UNIT SERVICING METHODS.
Page 71
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Useful Contributions From Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
An Engine Assembler's Tips.
WRILE fitting leather or fibre to the face of a cone clutch, difficulty is often experienced in pulling the material over the cone so that it fits tightly. " J.S. " of Luton, sends us a description of a Clamp he has made, and found very useful for this job.
A piece of fin, round steel is threaded for a convenient length, is brazed into a piece of steel fin. by i-in. by 3 his. long, and is provided with a winged nut. A piece of 1i-iii. by ;fin. steel is bent to a U-shape, and has a hole drilled for the rod to pass through.
The clutch facing is then put into place, and the tool engaged as shown in the sketch. Several a these clips
,. should be used at once, and by screwing each of them up in turn the material can be drawn into its place, and held whileit is being drilled.
Another useful tool made and used by the same correspondent is a new form of stud box. When screwing studs into aluminium it is often found that as the last threads of the stud screw into the tapped hole they throw up a burr around the hole, which prevents other parts from bedding down.
• To prevent this, he forms his stud box with a projecting ring near the stud so that when the stud is screwed, home the screw in the top can be slacked back and the box brought to bear on the aluminium, and so force back ,the Incidentally, this helps to keep the stud tight, which is often a difficulty when dealing with a metal as soft as aluminium.
A Morris Hint, ONE Of our correspondents, " G.G.G.,"
of Norwich, sends us the following useful Morris hint :—When the crankshaft or connecting-rod bearings require adjusting or replacing on the Morris light chassis, turning the crankshaft often presents some difficulty to the re; pair man. As the starting crank is removed, being integral with the sump, the only method of rotatirtg the crankshaft is by turning the flywheel. This being smooth does not afford a very good grip, and will not enable the repair man to judge with any degree of certainty the tightness or otherwise of the bearing undergoing adjustnient.
Special service tools in the forth" of handwheels are available for this job, but these are not found in every garage. The writer rigged up a useful fixture for turning the crankshaft .of an engine still in the chassis from an old Ford starting crank and ratchet, a piece of wood about 17 ins. by 3 ins. by 2 ins., and a couple of 0 cramps. In this case the radiator had been removed for repairs, but the fixture can be used quite as well as when the radiator is in situ.
The Ford starting-crank ratchet was found to be a shade too small in the inside diameter to fit over the Morris shaft, so it was skimmed out on a lathe. A fin, hole was then drilled through the wood, in the middle of the 2-in.. side, and eased out with a file until the Ford handle was an easy fit. The ratchet was fixed on the handle and the fixture was clamped on the chassis as shown. For using this rig when the radiatoi is in. situ smaller cramps will be re.
quired, affixed as shown. It will be necessary to make a small set in tin handle in order to prevent catching one's knuckles on the chassis, as there is only a very small clearance between the two.
A Note of Appreciation, wE have received the following letter
from " of New Cross, and are glad to see that he so fully appreciates the spirit in which otir Editorial article was written. .
" I have read the article which appeared in The Commercial Motor of September 20th, page 118, and hope that it will do much to raise the standard of suggestions, and make the pages devoted to Drivers' Suggestions' even mop interesting to the whole industry than they have been in the past, and I strongly advise anyone interested in the development of the commercial vehicle, who may by any chance have overlooked this article, to look it up, and read and inwardly digest it.
" I can see no better means of improving the breed than an intercommunication between users and makers, as no one knows better where the shoe pinches than the man who wears it.
"Apart from any influence the suggestions made in these pages may have oe the design of chassis and body, the tips given are of the greatest value to drivers and engineers who maintain fleets. As it is impossible to remember all the Useful tips and suggestions given in these pages, I have compiled a scrapbook composed of those letters that particularly appeal to me as useful, and have classified the letters as follow:— Road Troubles ; 'Workshop Tips; Workshop Equipment; Tools, etc.; Magnetos; Radiators ; Bodies and Comfort of Driver ; also Suggestions for Improved Design.
"The last items I reserve for such occasions as when additions to the fleet are contemplated ; then I review them, and, where" possible, induce chassis makers and body builders to embody them.
"."_With regard to many of the special tools suggested from time to time, I collect only those that are of use in the particular makes which I have under my care ; many of these I find very useful, as. I, and each member of my staff, have only two hands, whereas the designer evidently had a man in his mind who had three hands when he designed such parts as tappet adjustments, etc. Men of ordinary proportions were apparently not considered when some clutch, brake and accelerator pedals were designed in certain makes of chassis, and all sorts of dodges have to be invented by drivers to make driving reasonably comfortable.
".Such matters as accessibility of parts that require adjustment, provision for the removal of ball bearings, provision for the removal of the radiator without breaking the joint of the hosepipe," some better construction of petrol pipe which will not break so often and can be easily .mended, do not seem to receive the attention they merit."