MAKING BEST USE OF THE FORD.
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Valuable Advice on Every Phase of Ford Transport, which will Appeal to the Owner, Driver and Repairer.
392.—Keeping a Check on Mileage.
If the best results are to be obtained from a. vehicle it is essential that records should be kern of its running Costs, life of tyres, mileage per journey, etc., and, to enable this to be done, it is lOcessary that some device be employed accurately to record the mileage.
Such an instrument is marketed by Ripaults, Ltd., King's Road, St. Pancras, London, NAVA., at the price of 1.3 for the Ford model.
it is a hub-cap-odometer which records the mileage up to a total of 100,000 and then repeats. It measures whether the vehicle be going backwards or forwards, and it is claimed to be grease-proof. The installation is remarkably simple. It is only necessary to remove the front hub cap and to replace it with ihe huh-odometer. The spring driving mechanism engages automatically and positively with the castellated nut on the stub axle.
Each instrument is guaranteed against faulty workmanship and material for one year, and against destruction from collision for the life of the vehicle to which it is fitted.
393.—Retaining the Wheel when an Axle Shaft Breaks.
A simple device which will do much to assist in the prevention of accident in the es-cut of a breakage of an axle shaft can be constructed from a piece of steel plate, 1A ins, wide by / in. thick, bent into a IT shape and drilled and slotted to fit or!' to the fulcrum pin of the brake shoe. It must be fitted in such a manner that it passes round to the outer side of the brake drum, but does not come into contact with this drum unless the wheel begins to move outwards, in which case it retains the wheel for a sufficient time to permit the driver to stop.
With care, and providing the clip be kept well' greased, the vehicle can be towed if the breakage in the shaft be well towards the centre of the axle.
394.—Fitting an Electric Tail Lamp to Non-starter Types.
Those Fords not equipped with electric tail lamps can be so fitted fairly simply, but it must be understood that an oil lamp must also be available te employ when the vehicle is standing with the engine switched off, as in this case no current is available. Therefore it is hardly worth while fitting an electric tail lamp if a vehicle is to be used in work Which involves many such stopWes, but for very Jong journeys it will prove a great convenience.
An ordinary Ford rear light (Part No. 6,566, priced at 2s. 6d.) or the new type (Part No. 6,786,, priced at 4s. 9d. and having a number plate bracket) should be obtained. Each of these lamps contains a six-volt single-contact bulb and a holder.
Two methods of effecting the addition are given in our diagrams. In the first, the bulb holder should be rec30
moved complete with the bulb, and a double-contact lamp socket (Part No. 6,574, priced at 8d.) pushed into its place, an 8-9-volt headlamp bulb being employed and the wiring being carried out as in the diagram. If it be found that the voltage is still too high for the bulb, a second lamp should be put into the circuit in series on the dash, where , it will act as a tell-tale and .inform the driver if his tail lamp be alight. If preferred, the ettra lamp can be used as an additional side light.
In the second method the rear lamp may he left as obtained in the first case,' i.e., with a single-contact six-volt bulb, but used in conjunction with a dimmer resistance :(Part No. 8,892 E.X. for the latest typo and A.X. for the old type, costing in either case 3s.). Wire from the dash in the same way, but put the dimmer in series with the tail light. It can be placed in any convenient position as required.
There are three wires on the resistance ; connect from the dash to the short one, and which of the other two is the dimming wire can he found by experiment. , It should then be connected to the lamp and the spare wire Cut off.
395.—Fitting the Delco Ignition " System.
Many users of Ford vehicles consider that the Ford system of ignition is ideal for its particular work, but there are some who prefer other systems.
For these a very satisfactory outfit is the Delco, the price of which is 70s. net ; it includes a distributor; distributor drive with gear, additional gear for attachment to the engine camshaft, coil mounted on special base for easy fixing to the dashboard, advance and retard control rod, and all the necessary wiring; also additional control rods and plate for conversion to right-hand drive where necessary. The actual tools required for effecting the change are a screwdriver and an adjustable spanner.
One advantage of the Delco system is that it gives an automatic advance of the spark as speed is increased, so that \ it is rarely necessary to use the control lever.
The equipment is supplied by DelcoRemy and Hyatt, Ltd., 111, Grosvenor Road, London, S.W.1.
396.—Keeping the Ignition . System Clean.
It cannot be too strongly emphasised that a little time spent in cleaning the vedette components of the ignition system will be more than repaid in the freedom from trouble in this direction which will almost certainly result.
It is essential that the distributor be kept scrupulously clean, and to effect this it will be found that washing with a clean rag moistened with petrol or paraffin is the quidkest and most efficient method.
Better running will be obtained if the distributor be kept lubricated with a: high grade of fairly thin oil, taking care not to use an excessive amount.