ROADSIDE AND GARAGE.
Page 27
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A Page for Drivers, Mechanics and Foremen.
A Ford Problem to Solve.
In our last week's issue we published :a number of letters from drivers offerieaa suggestions in order to overcome the difficulty experienced by a Ford owner whose letter appeared in our issue for November 29th. We publish one or two further letters on this page, which will be paid fur at the uniform rate of 10s. per letter, as was the case with those already published.
[2,338] " J.W." (Brixton) writes :—" I have had precisely the same trouble as 'Puzzled,' and can sympathize with him,
• It arises owing to the fact that the engine is titled nose downward. On an unloaded Ford 1 tanner, the tilt is obvious, and it is frequently accentuated iv the front spring acquiring a permanent set. The front of the clankease chamber then forms a reservoir for oil, which normally should flow hack into the main sump, the result is that No. 1. and No. 2 cylinders get an overdose of oil. The cure is to lift the front part of the chassis; for this purpose I personally favour an extra leaf in the front spring, which it,. as a. matter of fact, hardly strong enough to stand up to the customary overloading that these willing vehicles get.
"When I had this difficulty to deal with I commenced operations by raising the spring brackets • on the front axle, effecting this operation. by slipping a washer beneath the collar of each. This alleviated the trouble in No. 2 at once, and I, therefore knew that I was on
the right track. therefore, put a in. leather pad between the top of the spring and the inside of the frame. There is, as a matter of fact; a leather pad already • there, and the second one raises the frame Sc, high that it misses the centre belt of the spring and commences to slide sideways. I remedied this with the aid of washers and a vice; and the additional elevation that it afforded to the front end over and .above that already achieved by fitting washes under the spring hanger brackets Was sufficient to effect the Cure. Later on, when, the front spring broke (after two years' service) I tucked into the new one en extra leaf salved from the old one, this gave the necessary elevation without the need for the
leather pad." •
[2,339] "J.0.111." (Stockton-on-Tees) writes :—" I have had a new Ford oneturner in use for about six weeks, and in the beginning it gave me just the same trouble has has been experienced by Puzzled.' Now, prior to acquiring this new 'vehicle, I had had a similar one (mounted on solid tyres) for two years. Its upkeep during that time was practically negligible, and I had little or no trouble at all. Certainly I had no difficulty with over-oiling of the front cylinder. The new vehicle was mounted on pneumatics, and although 1 treated it in precisely the same way as I had , done the other, I could not keepthe sparking plugs of the two front cylin:ders free from oil. 1 tried to discover-.a reason for this, and first of all I considered what were the points of difference between the old vehicle and the new.
" Naturally, the most obvious one is in connection with the tyres, and, although this did not at first suggest itself as being a likely cause of tilt, trouble, 1, nevertheless, determined to investigate it. On looking at the vehicle, the first thing that struck me was that the pneumatic-tyred one, as compared with the solid-tyred machine, was much higher at the back. I therefore tested them, one after another, on the same piece of level ground, laying a spirit level on the frame. The difference is really quite considerable, and it appears to me that, as the result of the dip towards the front, the two front oil troughs are carrying much more oil than they should. What goes far to confirm my view that I am right in attributing the trouble to this cause is that the overoiling is invariably wcirse when the vehicle is light and when, therefore, the rear end of the chassis is high."
[2,340] "W.J." (Bebingtori) writes:— "Having experienced, more than once, precisely the same trouble as that which is related by Puzzled,' of Blackburn in connection with the lubrication of a Ford One-tonner, my Various attempts, all more or less successful, at effecting a cure may be of interest.
"Before proceeding, however, I would like to state that I am not quite clear, from the tether of 'Puzzled,' as to whether new pistons were fitted or not. If they were -not, then, this, I think, is the initial mistake, and one which may be fairly stated to be inexcusable.
At the same time I should point out that, even with new pistons, the prob
lem is not necessarily Solved. In my case I commenced operations in that manner, having the first and second cylinders re-bored. Oversize pistons and rings were then fitted, and I thought that I had settled the difficulty. However, the trouble was as had as before.
"After this somewhat. expensive
operation had been Carried out, the next thing I did was to put an eatra, sheet of packing in the oil sump tray so as to reduce the extent to which the connecting rods dipped into the oil; this was no
cure. I then took' the engine down and commenced by ;making a baffle plate, this I fitted to the walls of the base chamber, taking care that it cleared the camshaft. I cut, in addition to the usual slot for the connecting rads, a few extra holes, no as to ensure an adequate supply of lubrieant enter
ing the cylinder. This certainly cured the oiling-up trouble, but, sonic time after, on taking the engine down, 1 discovered that the piston was rather badly scored and a small lump about. the size of a pin-head had formed in the wall of the cylinder. I was able to•serape off the projection en the cylinder wall and then lapped the cylinder, using the old piston as a lap, subsequently fitting a new oversize piston.
"Naturally, I dispensed with the baffle-plate and tried another method cif reducing the over-supply of oil. Having the engine dismantled, I was able to attain access to that oil pipe which carrice the lubricant from the transmission case to the timing gear; the outlet of the pipe, it will be noticed, is on a level with a partition in the crankcase. I took a blunt chisel and hammer and flattened this pipe at a point just on the engine side of the partition, thus restricting the flow of oil out of the timing case end of the pipe.
" While on the question of Ford onetonners, I would be glad if other drivers .of this type of vehicle would tell me their experiences in regard to axle shafts. I have had to change no fewer than four back axles and, in addition, have fitted two new driving shafts in each, some of them not having been in use more than four months. In one case the roller race had bitten into the shaft to the extent of 3-16tbs of an inch all round, so that in the Cud, instead of the roller bearing supporting the weight of the vehicle, it seems to hav8 been taken by the bottom half of the bra,ke.shoe."
We shall be glad 'if "Hannibal" {Guist), whose letter, No. 2,332, appeared in our issue for December 20th, will communicate with us, as his address has been Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, January 7th, light your lamps at 4.36 in London, 4.25 in Newcastle, 4.39 in Birmingham, 4.24 in Edinburgh, 4.39 in Liverpool, 4.46 in Bristol, and 5.22 in Dublin.