• FORD' VAN POINTERS.
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By R. T. Nicholson (Author of "The Book of the Ford ':).
I4. OADING a van is not the simple matter it seems to be. Of course, anybody can dump anything down anyhow. But there is an art in van loading—the art lying mainly in the distribution of the load in such a way that it Will fall Mainly towards the middle of the floor space—rather in front of it than behind it.
313.—Loading the Van. ,
Heavy goods should not be stowed at the back ; they should rather be stowed forward. Keep the lighter goods at the back. It is common sense to lay the heavier goods on the floor of the Van, and to let the lighter goods! rest on them. If the heavy goods go on top, they are likely to crush the light goods.
The reason for stowing weight forward in that if
it is stowed towards the rear it puts.a heavy strain on the back axle. If the weight falls behind the back axle, it makes the strain very heavy indeed. The Ford back axle is slight—though quite strong enough to carry the weights that the van is designed to carry. But when you stow the wbight over, or
behind, the back axle, you are taking risks. .
That is why Very careful thought has to be given to any, idea of extending the Ford body backwards. Theoretically, if you extend the stowage space back far enough, and load it, you can break any back axle, however strong it may be. Practically, it is a mistake to mount on the Ford chassis any special body extending backwards any considerable way beyond the limits of the standard Ford body, if goods of any weight. have to be carried on the extended portion: In such a case, the Ford ton lorry is a far better proposition.
If I were a driver, I would never allow my attendant to sit at the back of the van, as small boys like doing. His weight there comes well behind the back axle—just where it should not come. Boys are best kept well in 'sight at the front of the van.
314.—Take Care of the Battery. .
I am going to say t again—and' again and again and again, until I have got the average driver to see that the battery will not stand neglect.
And I say it again—that most batteries are badly neglected. Frankly, I wonder that they serve -half as well as they do, and half as long as they, do. If I were a battery, I would go on strike pretty soon -if I were neglected.
Neglect lies mainly in two directions. Batteries are allowed to become filthy outside ; they must become filthy unless they are occasionally wiped over. Road dust collects across the top. It has no.right there ; it inevitably sets up slight shortcircuiting, which slowly runs the battery down. „I do not say that this slow drainagetwill prevent the battery starting the engine the next time you ask it to do ; but I do say that it is stupid to let the battery ooze away its charge when a little thought will prevent it. Keep the top of the battery clean and dry. Then, very few, drivers trouble about keeping the electrolyte in the battery up to the right level-flush with the .bottom edges of the filler tubes. asked a driver the other day—a driver who had about three months earlier ,taken charge of a new model Ford—" What about your electrolyte?" He said he did 'not know he had one on the van!
Well, if he had gone on for very much longer he would not have had any electrolyte ; for when we looked at the battery—as I insisted on doing—we found that it. was only about half full of liquid. I have known several cases where the battery failed for no other reason than the disappearance of the electrolyte.
315—What the Electrolyte Is.
Mr. Driver, do you realize that that electrolyte—that liquid in the battery—is its very ra
life blood? And do you also realize that, when it shrinks away, it is only necessary to pour in distilled water to make up the shortage'? You must keep the liquid up to its proper level. You will not do that unless you examine the battery at least -onceevery three weeks and make good any shrinkage. And you cannot make up the shrinkage with anything but pure distilled water. No, water from the tap, or the rain-water tub, or the Pond, or what not, will not -do. It must be ure distilled water ; though if you will collect clean in in a dish,straight from the clouds, that will do at a push.
316.—Keep an Eye on Your Back Lamp.
Of course, you cannot, strictly speaking, do this. You cannot exactly see your back lamp when you are in driving position. You can, however, see the beam that it throws on the road, and you can see reflections of the rear light in the shop windows as you pass. Do not assume-that your back lamp will keep, alight once it has lighted, because lamps sometimes burn out. When the lamp is getting old, do not trust it too long or too far.
You know, of course, that if your back lamp does bum out and you have not a spare bulb with you, you can use one of the front " Dim " headlight bulbs as a substitute. Of course, you will not be able to use that "Dim" headlight in the ineantime, but you are not compelled to use your " Dim" headlights, and you do have to have your tail light going.
317.—Headlight Focussing.
Do not be content with anything but the best setting of your headlight bulbs, There is an arrangement at the back of each headlight by which you can adjust the positions of the bulbs forward or back'card, and a little humouring will set them high or low. So adjust them that their beams will be directed straight forward (nob high, or low, or side • ways), and so that the beams will unite at a point asfar forward as possible. More, the beams should • be free of blind spots—dark points in which little or no light is given. The best way is to focus the beams on a white wall not less than 30-40 yards away. You will then be able to judge well of your little adjustments, and see how big a difference a small alteration will make.
Generally speaking, it, will be found best to set the bulbs well back towards the reflectors. Also, it is better that the beams should be directed slightly downwards than upwards. Beams directed in this manner give you a better view of the read, and do not dazzle other road Users as much...
318.—Oil per 1,000 Miles.
I have been asked how far a gallon of oil ought to serve a Ford engine. In my experience, a gallon ought to serve for 800-1.000 miles, according to the nature of the road and the load.
This assumes that the crankcase is reasonably oil. tight, so that little or none is wasted. If you have an engine that slops oil, your oil mileage will certainly be less.