CHAPTER XXXVII

SOME THINGS A TOURIST SHOULD KNOW

These are the days of the tour and to thousands more each year it means a trip by automobile to lake or mountain, or the more pretentious visit to the old home, or to some new, and to the tourist, undiscovered, country. The tourist who goes by auto fully prepared for the emergencies which may arise, unhampered by railway schedule, and who will take time to enjoy himself, will get untold pleasure out of the trip.

The speedster knows nothing of the pleasure of touring, and the fellow who is always worrying lest he shall not make Squedunk Corners in time to eat and get to Possum Crossing for the night will be watching the road map and the clock on the dash so closely that the beauties nature has lavishly scattered about will be lost upon him, and his memory of the trip will be a procession of eating and sleeping houses, with trouble between them all.

The man who is starting out for the tour with a new car, which has been tried out enough to be sure that it is in condition, need only know that he has with him the things most likely to be needed for an emergency, but if the car has been in service for several months or more, he ought to give it a “once over” at least before starting.

One of the things to attend to is refilling the gear cases. Both the transmission and differential cases should be drained of all oil and washed out carefully with kerosene. At the same time the gears should be examined closely to see if they are in good shape. One may find one or two teeth chipped, though not broken enough to make the condition known by sound. It probably was too hard originally and the break is not the fault of the driver, but it should be replaced, for it is likely to give trouble at any time. When cleaned, the cases should be refilled with the proper amount of new lubricant, but not too much, because then it will work out and scatter over the car and probably get on the brake drums and make them slip.

The crank case of the engine should be drained and cleaned out with kerosene and fresh oil be put in. If the oiling system is working properly, it is best to let it alone and see that it is kept filled with the proper quality of lubricant while on the road. Of course the grease cups should be filled and all points which are lubricated by oil from a squirt can should be taken care of. The wheel bearings all should be examined to determine their condition and to see that they are properly lubricated. If very dirty they should be cleaned and fresh grease be applied.

It is well to carry an extra gallon of engine oil in the car, also a small can of grease. Garages are plenty, but sometimes an accident occurs which causes a loss of the main supply of oil and makes it impossible to drive even a mile without an extra supply. Likewise if the gasoline tank is not provided with an emergency tank or chamber, an extra gallon of gasoline should be carried. Convenient emergency tanks for this purpose may be purchased at any accessory store.

Both sets of brakes should be carefully examined to see that the lining is not worn too thin and that the different pins and clevises of the brake linkage are not worn so as to be weak and likely to give away in touring under extraordinary pressure. Often in touring one comes upon unexpected grades, some of them miles long, and the tourist should be prepared for prolonged and extraordinary service.

Where prolonged service is required it should be possible to use the two sets of brakes alternately. In this connection it is well to keep in mind that on long grades considerable braking may be done by cutting off the ignition and allowing the car to turn the engine over in high or intermediate gear. Keeping the car down to a rather low speed in this manner will also be found to save burning up the brake linings.

It is of the utmost necessity to keep the brake drums free from oil. When the car is driven out into the country the crown of the road tilts the car over, so that if there is too much oil in the differential case it will work through the axle housing to the brake drum on the right side. Of course this is taken care of largely as previously advised, by winding felt around the axle, or by not having too much lubricant in the differential, although enough is very necessary.

If the engine shows any tendency to knock on the hill it would be well to have the carbon removed before starting. It is very disagreeable to have to take a hill on second speed that could be taken on high if the throttle could be kept open without causing knocking. Trips may be practically spoiled by the fact that the engine is full of carbon and does not have sufficient power to negotiate the hills.

Of course the car should be gone over systematically to see that all nuts are tight and properly supplied with cotter pins or lock washers. All parts should be scrutinized carefully to see that there are no cracked or badly worn parts likely to give out under the severe strain of touring.

The compression of the engine should be tested and if found weak in any cylinder the valves should be ground in. Spark plugs should be made perfectly clean, magneto interrupter points cleaned and adjusted to gauge and high-tension distributor cleaned out, and the battery should be tested to make sure it is in normal condition. If almost discharged, a charge should be given it from some external source. The commutators of the generator and starting motor should be examined and if badly scored they will need to be trued up. If the storage battery is depended upon entirely for ignition, a set of dry cells should be carried so that in case of entire failure of the storage battery, ignition and lights may be had for a short time, even though the engine has to be cranked by hand.

Some annoyance may be saved by examining the springs to see if there is a cracked leaf to be replaced. Spring repair attachments are sold, but it depends upon the ingenuity of the individual whether repairs of this sort can be made upon the road.

In addition to tools and the other things previously recommended to be carried, the tourist should take at least one set of electric bulbs for the car. Spark plugs may be cleaned with very little trouble, but it is handier to carry two or three extra ones for quick exchange, cleaning the ones removed at the end of the day, or at the noon stop. One or two extra tires carried inflated and on the rims are usual, and it is wise to have two or three extra inner tubes. If one does have tire trouble it seems to come in bunches and it is just as well to be prepared for the worst. The tourist who is traveling very far from garages should carry also patches and cement.

Of course each car will carry a real fire extinguisher and a tow rope. If you do not need to be towed out of a mud hole yourself someone else will. Be prepared. Most drivers like to have along a spool of annealed wire, a pair of side-cutting pliers, and a roll of tire tape. It is really wonderful what an ingenious man can do with these things. The tools to be carried should be sufficient to do ordinary road repairs and the outfit suggested in a previous chapter is recommended.

As previously stated, it is not the man who rushes around and plans maximum distances for each day’s run who gets the most out of the tour; he makes work out of pleasure keeping up with a schedule. It is better to allow more time for the runs, and then if one gets ahead of schedule to lay off a half day and see the sights and keep the car in condition.