OCR Text |
Show I i U 4 I Ik ALBERT L. CLOUGH j Editor Motor Service Bureau Qaviev of fZavieufa B Copyright, 1917, 6y TTie 7nfcmaonaZ Syndicate. I The "Wearing-In" Process. ' H r-n HEN taking delivery of n new car, the purchaser Is almost I f ft 1 ahva'3 assured that Its englno will gradually develop con- H tkskJl siderably moro power, as it Is used, and will .ultimately become H hJ$ greatly more able than when first put Into service. There Is H much truth In this statement, but still the customer should not unrca- Hj sonably over-estlmato the Improvement that ho may expect to obsorvo H when the "wearlng-In" procoss Is completed. Not all tho power do- HJ llvered by tho fuel to tho pistons Is delivered to tho clutch for propulsive H purposes, a considerable fraction being wasted In friction within tho H engine. Carefully as all the parts are finished and adjusted, tho surfacos H In rubbing contact are relatively rough and badly conformed to each H '. other, whon an engine Is Installed In a car. Under modern production H methods only a part of the wearlng-In Is done by tho manufacturer and H much of It ha3 to bo dono by the owner. Thoro will be excessive losses H In piston friction until the cylinder bores and piston surfaces have boon H worn to a mlrror-llko finish, high spots have been Bmoothod down and m tho piston-rings have smoothed up and perfectly conformed to tho H cylinder bore. All tho bearings are Initially tight and stiff and until H their high spots have been obliterated and a full slzod, glass-smooth con- M tact has been attalnod between shafts and bushings, there will bo H abnormal frlctlonal losses. Indeed, the ideal operative condition will H not bo attained until all wearing Burfacos havo becdme so mutually H adapted that thcro Is no actual metallic contact betweon thom, but an H unbroken oil-film separating thom on which the parts float. Many mllos fl of running may be required to approximate to this condition and sleeve 1 motors appoar to wear in Blower than poppet-valvo motors, on account M of their larger rubbing areas. With reduction in frlctlonal losses, an M engine dellvors Increased useful powor and as the boarlng surfaces H throughout tho car are wearlng-ln at tho same time, there Is a progros- H slve, and In most cases, a noticeable improvement in the ability of & car H after first being put Into service HI EXCESSIVE GEAR NOISE. H H. A. K. writes: Latoly my car H has been running- much moro noisily H 'than formerly when on first and scc- H ond spoeds. It Is as quiet as ovor H on third, but on tho geared speeds H there Is a grlndln? sound that Is H much more noticeable than it used H to be. H Answer: Wo hopo that this ln- H crease of noise Is due to nothing- more serious than a present'lnck of H proper lubrication. Tho lubricant H may bo so thin that It squeezes out 1 from between the gear-teeth and al- H lows them to znako metallic contact. H On the other hand, tho lubricant may H. bo so nearly solid that It has been M forced away from the gears and docs M not flow back to lubricate them and H at the samo time does not reach M tho bearings effectively. If tho latter H la tho caso and has been so for somo H time, the bearings may have worn M enough to give tho gear-shafts sufri- H , clont play to cause the gears to H ; grind. If this has happened, now B ' bearings may bo requlrod to stop H jf tho noise. Extrome mishandling of H j the gears has been known to result I This column is devoted to the ii H I operator. Both pleasure and commen M aspect. The main articles loill cove; H ? of motor vehicles, what to do and u H ',) interest to motorists will be answered H , Olough, care this office. In springing ono or moro of tho shafts and this, of courao, makes tho gears vory noisy. Moreover, a gear which has been badly chlppod or roughod-up, by caroless handling, gives rlso to undue nolso. INSTALLING STIOCK ABSORBERS. B. J. L. -writes: I havo ordered a car for delivery this spring and tho agont suggests that I havo It equipped with shock absorbors bo-foro bo-foro it Is turned over to mo, Should you havo this dono? Answer: Ab shock absorbors can readily be Installed In a car at any tlmo, wo should advlso you to wait until you havo used tho car for a while and have found out whethor or not thej' aro requlrod. After you have taken a few long trips, ovor rough roads, you will bo bottor ablo to make a decision. Perhaps you can also secure a "try-out" of a oar of tho samo make as yours, but equipped with shock absorbers and compare Us riding qualities with those of your own car. The spring equipments of cars aro being continually con-tinually Improved and the necessity for shock absorbers Is growing loss, ntercsts of the automobile owner and rfaJ cars will be considered from every r all phases of the running and care ohat not to do. Questions of general , space permitting. Address Albert L. |