AIDS TO SOLVING FORD PROBLEMS.
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Valuable Advice on Every Phase of Ford Transport, which will Appeal to the Owner, Driver, and Repairer.
IN. THIS series of hints concerning the Ford light
• chassis and ton truck wherever they are . em
ployed for commercial purposes, we endeavour to deal with the subject from every view-point, so that the advice given will appeal to the owner, driver, maintenance engineer, or mechanic. Valuable soarces of information are being -tapped for this purpose, and it should be understood that the information given will be -derived from thosewith an intimate
knowledge of the subject. .
We shah welcome for inclusion amongst the hints those which have proved Of value to individual users, and will makesuitable remuneration for anypublished. What we desire are the re-suits of practice.
67.—Another Steering Trouble.
A trouble which sometimes occurs when driving a Ford over a rough road is that the steering wheel iaieomes difficult to hold because the front wheels bounce from side to side. '
if the pla-y,in the steering joints is not excessive, the cause of this difficulty is to be found in the radius rod joints which Make connection with and are underneath the front axle. ' They are anchored in position by a combined holt and front spring hanger..
The radius rod ends at this point have a slight angle, and, in the ease of some vans,this angle gradually increases, alkiwing the front axle to tilt backwaras farther than is intended, , with the result that the spindle connecting rod rides on the two arms of the radius rods, Setting up the jerking of the f,teering wheel and front wheels when the vehicle is
in motion. . •
The radius rods can be taken. down in a few minutes. and the two 'ends can be pressed back to position. cold. In -some eases, the use of a. hammer and .wooden blocks will do the work if the blows are
directed correctly. • , If the trouble recurs, it is advisable to renew the unit, as the material may be-too soft,
. 68.=—The Correct Use of the Rim Contracter.'
Many Ford tontrucks are fitted with contracting rims for the_ pneumatic tyres on the rear wheels. These are contracted by a special tool consisting of two claws which are drawn together by a centre portion having a left and right-hand thread. This tool is very strongly constructed, and although the rim is made of tough metal it will soon buckle if the contractor is applied to the -wrong -side of it. •
-Our. illustration shows the contractor in the wrong position. It will be seen that there is a lip riveted to one side of the rim, -resting in a recess formed by a plate on the other side, and if attempts are made to contract the rim by fitting 'the tool on the side with the recess, all the pressure goes on the lip and something will have to go. For clearness, lip and recess are shown separated.
69.—Testing the Voltage of the Ford Magneto.
When overhauling the Ford engine it is always advisable to make sure that the voltage given bythe magneto is sufficient. This testing can be carried out in a very simple.
wanner and takes but a few moments. A voltmeter should be secured and one of its twoleads taken to the collector plug on the transmission cover, and the other to earth, or, in other words, to some portion of the chassis, such as the frame. .
If the coil and magneto are in good condition the voltmeter should show eight volts when the engine is running slowly, and from 18 to 20 volts when it is running at a fair speed. If the readings obtained are much below these figures the coils should be examined and possibly the magnets may also be found to be weak. A good magnet should lift. 4 lb.
In some cases engines have had to he again dismantled after overhaul in order tomake good defects in ignition, which might easily have been discovered in the first place.
70.--Filter the Lubricating Oil.
Users 'of the Ford van do not, as ,a, rule, pay sufficient attention to filtering the oil used for the engine. There are two very important reasons why all the oil should be very carefully strained. One is that foreign matter finds its way to the etator coils or the collector cap, thus short-circuiting the magneto current. A short-circuit at the collector cap may be curedfairly easily, but it is not so simple a task to deal with one occurring at the coils. -This may even mean the removal,of the entire power unit from the chassis. Another important reason for filtering the oil is that foreign matter may collect in such quantities as to block the oil feed pipe, which is close to the stator coils, and this may cause very serious results to the front main and big-end bearings. , It is advisable to go to the expense of purchasing one of the special filters marketed for Ford vehicles, which, besides acting as oil strairiers1 also permit the oil to be supplied from a more accessible position and with less risk of spilling the oil over the wires, etc.
Many users make a habit of draining off the oil after every 1,000 Miles. Although this is rather more often than is usually considered necessary; it is certain that in the Ford the precaution of draining off at fairly frequent intervals is a wise one.