FORD VAN POINTERS.
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By R. T. Nicholson (Author of "The Book of the Ford").
ON the latest type of Ford fan (only just adopted), there is no grease eup. The bearing is lubricated with oil or grease. squeezed in through a large hole, ordinarily closed with a .slotheaded screw, remova,ble with at screwdriver. This new-style fan is fitted with ball bearings, which should prevent any shake through wear.
398.—Lubricating the New Fan.
The new form of lubricator is a distinct improvement, for the old-style grease cap was always falling off, and sometimes got lost on the road. The ball
bearings will be welcomed because, with plain bearings, -the fan was always apt to get shaky with long wear.
It may not be generally known that at one time— many years age—the old-style fan was fitted with ball bearings, so that we have now a. return to previous p ractice.
399.—A Reader's Contributions. (1) A Heat Shield.
have to thank W.B.W., Whalley Range, Manchester, for two "tips," He writes :— " I have been much interested in your Ford Pointers.
" Some time ago, you suggested fastening strips of old tube over the pedal slots in the footboards. It struck me that this would make the twoboards very aWkward to remove, owing to fastening them together.
" I have made a frame of three-ply wood, which will slip over the pedals, and have, riveted a piece et old tube (a 3i in. tube will just do it) to it, with bifurcated rivets. The frame is held down by four turn-buttons, and can be removed in a moment, for making adjustments, or for the winter."
I like this idea of 6, separable beat-shield for summer use. It ought to work well, and its easy removal is a strong point'in its favour. I may explain, however, that the idea that I have previously described of filling the pedal slots with rubber sheeting, cut from, an old inner tube, does not affect removal of the boards, simply because the rubber is slit along the edges of the boards. Each board can, therefore, still be independently handled.
(2) Fishing for a Nut,
"WB.W. writes further:— " While putting new hands in the gearbox, I once had the misfortune to drop the adjusting nut of the D64 low-speed band into the gearbox. I tried to get it out through the oil-drain, but found it too big ; so I managed to stick it on to one of the magnets by push' ing it against the,flywheel with a wire. Turning the engine over carefully brought it tolthe top."
W.B.W.'s success. in recovering-thatqnut bears , witness to his ingenuity, handiness—and luck 1. To fi.nd.the nut, and then to get it into, a position. witha bit of wire where it wouldIstick to one of the fly-, wheel magnets, so as to be recoverable by turningthe starting, handle cannot have been easy. ; Noteverybodywould have thought of that way of doing ; things; and not everybody would have succeeded in..: that way. Do not be encouraged to think that you will be equally successful when you drop oddments into the crankcase. The best way is to take very, good care. not to drop them. All tools should be tied to strings_, . as should nuts and split-pins that have to be removed..
400.-01d-style Ford Radiators.
In a recent Pointer, I stated that the old brassfinished style of Ford radiator was among the bygones, and that the Ford Co. would no longer supply it. Independent manufacturers have, however, catered for Fard owners who want to replace an old-style radiator. For instance, the Spiral Tube 'and 'Components Co., 47, Caledonian Road, King's Cross,
London, N. 1, make a polished aluminium radiator specially for Ford models from 1912 to 1916 (the period during which the brass-finished radiator was in use). It has detachable tanks and sides of polishe'd east untarnishable aluminium : tubesiand tube pla-ts are of heavy-gauge solid-drawn brass. In case 'of damage by accident, the water chambers can be unbolted and detached in 10 minutes by unskilled labour, exposing all soldering to view. Damage tubes can be-removed, and newAnes-fitted. The only alteration needed in fitting is a slight bending of the starting handle to clear the new radiator, which is thicker than the'standard pattern.
At 213 10s., it looks like an excellent proposition.'