• MAKING BEST USE OF THE FORD.
Page 56
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Valuable Advice on Every Phase of Ford Transport which will Appeal to the Owner, Driver and Repairer.
565.—A Simple Tool for Valvegrinding.
Special tools are provided to assist in the grinding-in of Ford valves, each of which, as is well known, has two small blind holes in the head instead of the usual screwdriver slot, but if such a tool be not available a useful substitute can. be made from an old Ford valve.
To utilize this the blind hole should be drilled out and two small taper pins driven through from the opposite side, with the ends projecting slightly. These ends can be shaped with a file to suit the blind holes in the valves upon which the tool is to be used, and a breast drill or brace employed to rotate the device.
566.—Reconditioning the Ford ' Front Axle.
There comes a time in the life of the Ford when the front axle becomes in serious need of attention, and the complete overhaul of this unit requires careful consideration.
In order to make a thorough job of this operation it is always advisable to take off the complete unit. Jack up securely under the chassis, behind the front wheels, release the radius rod at the ball socket under the engine pan, take off the ball socket cap on the steering-gear connecting rod at the bottom of the steering column and the spring-clip nuts. The complete unit will now come away.
Take off the radius rod, spring, steering-gear connecting rod, spindle connecting rod and the two spindle bodies. If there be any wear on the metal at the top and bottom of the spindle arms, where the connecting-rod yoke fits, these must be replaced by new ones. If not, then they will simply require new bushes. The two half bushes in each spindle body must POW be driven out. The new bushes must be pressed in and, provided one has a vice of good size, this is not a very difficult opera , tion. The bushes will now require filing so that the body will fit nicely into Its place in the axle.
• Now with a standard parallel tool of good length, reamer out the bushes to size. A useful tool for this job is the K. R; Wilson improved spindle reamer with a long pilot at each end. The
• spindle bodies can now be replaced, new spindle bolts being used, together with plenty of oil.
See that the threads on the spring perches for securing the radius rod are in good condition. If there be any doubt about the threads, replace the perches.
• It is most important that the radius rod should be dead tight at the front. The whole stability of the axle depends upon this.
Now let us turn our attention to the spring. Replace any broken leaves. If no leaves be broken, slightly release the tie bolt and thoroughly grease in between the leaves, tightening the tie bolt when finished. The parts are now all ready to reassemble.
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a right and a left to these. Do not try to put the near-side roller race on the off-side spindle. Put plenty of good grease in the hubs and replace the wheels.
The operation is now completed, but a word of advice is needed. Make absolutely sure those four oilers are in position and, what is more' see • that they are kept in position. There are two on the spindle bolts and two on
the spindle connecting-rod bolts. ,
567.—Starting in Cold Weather.
One of our contributors has frequently started the engines of other Fords from the generator of a running engine, but, seemingly out of sheer perversity, it is often the last vehicle in the garage which is the hardest to start, and to obviate any difficulty with this he utilized a separate dynamo on a frame. By arranging for the pinion of this dynamo to make contact with the periphery of a tyre carried on a wheel mounted in bearings on the same frame as the dynamo, turning this wheel rotated the armature of the dynamo at high speed. If the dynamo be not fitted with a cut-out, a six-volt lamp in circuit will be required. Directly the recalcitrant engine starts it must be switched over to its own generator.
There are many causes of bad starting. Thera may be dirt or metal dust on the contact of the generator.
If, when the bands are off for relining, three coats of shellac he applied for some 4 ins, around the contact this trouble is not likely to recur.
The drag of the clutch plates in cold weather often prevents turning the engine at a sufficiently high speed. This is one reason for better starting with a back wheel jacked, up. Keep the brake handle forward so that the gear is in fop with the brake off, and the clutch will not then be drawing the flywheel magnets away from the stator coils.
If a vehicle starts easily when warm and will not do so in the morning, especially when the weather is cold, it may be that the roller of the timer in prevented by congealed oil from making proper contact with the segments. This trouble can be overcome by washing the timer with paraffin or petrol.
568.—Retaining Ford Spring Clips.
Some of our readers have experienced a considerable amount of trouble owing to the clips of Ford springs becoming loose and refusing to etay in position. Consequently the leaves may spread and are then liable to break. in one case which has been brought to our notice this difficulty has been overcome by cutting a short piece off An old spring leaf (about 1 in. will suffice) and filing a groove in this so that it can be fitted under the bolt of the clip, which, when tightened, prevents the elip from slipping out of the spring, whilst the groove retains the packing piece in position.