FORD VAN POINTERS.
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By R. T. Nicholson (Author of "The Book of the Ford ").
ISAY it again : I will not pay your postage. If you want my advice as to what to do, you must just enclose that stamped addressed envelope with your inquiry. When I see a fellow-being in distress, my heartlgoes out to him, and I want to help him at all costs ; but when I do not find that stamped addressed envelope I get tight-fisted, and say to myself, "No, Nicholson, you can't afford to make up that G.P.O. shortage." If my advice is not worth a twopenny. stamp and a farthing envelope, it is not worth having.
422.--14e and Mr. Kellaway.
There are, at the present time, several correspondents awaiting replies. I hate to seem churlish, and I hope they do not think me mean ; but I have not replied to them simply because that stamped addressed envelope was not forthcoming. I will be quite frank. Much as I enjoy writing about the Ford, and all its works, I do not propose to
be out of pocket by doing so. As it is, a good deal of my time goes in correspondence for the benefit of Ford owners and drivers. I do not grudge that, because the queries that I receive help me to get a clearer idea of my readers' needs.
Of course, I could always reply in my page in the C.M., but that would mean that I should keep my correspondents waiting, and sometimes the case is one of urgency. And often enough the matter involved is not one of such general interest as justifies use of good space in the C.H.
423.—The Inadvisability of Certain Alterations.
To one correspondent who does not enclose that stamped addressed envelope, I now reply :—(1) You would not get the Ford Co. to fit anything but their standard carburetter for you. If you prefer some special carburetter, you must get a local man to fit it. (2) I am a strong believer in extra air for any-carburetter whatsoever. I do not believe that the ingenuity of man has yet devised a carburetter which will give a perfect mixture of air and petrol under all or any conditions, without hand adjustment. (3) Personally, I should hesitate to extend the length of the Ford truck. I should be afraid of overloading the back axle. If, however, the load were 'carried mainly in front of that axle, I should not be so much afraid of the extension,. But the trouble is that drivers can rarely be trusted to load well forward : it is usually convenient to dump down the heavy weights towards the back end of the truck, and there the-danger lies. B40
With the floor extended backwards, the strain on the back axle increases enormously. Theoretically, you have only to extend backwards far enough for an ounce weight to break the axle. (4) The average life of the truckem rough, hilly roads, with careful driving is—anything you please. By knitting new legs each alternate year, and new feet every other year, the old lady made her stockings last for the rest of her life. You can do that with the Ford truck—or something like it. There are 50,000-mile Fords running cheerily about the country. I have heard of 30,000mile Fords that have never been under repair. I should, however, regard a five year life (say, 40,00050,000 miles), with an overhaul at each 10,000, as "good enough."
424.—The Order of Firing.
The Ford cylinders fire in the order, 1, 2, 4, 3, counting them from the front—the radiator end. 'This little bit of information may be useful to drivers who want to time their engines, or even to those who want to fit new timer covers, and have let the engine
slip" after taking the old cover off.
The reason why you have the 1, 2, 4, 3 order, instead of 1, 2, 3, 4, is that you get better "torque "—turning movement—of the engine shaft when the cylinders do not deliver their blows on it in straight order. It is particularly important that the two middle cylinders should not push one after the other. You will see that the order set forth above takes care of this ; for, continued, the order would be ' 1 2 4 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 4 3
If you follow the above chain of impulses, you will see that while 2 follows 1, and 3 follows 4, you never get 2 following 3, or 3 following 2. The middle of the main shaft is its weakest point : you therefore distribute your blows so that the middle does not receive two of them in succession.
This method of securing distribution of push strokes is not special to the Ford. It is regular practice, though the order is not always 1, 2, 4, 3
Firing and Wiring.
A good many drivers get puzzled in following the firing erder through the wiring. It is really quite simple. The low-tension wire binding-posts on the engine side of the dash—the upper row of four—stand in the straight order, 1, 2, 3, 41 being towards t h e right-hand side of the dash (i. e. , the carburetter side), 2 following, then 3, then 4, this last being at the left-hand end of the dash—the side on which Fig. 271.—The hvo rows, each the steering of four binding posts.
column lies in up-to-date Fords, which all have left-hand steering.
The high-tension binding-posts, from which the sparking plug cables run, follow exactly the same order. They also stand as 1, 2 3, 4—No. 1 being nearest the'carburetterr and No. 4 being at the'opposite end of the row.
Row, then, do we get away from it, and into the 1, 2, 4, 3 order ? Very simply: the low-tension wires— those that run from the upper row of dash binding Low-tension Wires, 1-110-ttinion wires.
posts to the timer cover terminals, are shuffled, 1 and 2 run to terminals 1 and 2; but 3, so to speak, skips, and leaves a space for 4 to butt in.
If you are still puzzled, I thin soy"pretty pie. tures " will makE everything clear. The "nigger in the wood-pile" is the timer cover and the shuffling takes place there of contacts 3 and 4, their " change over."
425.—Brake Wear.
I have told W. F. M. (by past) what I think he should do but as the question he raises is of general interest tc, Ford ton truck drivers, I repeat my advice here :— •
It is natural to suppose that the use of the truck, brakes is exactly the same as the use of the van brakes, but it is not so. The Ford truck rear brakes are provided for "service "—not for " emergency " use. The Ford Co. wisely realized that the foot brake would not be sturdy enough for use regularly, and provided stronger and more durable back brakes. Regular braking should, therefore, be done with the hand lever, the foot brake being regarded mainly as a standby on the truck. The foot brake will not then wear unduly.
The rear brakes should occasionally be relieved by use of slow speed, reverse, and foot brake pedals —Just enough to give the rear brakes time to cool. Use of the slaw speed band fon slowing (one can hardly call it braking) does not wear its lining. Use of the foot brake and reverse bands does cause wear.
I had better here repeat one caution I have previously given, as regards use of the reverse as brake. It is perfectly good practice to use the reverse for braking, but not when either of the other pedals is i depressed; oi when the hand brake lever s in anything,.bile forward position.