Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-03-16 | Page 51 | The Automobile Simplified

AUTO LESSON" NO. 92. Transmission Troubles. Most of the annoying: clashing- and grinding of gears when they are shifted into mesh is due, not to a fault in the transmission itself, but to a fault in the action of the clutch. Thus, if, when going go-ing from neutral to first speed or reverse, or any other speed, there is a bad clash of the gears, even though the clutch be held out for some time before the shift is made, it is a sign that the clutch is dragging. Again, if the clutch must be held out for some time before shifting. or two of oil on it. It need not be taken out. Sometimes on a new car the start -of the shift will be difficult for a person who is not very strong. In this case the shift can generally be made easier by letting up on the kicking plunger springs. These locking plungers, of which there are two, act upon the shifter rods so as to prevent the gears coming out of mesh of their own account. They are shown in Fig. 2. By loosening on the screw B the start of the shaft can be made easier. If the gears have a tendency to get out of mesh, then , tightening this screw may in Fio. 1. but if so held out the shift can be made without noise, it is a sign that the clutch fs spinning. When it is hard to shift the gears without noise while the car is running, then, too, the dragging clutch is to blame. This, however, may also bo due to the clutch brake acting too powerfully. power-fully. In this case the trouble can often be avoided by not pushing the pedal down all tho way. The gear-shift lever on practically all modern cars is of the ball and socket type. Sometimes a tittle rust will, come on the ball, which will ca'use the shifting shift-ing to be difficult. 'n this case the lever will seem to stick as you begin to shift or when you pass across at neutral. The remedy is to clean the ball with a kerosene-soaked cloth and then put a drop remedy this trouble. On old cars, where thb ball brarings are badly worn, or where the gears are badly worn at an angle, the gears will come out of mesh. Replacing either the bearing or the gears is the only remedy. For the lubrication of the transmission transmis-sion you can use either a grease which will flow freely or a heavy steam-engine oil. Be guided by your instruction book as to the proper level of this, or, not having an instruct ion too);, have someone some-one at the service station of the cur show you. Tn time ihe grease or oil may -begin to work out Mong the shaft. To prevent this there is usunlly furnished a felt washer and a. r.ut, which will take up the wear of the washer. Figure; 1 shows how this nut generally looks. To prevent the oil working out reincve the nut lock B and then screw in the nut about one turn, and replace the lock. To prevent the oil working out under the covers, a paper gasket (blotting pa- ; per is excellent) is made, and then coated with shellac. Most of this noise of shifting is due to the operator, and, in the writer's opinion, opin-ion, thi? is because the operator is afraid ol" making the noise, and so hurries the shift. If the shift be made calm'.y and .-lelioerntely. without either rushing or hesitating dunn the ,'hir'i. it will be found t?asy. Jn rr.ot cars the shift from first to second should lc comparatively slow, v.hile from second to high it can bo made fairly fust. Tho beginner will find it harder to shift down, that is, from third to second, or second to first, than to shift up. The little knack in doing this is to start the movement of the lever at the same moment mo-ment or a litllo ahead of the pressing down on the clutch r.edal, and doing the latter rather slowly. When "backing and filling" never shift the gears until the enr has been brought to a complete stop. Failure to do this will put a great strain nn the entire car and may result in a stripped gear.