MAKING BEST USE OF THE FORD. .
Page 76
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Valuable Advice on Every Phase of Ford Transport which will Appeal to the Owner, Driver and Repairer.
577:—A Cause of Difficulty in Starting.
A trouble often experienced with Ford engines is difficulty in starting, and; in such a case, it is almost useless to exhaust oneself by continual winding of the starting handle. It is better fo look into the why and wherefore. Towing is often of assistance, bat, with an engine in good condition and with Proper adjustment, this should not be necessary.
In one ease it was found that shorting of the low-tension current was occurring through particles of metal sticking to 'the rotor. These made contact with the transmission cover. In such a case the best thing to do is to unscrew the two plates which cover the orifice provided for the eledtric -starter and clean each magnet' in turn.
578.—Removing the Rear Axle.
• Both with the tonner and the' light van, operations for removal of the axle can be simplified if, instead of undoing the rear-spring clips, the wheels be first taken off and the spring anchorage nuts, of which one is shown in the sketch, be removed. When this has been done it will he found much easier to disengage the spring-hanger bracket from the axle flange.
579.—Concerning Headlamp Wires.
As is only natural the headlamps are used more during the winter than the rest of the year and a little time and trouble in overhauling the wiring are
well invested. A frequent source of trouble is the chafing through of the insulation of the headlamp wires at the various points in which they come into contact with the chassis.. On the type . which 'draws the 'headlamp lighting current from the magneto, the only spot where the chafing of the wiring insulation is . of no importance is the final lamp-to-earth wire. • Naturally, this is the very ;wire that xnanages, to keep
intact. • • , •
Upon the older type of truck with the five-wire ignition loom, the headlamp wiring .runs ftem the lamp switch to one headlamp,thence to the other lamp and then to earth. The lamp-tolamp wire is led under the bonnet and • under the front of the engine up to the other lamp. This is a wire that often gives trouble.
If this wire be led in front of the radiator and gently pushed into ousrof the spaces between the cooling fins, being held there by a piece or two of wire, it will be unobtrusive, out of harnrs way and accessible.
On all models the wires are led through a hole in the front ends of the bonnet strip up to the lamps. Originally these holes were provided with bushes made from an insulating composition in order to prevent the wires chafing. Sooner or later these bushes get dislodged and lost. Fraying of the insulation is very .apt to occur at this point and 'is generally overlooked until the lights slid tlenly cut out. A piece of small-bore water-tap hose or a piece of stout rubber generator tubing slipped over the wires and Pushed well down into the hole in the bonnet strip will prevent further trouble at that point.
. •Old ignition looms that have. been discarded on account of wear at the timer ends should not be scrapped. If the woven thread covering •.vhich holds the wires together be cut with a sharp knife the individual wires will he ideal for rewiring the headlamps. Owing, to the number and fineness of the strands it is best to tiri the ends of the wires that are fitted into the lamp plugs, or the fixing screws are apt to spread the wires no that only a few are actually gripped by the screw end.
When the headlamps will not 'light there is no special skill required to
locate the trouble. Just check the wiring and work methodically. On the magneto-current headlamp system, ascertain -which is No. 1 lamp—that is, the lamp into which the wire from the lighting switch enters. Speed up the engine to the equivalent of about 15 m41.11. Remove the plug from that lamp and rub the brass contacts upon any convenient "earth." Sparking between one of the contacts and 'earth, with a tendency for the engine to cut out, will prove that the wire is alive up to the plug, consequently all that' side of the plug and switch is in order. Next, bridge the two .contacts in the plug with any convenient piece of metal, screwdriver, spanner or pliers. Should the other headlamp throw out a light stronger than usual the tiouble lies in No. 1 headlamp—usually a blown bulb, and, very occasionally, trouble with the lamp-adapter sPring pins.
Should No. 2 headlamp fail to light when contacts on -No. 1 plug are bridged, remove the plug from No. 2 lamp and with•the.contacts still bridged on No 1 plug rub the contacts of No. 2 on "earth." Sparking between contact. and earth will prove that the lamp-tolamp wire is sound. No spark proves • trouble in the lamp-to-lamp wire. If this wire be alive, refit No.. I plug in the' lamp and bridge the contact on No. 2 plug. If No. 1 lamp lights., the trouble lies in .No. 2 lamp.
In the event of neither bulb lighting, bridge both plug contacts. Unless the engine cuts out .check No. 2 lamp-toearth Wire. If this wire he sound the engine will cut out and the trouble is practically certain to be blown bulbs.
Some may cavil at this-method of testing when all that is required is a new bulb. Considering that it can all be done in a few minutes definitely fixes the locality of the trouble and that a rusted-up headlamp front is only removed by the expenditure of considerable time and energy, often at the expense of damaging the headlamp-front retaining pins in order to find that the trouble is not in the bulbs, this method will be found the quickest.
580.—Towing a Disabled Tanner. Should it become necessary to tow a disabled ton truck there are often circumstances which make the tow somewhat hazardous, such as transmission trouble, cankshaft breakage, clutch trouble or axle trouble. Ignition failure even, in the ease of low-geared trucks in a hilly district, entails a tow which may overtax the capacity of any vehicle which may be available. The simplest way out of any difficulty which may arise is to drive on the rearaxle-shaft tapers, having previously removed the keys from the tapers and replaced the hubs with the nuts backed off, leaving tbe hubs slightly loose on the tapers. Provided the hubcaps are well packed with gteaseno damage will ,he,
done to the tapers. '