MAKING BEST USE OF THE FORD.
Page 15
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Valuable Advice on Every Phase of Ford Transport, Which Will Appeal to the Owner, Driver and Repairer.
1 N THIS series of hints concerning the Ford light chassis and ton truck wherever they are employed for commercial purposes, we endeavour to deal with the subject from every view-point, so that the advice given will appeal to the owner, driver, maintenance engineer or mechanic. Valuable sources of information are being tapped for this purpose.
We shall welcome for inclusion among the hints those which have proved of value to individual users. Readers are recommended to obtain the original " Book of the Ford," which constitutes a complete manual dealing with the Ford car, the van and the truck. 2s. 9d post free from the offices of this journal.
260..-'Preventing Oil Leakage from the Transmission Case.
We have received several suggestions of how oil leakage from the transmission case can be prevented. Another contributor has now written saying that there is no need to drill the cover and peg felt strips in position, as was recommended in a previous tip, if the ends of the strip of felt be long enough to tuck well down between the oil sump and the back of the cylinder block.
The strip should lie evenly in the semi-circular casting at the back of the block and the ends can be pushed down with the blade of a knife.
261.—A Useful Booklet.
We have received from Lake and Elliot, Ltd., of Braintree, Essex' a most useful booklet entitled•"Repairs to Ford Cars Simplified." This, in the
ordinary way, is sold at the price of is., liut will be sent entirely free to any• bona-fide repairer of Ford vehicles.
It deals with service station equipment and its object is to enable those unfamiliar with specialized methods to obtain an insight into the infinitely superior results which can be obtained by their use. We should certainly advise all Ford repairers to procure a copy.
262.—Three Preparations for the Ford.
Specialcompounds for use cal Ford vehicles are now being placed on the market by the Ford Co.
The first of these is for battery sealing, and must be applied in accordance with the. instructions in the Ford Battery Manual. It can be obtained in 10-lb. cartons, at the price, in America, of 15 cents per lb.
The second compound, known as Toueh up-Black, is an enamel paint for treating rusted and marred spots. It will dry thoroughly in half an hour, leaving a glossy black finish. The price, in America, is one dollar per half pint, complete with brush. The third preparation is a special black enamel, which has been selected by the Ford Co. as being most suitable for refinishing Ford vehicles. It is easily applied, leaves a highly glossy finish, and has the advantage that the vehicle is ready for use within 24 hours after enamelling. It is stated that only half a gallon of this enamel is necessary to cover both body and chassis, and the price is one dollar per quart.
263,—A Dashboard Oil Gauge Which Indicates the Oil Level in the Crankcase.
One of the most awkward tasks on a Ford vehicle is to ascertain if there be sufficient oil in the crankcase. Upper and lower level cocks are provided for the purpose, hut these often become clogged with dirt and, consequently, may give a wrong impression. In any case, even if they be quite free, it is often a messy job, and many Ford drivers have been heard to express a desire for some sort of visible oil gauge which would be a better indication of the state of the oil supply.
Such a gauge, known as the N-L, has been placed
• On the market by j. W. Shillan, Premier House, 150, Southampton Row, London, W C.1, to whom retailers should make application. The selling price is 13s. 6d., and the gauge is so simple as to be practically fool-proof. It has the additional advantage that it can easily be fixed, as it is merely screwed into the hole normally occupied by the lower petcock. The actual connection takes the form of a brass elbow connected to a 4-in, length of copper tubing of fairly large bore, this being connected to the gauge on the dash through the medium of a much smaller copper tube armoured by coiled steel wire, which is plated to prevent ,corrosion.
The gauge itself is extremely simple. It consists of the equivalent of a U tube, formed by fitting into the interior a scale which divides, it into the two legs of the tube. When in use; the U tube is filled to a certain height with light cylinder oil, which is poured through an opening in the top of the gauge. The device is not worked by oil contained in the connecting tubing, but by the pressure exerted ori the air within this. This air pressure acts on one deg of the U tube. It depresses the oil level in this leg, and by so doing raises the level in the other, which indicates by its height on the scale the proportion of oil in the crankcase. ,Owing to its simplicity, the fact that it has no w'orking parts, and is not liable to become clogged (as the working medium is air), the device is most reliable. The gauge itself is constructed of metal, with a glass front, and is very strong.