is, that the body bolts, often about six in number. in time settle farther into the woodwork, and it is necessary to give them a good tightening from underneath,
Now that tools are carried in various parts of the car these should also be in turn suspected; along with other things; jacks. if. not properly closed up, produce noises sometimes not readily tra ced. Undertray noises'cause wor- ty at times, and these are best 10- cated by allowing the car to coast down a" bill, preferably with a rough surface, and, after an idesi has been obtained as to the post- tion, locating them definitely in the garage by springing the tray about.
The writer has known squeaks and rattles of various kinds that have baffled an owner for weeks, and in these cases all the floor. boards, bonnets, spare wheel, and other loose parts are detached," and the car put through. its pacës with a tester in the rear seat and another in a position to touch parts on the engine, By these means the fault is invariably found in a few minutes and fre- quently transpires to be some sim- ple little thing such as a control pipe, or where the scuttle joins the dashboard.
!!
Annoying tinkling noises which occur when descending a hill, and disappear when ascending. may be due to a starter pinion"moving along the shaft and occasionally touching the flywheel teeth, and In this case the spring has lost, its Tension and needs changing; thiể
is quite a small matter, and may be easily cured when the cause is known.
Heavy creaks are invariably. traceable to the bodywork, and may be due to anything from loose doors to floorboards, but the point where the dash attaches to the chassis should not be forgotten.
Loose Windows
Loose window panes are also hot unknown, and are found by tapping with the hand. and all parts such as luggage carriers and number plates should be examin- ed and tightened where necessary, The general cure, in all cases where looseness is not the cause. is grease or ol and where there is not much time for location a`ge- neral application to the suspect- et spots will often result in a sud- "den disappearancë.
such points as the springs and the shackles have not been men- tioned as they are rather obvious. and usually the first to be su- spected, but shock absorbers of the friction type involving wooden surfaces sometimes emit annoying creaks, and in any case the an- chorages to the frame and springs should be given a spot of oil if they are not of the strap variety.
This is a general resume of troubles usually met with by a works testing staff, on both new and old models, and may, per- haps, be of help to owners countering noises of the nature outlined.
en-
Adjustable Steering Wheel
איםם
Its extremely difficult to de- sign a car which will û all sizes of drivers and give all equal com- fort in the driving position. Sliding seats are now almost uni- versal, which is a big step to wards a comfortable position, and some cars
have
pedals adjustable for length.
The length of the steering co- lumn, however, has presented a greater problem, and particularly tall drivers have often found that although they can adjust the seat to suit the length of their legs. the steering wheel then be- comes too far away either for proper control of the car. On the other hand, if the column is long a short driver finds that he can- not reach the pedals without the streering wheel becoming so close to him that a cramped position
for the arms is caused.
Easily Moved
The Bluemel Douglas adjust- able steering wheel provides for a 3in. extension of the column. and can be moved easily at any time, being secured in position by a clamp. Both the hub of the steering wheel
and the column
are machined with longitudinal splines, which engage with one another, so that up and down movement can take place. but hub and column must always rotate together. The hub is saw-cut or split on one side, and a clamping bolt is provided across the split. The hub 18 recessed on its outer periphery, and a hardened cam is formed on one end of an opera- ting lever, bearing against a har- dened washer. When the lever is closed by the driver, to a position encircling the hub,"the action of the cam causes a powerful pin- ching action to take place, and the hub is gripped on the splines. "Further grip is provided by means of screwing up the nut on the end of the clamping, bolt, but this is in the nature of an initial adjustment, and once the requir- ed amount of grip has been at-. tained. so that with the operating lever closed the steerring wheel will not move up or down, it can be left for an indefinite period.
น
In order to preserve the neat- ness of the steering column when the steering wheel is in its èxtèn=" ded position. a dust cover is pro- vided in the form of
a volute spring enclosing the splined co-. lumn. When central controls are wed within the column they must. of course, have à telescopic joint, and are prevented from rattling by a special type of bushing with oil-soaked felt bearing.
In Full Bloom
Alice was taken to a peacock farm. Her mother was engaged in conversation when Alice came to
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1934.
MOTOR JOTTINGS
HUMBER SNIPE 80% SPORTS SALOON
A Powerful And Refined Car
Quite irrespective of the very
car
remarkable quality of "this relative to its price the Simpe 8Q sports saloon exercises an imme- diate charm over the motoring senses of the comparative, stran- ger after the first hundred yards. Tals "particular model of the Shipe is
close- a commodious coupled four-door saloon, but it is just as supple to the touch as any high-spirited small car, and very nearly, if not quite, as light to handle.
The secret is the responsiveness and the well-trained docllity of a powerful engine, able to work "without effort. Since its intro- duction a few years ago this model has gone through a steady process of refinement and impro- vement, and to-day the current type "has the .confident poise of a car which seems were of "Its worth. The six-cylinder Own engine is genuinely smooth, and genuinely quiet, yet it is capable of propelling the car at a maxi- mum speed higher than most drivers often wish to reach, and
which en- provides acceleration ables a keen driver to take ud- vantage of every elusive opening in.. traffic.
Reference to the acceleration figures will show at once how lively the car is, but figures alone fall to bring out the characte- ristic suppleness, the lack of vibration, and the easy regularity... of the performance. It may be pointed out that the acceleration from a standing'start through. the gears to 50 and 60 m.p.h. is particularly good, and that the maximum speed is wen above the claims made for it in the firm's catalogue.
The speed of 77.59, is the aver¬ age of times taken with and against a very light wind on a warm spring day, whilst the high- est speed recorded with the wid was 78.95 m.p.h. The speedome- ter proved accurate up to 50 m.p.h., but increasingly optimistic upwards from that point. When the car was timed at 78.95 m.p.b. the speedometer registered round. about, 88. It is a car able also to travel at a walking pace on top gear.
bulanced.
The enzine is well well "carburated."" and freely suspended on rubber, cushions: so that its work feels more like the work of muscle and sinew than of mechanism: The power-to- weight ratio is such that it ta hardly ever necessary to use the gear box except for climbing steep hills or obtaining super ac- celeration. The car will take a long,, steady 1 in 10 gradient on top gear as if the hill did not exist. Another feature is that there is po particular "best cruising speed; it is equally happy at all speeds up to the high maximum, and the driver just cruises at whatever rate 'sults the needs or the whim of the moment, and the road.
On a fast car the suspension is always a matter of importance, for it is destrable not only to ke steady and secure at high speed.. but also to be comfortable at low speeds. The balance of the Snipe In these two respects is particu- larly good, also the rear seat in- culation is efficient at all speeds.
arc The
Steering Not Heavy From the driving point of view the steering and controls just as they should be. steering is not heavy, it is defi- nite enough for accurately plac- ing the car when travelling fast, and there is no noticeable rond shack..to be felt through the wheel. The gear lever, has rather a long travel, and when the driver is accustomed to it the gear change itself is very easy to handle. Synchromesh is provided. on top and third speeds, and thus when the clutch pedal is depress- ed a relatively slow and even movement of the gear lever pro- duces a perfectly easy and noise- less 'change.
#
If the free wheel is employed the clutch pedal need not be used except for starting from rest. The direct gears are particu- larly quiet running, and the clutch is light to operate, and has
her, breathless with astonisfimasta smooth take-up. Indeed the
"Mother," she shouted "there's
a rooster out in the yard m, full bloom!"
car as a whole is particularly light and easy to drive. brakes are nicely graduated from.
The
the point of view of progressive- ness, and are exceedingly power- The ful when applied hard. hand brake will pull up the car. and hold it stationary, down a 1 in + gradient.
In connection with the read- ness of the Snipe to produce per- formance. there are several me- chanical features of note. For example, the radiator shutters are controlled by a thermostat which causes them to open or close and maintain an efficient temperature in the engine cooling system! But. in addition, the shutters are
controlled by the
engine oil pressure, and when the engine is stopped the shutters promptly, close to conserve the heat.
Immediately the engine is started the "thermostat is "left free to open the shutters back to the necessary position.
Easy starting and quick pulling of the engine from cold are se- cured by an automatic thermostat control of the strangler of the Stromberg dowhdraugh; carburet- ter, which has a large air silencer on its intake.
"
A thief-proof device is included the equipment, for besides the ordinary Ignition: key there is a lock at the side of the steering column which" short-circuits the ignition coll, and also locks the .steering: The Steverison four- wheel jacking system is standar- dised, and the car has two spare wheels with metal covers. The number of places where chassis lubrication is needed is kept at a.. minimum by,,the use of Silentbloc" bushes.
Not only is the body most at- tractive in style. but it is of a very practical type. a close-coup- led fourdoor saloon. The
ad- justable front seats are unusually high-backed, softly upholstered and comfortable, whilst the rear, seat, although practically inside the wheelbase to secure maximum riding comfort, gives plenty of knee room.
A sliding roof, anti-glare flaps. twin concealed screen-wipers. concealed pockets in the trim- ming of the doors, and specially finished with looking-glass, are further features of the body, which has bulit into its tall a large luggage compartment. The Ild of this can also be used as a luggage. platform, and there is even an electric Lght in its interior. The whole equipment of the car is lavish, in excellent taste, and en- tirely practical.
companions complete
This is a very remarkable car for its price.
QUICK FILLING
A very smart chromium-plated all-British single-action filler cap ta the latest production to be, marketed by London Motor Ac- cessories Co., 19, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.2.
Called the Alta quick-release Aller cap, it is of all-brass con- struction, and its action is s follows: Set across the diameter of the lid is a brass cylinder con- taining at each enda spring- loaded ball. As the Kd is pressed on to the Aller orifice these balls are, compressed back against the steel spring, which is enclosed In the cylinder, as they pass over. cams before the lid can shut. Naturally, when the lid is shut it requires quite a considerable leverage to lift the balls back over the cams. However, the action of the cap is not stiff t practice, but very definite, since. It closes furmly with an unmis takable "click.""
It is supplied for 17a 8d, for the petrol tanks of Aston Martin, Delage, Hillman, Humber. M.G... Rover, Singer Nine, 8.8, „Stan- dard, Talbot, and Wolseley Hor- net cars; also fot XLG. and Aston Martin radiator Caps.
Not Nearly Enough.
"A man should reach the top of the ladder before compiling his reminiscences, declares a critic Two rungs don't "make" a write:"
The Jarred Spring
Mounting
Now that attention is focused upon spring suspension in gener- al, and independent front spring- ing in particular, considerable in- terest attaches to a recent inven- tion which is aimed at sécuring. better results from the orthodox arrangement of half-elliptic springs. The object of the de- vice is 'to relieve half-elliptic springs of the torsional stresses set up when one wheel of the car is in normal position and the opposite wheel considerably rais- ed or lowered by travel over a hump or hollow in the road. In these circumstances a consider- able twist is imposed upon the.. springs, which are forced out of correct alignment. To eliminate this twist, and to preserve align- ment is the object of the Jarred device. As applied, for example, to the front suspension the ar- rangement is as follows:-
Each half-elliptic springs is di- vided in the centre, its stub end being clipped and bolted into suitable housing brackets. These brackets are formed on the ends of a short, stout spindle, and the splndie passes eccentrically through a large diameter bush-. The bush in turn is carried in a cylindrical housing attached to the axle bed. When the car is travelling on a level surface the eccentric bushes are at zero point and stationary. If one end of the axle is caused to rise the adjacent spring is compressed, and its an- chorage point to the axle bed des- cribes a segment of ar
arc of which the centre is the point of contact of the opposite tyre with "the road. The eccentric bush then turns in its housing leaving the spring free to move without twisting.
During some tests made over a Tough road with two early models of the Riley Nine, one standard. and the other fitted with the other fitted with the Jarred sys- tem back and front. it was found that the latter car rode more steadily and could be driven at a higher speed without discomfort
VARIABLE TRANSMISSION
Automatic Dellread® Fluid Operating Gear
A New Auld-operating trans-" mission gear has been introduced by the Dellread Gears (Holdings) Co., Ltd. 2; St. Ann's Lane, Great Peter St, London SW.1," combin- Ing an hydraulic turbine, a fluid clutch, and epicyclic gear, giving the effect of a torque converter ta' that the gear ratio is automatic- ally varied according to the load. The variation in ratio is not due to hydraulic "slip but to defnite gearing down. There are no con- trolling or governing devices.
There are Ave principal parts In the Deliread gear, the outside casing, the pump member, the se- condary member, the vane wheel assembly, and the epicyclic sys- tem assembly. The pump mem- ber is connected to the driving shaft, which is at the left side of the sectioned lustration. The vane wheel is connected to the .sun wheel of the'epicyclic system. The secondary member is con- nected to the annulus of the epi- cyclic system.
י.
4
Between the pump member and the secondary member is inter- posed the vane wheel, and the drive is transmitted to the second- ary wheel by means of jeta of oll in the usual manner, not direct. but through the agency of cur- ved blades mounted round the periphery of the vane wheel on radial studs, which have fats formed, on their inner ends. The flats lie against a spring-loaded ring, which resists the rotation of the blades.
Owing to the fact that the vane. wheel is connected with the un of the epicyclic system, it will be more readily turned than the se- condary member (connected to the annulus), and when fluid la- sues from the cells of the pump member it strikes the blades which rotate against the spring loading and deflect the fluid in a backward direction against the cells of the secondary member.
or lack of stability. The inventor is"Mr. H. A. Jarred. Tachbrook Road Service Garage, Leamington Spa.
which itself is prevented from rotating in a backward direction. by a free wheel with spring-load- ed pawls
As soon as suficjent torque is applied the vane wheel will com- mence to rotate, until, as the load is decreased, the speed of the vane wheel will approach that of the pump member, when the blades will gradually straighten up, thus causing the fluid toim- pinge on the secondary member in a raore and more axial direc- tion until the secondary commen- ces to rotate, thus Increasing the speed of the driven shaft. Even- tually, as the load on the driven shaft decreases, the secondary member will rotate at the same speed as the vane wheel and then the annulus of the epicycle system will be rotating at the same speed as the sun wheel. In other words, a direct drive has been obtained.
The epicyclic gear used is of the Epirokie triction type, in which the planet wheels take the form of doublerow ball-bearing rollers, which have tapered surfaces and are in frictional engagement with the bevelled surfaces of the an- nulus and the sun wheel
PARK OPENED
Sir Frederic Dreyer Present
Weihaiwei, July 16 The Weihaiwel Public Park was formally opened held here yester“. day. Mr. Hsu Tung-fan, Special Administrative Commissioner, pre- sided at the ceremoney which was attended by leading foreign and Chinese guests.
Speeches were made by Admiral. Sir Frederic Dreyer, Commander- "in-Chief of the British Fleet, and Rear-Admiral Hsieh Kang-che, Commander of the Chinese 3rd Naval Squadron.
Following the ceremony, the park was thrown open to the public. Kuo Min.
TRUST A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT|
DEAL DIRECT"
THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
27
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
@
MOTOR VEHICLES
DIESEL
OR PETROL
Ploneer Manufacturers of Commersial Motor Vekiniu
Full Range of Spares carried in Hong Kong and Shanghai,
4 or 6 Wheels
4 or 6 Cylinders
30 Cwt, to 10 Ton Loads
H
20 to 70 Passengers
JOHN L THORNYCROFT & CO., LIMITED,
Pioneer Building, Nathan Road, Kowloon,
TEL. 56758.
TRUST A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT