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.
IN TIIIS series of hints concerning the Ford light chassis and ton truck wherever, they are employed for commercial purposes, we deal with the subject, from every view-point, so that the advice given will appeal to the owner, driver, maintenance engineer' or mechanic. Valualale sources of information are being tapped for this purpose, and it should be understood that theadvice given will be derived from those with an intimate knowledge of the
subject. , , We shall welcome for inclusion among the hints those which have proved of value to individnal users, and will make suitable remuneration for any pub. lished. What we desire are the results of practice.
112.—Strengthening the Front Springs. It is, unfortunately, a practice of many Ford owners habitually to overload their vehicles. In such cases the front springs sometimes sag or break. Certain users endeavour to overcome the difficulty by the fitting of coil springs, rubber cushions etc., to act as buffers between axle and frame, but tins tends to bend the axle if a bad piece of road be encountared.
The .correct procedure is to insert another leaf of the largest size, which_ costs only a few shillings.
113.—Greasing a Fan Spindle.
It is ometimes a matter of difficulty to force pease into the fan body after the small grub screw therein has been removed. The task will be greatly facilitated if the complete greaser from the asering arm bearing under the bonnet be removed from its present position and screwed into the fan! This will allow the grease to be forced into the fan under considerable pressure, and, after sufficient has entered, the greaser should be returned to its original position, and the grub screw replaced in the fan body.
114.—Fitting Stub-axle Bushes.
A method often advocated for the fitting of stubaxle bushes is to place the stub-axle between the jaws of a vice with the bushes just entered into each side of the pivot-pin hole, so that by screwing the jaws together the bushes are forced into position. This method is quite satisfactory, but can only be used if a parallel vice be available, but many Ford users either have no vice at all or they have the ordinary hinged type, which, for obvious reasons, is suite unsuitable.
To overcome the difficulty the bushes can be entered into the forging and a rod, screwed at each end, passed through their bores, the ends being provided with washer plates of suitable size and nuts. By tightening the nuts the bushes are forced into . position. In any case, they should never be hammered, as this may cause damage. If a suitable rod be not available, a long bolt will do almost as well, but bolts of this length are not often to be found.
115.—Improving the Ford Hand Brake by Fitting Special Shoes.
One of our contributors has recently informed us that he ha.â had considerable trouble with the hand brake, as this required • adjusting so frequently and wore rapidly if used to any great extent.
He therefore fitted his Ford with a set of shoes made by Ferodo, Ltd., which has proved very successful. These shoes closely resemble the design of the standard Ford shoes, except that they are made sufficiently small to receive Ferodo friction material, and they are also provided with adjustable brass bearings, the. ends of which rest on the fulcrum [AM. These give a very wide range of adjustment to each pair of shoes and enable full advantage to be taken of the Ferodo facings. They can easily be fitted in place of the existing shoes.
116.---A Preventive of Petty Thefts.
Many Ford• vehicles are employed by, commercial travellers who sometimes carry a valuable stock of goods inside the car. In such instances, if the doors cannot be locked, thefts of the contents may occur while the.travellers are otherwise occupied. This can be prevented by fitting locking-door handles, and one of these, known as the Basco, has been sent for our inspection 'by J. W. Shillan, of Premier House, 150, Southampton Row, London, W.C.1. A key resembling the Yale is inserted into the centre of the handle, and this raises or lowers a . stop engaging with sockets in the plate by which the handle is attached to the door. The price of each handle is 25s.
117.—Preventing Oil Leakage from the Transmission Casing.
We referred recently to a cause of oil leakage from the cover of the transmission casing. In a ,recent instance where such leakage occurred, one of our contributors endeavoured to prevent it without dismantling the cover, and tried various materials for the purpose.
Finally, cotton wool, in the form of wadding, proved entirely satisfactory. The leakage practically always occurs at the corners of the case, and it is recommended that these corners should be filled with the cotton wool before the cover is replaced.