The modern motor car; a book of simplified upkeep

Front matter

1 !

f

1 f

Introduction

R EPAIRMEN, owners, drivers, students and salesmen need an every-day book of reference containing all available information applying to their needs, clearly and simply written, arranged for the quickest possible use and thoroughly covering the subjects of shop and roadside methods of repair and adjustment, the use of operating materials and supplies, and the construction, operation and care of electric lighting, starting and ignition systems.

The electrical equipment is, for the first time, completely treated, including lighting, starting, ignition and control, explained in such a way that the average man without elec¬ trical experience may be able to properly handle, care for and repair every electrical unit.

Three-fourths of the entire book has been given to the following :

Repair Methods and Practice.

Troubles and their Remedies.

Adjustment. Care. Fitting.

Removal, Replacement, Dis-assembling and Assembling.

The remainder has been given to a complete, yet brief explanation, of the design, construction, type and use of the various parts of the car.

A clear conception of the underlying principles in their application to actual practice is first given, preparing the user for the following detailed methods and simple rules for making correct adjustments and repairs on all parts used in the auto¬ mobile. This book has been ^ritten under the conviction that, to make it practical, nothing should 'be taken for granted. Therefore, every part and operation is explained from the ground up, in a way understandable alike to the novice and the experienced man.

The book has been designed, not to compete with the general treatises now available, but to furnish a work of refer¬ ence for the automobile worker or owner, treating the subjects wholly from the standpoint of the man using the car for busi¬ ness or pleasure or as a means of livelihood, as a practical repairman or operator.

Every development found in the modern car has been cov¬ ered in a condensed form, giving the greatest possible amount of information in a book of the most convenient size while still retaining full and complete explanation.

The arrangement is such as allows the quickest possible finding of any desired method or fact, this result being accom¬ plished by the plan of the subject matter throughout the text and through the index which lists every point under all prob¬ able and possible headings with complete cross references.

Some things have been intentionally omitted, these being: history and past development, personal prejudice or opinion, miscellaneous extracts from magazines and trade papers, unimportant matter oftentimes used to produce a large book, and details of theory or design interesting only to the student of engineering practice.

The matter presented is the result of eleven years’ work in designing, building, operating and repairing gasoline-propelled vehicles in pleasure car, truck and motorcycle factories, suc¬ cessful garages and repair shops, and in the sales departments of factories and distributors.

Many parts of the work have been used for instruction in shop practice for repairmen and drivers, and for all of these reasons it is believed that this book will prove of the most practical help and profit in everyday use, the feeling that a source of practical information is quickly available making it a greater pleasure to drive and a more profitable undertaking to repair the modern automobile.

H. P. MANLY.

VI

Section I Four cylinder vertical automobile engine.Frontispiece

Front axle and wheel. 4

Floating rear axle. 0

Brace for strengthening rear axle housing. 9

Annular ball bearing. 13

Cup and cone ball bearing application. 16

Solid bearing. 19

Split bearing . 19

Oil grooves in bearing. 19

Connecting rod bearing. 19

Plain bearing shim. 19

Clamp for truing shafts. 19

Hyatt flexible steel roller. 25

Roller bearing with outer sleeve only. 25

Roller bearing. 26

Roller bearing with inner and outer sleeves. 27

Internal brake . 29

External brake. 29

Pull rod with turnbuckle adjustment. 30

Brake or control pull rods. 30

Brake equalizers . 31

Transmission service brake. 32

Cam and valve opening mechanism. 35

Miller carburetor. 38

Holley carburetor used on light cars. 47

Holley Model “H” carburetor. 48

Kingston carburetor used on Ford cars. 48

Kingston carburetor. 49

Dave Buick carburetor.... 52

Holley kerosene carburetor . 52

Schebler Models carburetor.53-57

Stromberg carburetor, types. 60-62

Imperial engine primer. 75

Cross shaft and arms for releasing clutch. 83

Clutch and brake pedals.. 84

Cone clutch . 86

Borg & Beck clutch. 90

Multiple disc clutch parts. 91

Points at which compression may be lost. 95

Effect of bent connecting rod. 97

Tubular radiator. 100

IX

X

ILLUSTRATIONS

Cellular radiator . 100

Indicator for temperature of water. 102

Parts that carry ;the power. 106

Principle of the differential. 115

- Pine’s radiator shield. 103

Harrison radiator shutter. 104

Hudson counter-balanced crankshaft. 110

'Straightening a bent frame. 130

Vacuum fuel feed system. 135

Details of Reo oil pump. 144

Packard twin six engine. 121

Removing piston rings. 153

Modern inlet manifold. 139

Elliptic springs. 163

Platform spring . 163

Worm and sector steering gear. 167

Air valve for automobile tire. 173

Tire pressure gauge. 174

Selective sliding gear transmission. 181

Sliding gear transmission, end view. 182

Brake and gear shift hand levers. 183

Principle of the planetary transmission. 187

Friction change speed gearing. 192

Two port, two cycle engine. 201

Principle of Hotchkiss drive. 178

Differential piston two cycle engine. 206

Positions of valve opening and closing. 213

Inlet, compression, power and exhaust strokes. 213

Sleeve valve eccentric shaft. 218

Inlet and compression stroke of sleeve valve engine. 219

Power stroke of sleeve valve engine. 221

Rotary valve engine. 222

Magnetic gear shift. 196-8

Section III Lighting and starting battery. 7

Flow of direct current. 9

Series lamp connection. 10

Multiple lamp connection. 10

Magnetic field and lines of force. 17

Electro magnet polarity. 22

High tension transformer coil. 25

Principle of the induction coil. 26

Section IV Dynamo mounted in place of magneto. 5

Warner generator. 7

Floating the battery on the line. 9

The flow of water and electricity compared. 10

Starting motor installation. 13

Separate unit system. 14

ILLUSTRATIONS xi

Combined unit system. 15

Lighting generator with cutout. 16

Principle of dynamo action. 18

Field magnets and windings. 20

Field windings . 21

Dynamo parts. 22

Armature coil, commutator and brushes. 24

Armature windings . 25

Brush . 26

Commutator housing and brushes. 28

Permanent magnet dynamo. 30

Series field winding. 33

Shunt field winding. 33

Compound field winding. 33

Bucking coil winding. 33

Combined dynamo and motor. 38

Overrunning clutch principle. 48

Typical overrunning clutch. 49

Starting and lighting wiring diagram. 52

Broken lamp wires. 53

Electric side lamp. 54

Electric tail lamp. 55

Comparative sizes of lamp bulbs. 56

Ediswan lamp base. 59

Trouble-finding lamp. 60

Lighting systems—one, two, three wire...'.. 63

Distribution panel and switch housing. 65

Starting switch...'.. 67

Circular contact switch. 68

Switches—various . 69

Tester for locating faults. 71

Voltmeter and ammeter connecting. 74

Three cell storage battery. 77

Lead cells units. 78

Interior of storage battery. 79

Section through lead cell. 80

Lead cell parts. 83

Top connections of battery. 84

Typical starting battery. 85

Battery testing hydrometer. 86

Layout of starting and lighting units. 89

Battery charging. 92

Arrangement of storage battery interior. 94

Edison battery .96-100

Hand operated cut-out. 102

Centrifugal cut-out. 103

Electro-magnetic cut-out . 105

Shunt connected cut-out. 107

Compound wound cut-out. 107

Cut-out with weakening resistance coil. 107

Xll

ILLUSTRATIONS

Lighting system ammeter. 109

Output control, shunt field resistance.115-120

Controller and cut-out. 117

Wiring of solenoid regulator. 118

Regulator and cut-out. 119

Iron wire control. 122

Bucking coil control. 122

Controller .123-124

Constant armature speed control. 125

Starting motor. 128

Starting motor on clutch shaft. 129

Starting motor on transmission case. 129

Electric brake motor. 130

Inventor of the electric brake. 131

Brake controller. 132

Wiring of electric brake. 132

Ammeter readings under various conditions. 133

Section V Bosch magneto breaker... 3

Splitdorf magneto breaker.. 4

Master vibrator wiring. 7

Single unit vibrating coil. 9

Four unit ignition coil. 10

Four unit coil and timer wiring. 11

Typical dry cell. 17

Battery testing ammeter. 18

Dry cell connections. 20

Battery connector. 21

Distributor and timer. 23

High tension distributor. 25

Make and break spark coil.., 29

High tension magneto armature. 34

Magneto parts . 36

Waterproof magneto . 37

Dual magneto . 39

Magneto inductors . 40

Armature position. 44

Magneto breaker, Swiss. 47

Magneto with breaker cover removed. 48

Magneto with distributor cover removed...,. 49

Single or double ignition wiring.•.. 51

High tension dual magneto wiring. 53

Coils—-various . 57

Wiring for magneto with dash coil. 59

Unisparker .. 63

Spark plug with one-inch firing surface. 70

A. L. A. M. spark plug... 71

Two spark ignition. 75

Four cylinder timer. 77

Vibrator and coil parts. 81

Section One

Construction, Use, Care and Repair of Motor Car Parts.

Subjects in this section are arranged alphabetically under the name of the part.

Each subject is treated in divisions, the point treated being indicated by an initial letter before the paragraph.

The letters and their meanings are as follows:

D. Design, Use and Construction.

C. Care Required.

A. Adjustment Methods.

R. Removal and Replacement.

T. Troubles and Repair Methods.

AXLES.

Front Axle. D. Front axles are made in four de¬ signs, the commonest being an “I” Beam section, next in order of use being the solid round, square or hex¬ agonal type. Less used types are the hollow tube and another type formed by two channel pieces placed together to make a box-like enclosure.

Axles of the first two designs are made from steel drop forgings, tubular axles are of seamless steel and the channel axles have the parts pressed to shape while cold.

C. The long vertical bolts holding the steering knuckles into each end of the front axle must be kept parallel to each other and they must stand exactly vertical when looked at from the front of the car.

The spindles on which the front wheels turn should be bent down at the outer end so that the point at which the tire rests on the road will be almost, if not quite, underneath the vertical knuckle bolt. This makes the car steer easily.

A. Should the axle not meet the above conditions the bent parts should be heated dull red and carefully bent to correct shape.

R. In reassembling the front axle with its steering knuckles and the cross tie rod, the knuckles should first be placed on the ends of the axle and the long bolts put in place. The tie rod should then be attached with its bolts. As each part is fastened in place make sure that it moves freely.

T. A bent front axle causes hard steering and wears the tread from one or both front tires very rapidly.

For explanation of letters appearing before paragraphs see page one.

An axle thought to be bent should be run over a level floor or else over a straight bar and the position of the bolts and shape of the axle tested with a steel square. Bent axles, if not too much out of line, may be straightened by placing the base of a jack against the high part and running a chain over the top of the jack and fastening the ends of the chain to the axle ends.

A bent axle may also be straightened by fastening a long bar to the axle, wrapping a chain around the axle and bar. The axle may then be caught between any two solid posts or supports and pressure applied to the end of the bar to straighten the axle.

Rear Axle. D. Rear axles are divided into “Live Axles” in which the shafts are carried inside a tubular housing, the center of the housing being large enough to carry the differential and bevel gears; or “Dead Axles” which are solid from end to end, the wheels being driven by chains.

Live axles are divided into three classes in common use today.

“Full Floating Rear Axles” have the differential car¬ ried on bearings in the housing, the road wheels being mounted on two bearings in each hub which run on the outside of the ends of the housing. The driving shaft is stuck into the differential at the inner end and the outer end of this shaft is carried by a two, four or six jawed clutch. The axle end passes into a hole in the center of the clutch and the jaws of the clutch mesh into teeth in the hub of the wheel. The shaft thus carries no load.

“Semi-Floating Rear Axles” have the differential carried on bearings in the housing, the inner end of the driving shaft being stuck into the differential. The outer end of the driving shaft is carried on a bearing inside the end of the housing and the wheel hub is fitted onto the end of the driving shaft. The wheel is held on by nuts or pins, the end of the axle shaft being tapered, squared or keyed.

“Three Quarter Floating Axles” have the differential carried on bearings in the housing, the inner end of the driving shaft being stuck into the differential. The road wheel is carried on a single bearing on the

Section 1 6 outside of the end of the housing, the wheel hub fit¬ ting over this bearing. The driving shaft extends

.1

[jgp

L i

Semi

F/oating

Fu// r/gating

Three Quarter Floating

THREE TYPES OF LIVE REAR AXLES.

through the housing to a point outside the wheel and carries a large plate at its outer end. This plate bolts to another plate fastened to the wheel hub so that the shaft is supported by the wheel and the wheel is pre¬ vented from turning out of true or wobbling by the driving shaft. When the wheel is placed on the axle the depression in the plate on the wheel should face outward. The bearing is then slipped into this de¬ pression from the outside and fastened with nuts on the housing. The driving shaft is then pushed into place in the differential bringing its flange plate into position for bolting to the hub.

An old and little used type called a “Live Axle” has the driving shaft carried in a bearing at each end of the shaft inside the housing. The differential is then carried by the inner end of the shaft and the road wheel by the outer end.

C. Rear axles should be filled to a depth of 1% to 3 inches with very light transmission grease or with cylinder oil. The housing at the center should be filled only to a point at which the large bevel gear will dip into the oil or grease. Never pack an axle full of grease.

A. The driving bevel gears may become noisy by not being properly meshed. To make this adjust¬ ment—

Block up the rear of the car so that both rear wheels are off the floor. Start the engine, place the gears in high speed and let the clutch in. Now make sure that the noise is in the rear axle and not in the transmission, the engine gears, or other parts of the car.

The bearing just in front of the small bevel driving pinion should have means for throwing the pinion back¬ ward or forward in or out of mesh with the larger gear. Set the small pinion backward or forward a

Section 1 8 very little at a time until the noise disappears. If the noise does not disappear replace the small bevel in the same position as when you started.

The bearing carrying the bevel gear side of the differential should have means for throwing the differential slightly to the right or left. This may be done, a very little at a time until the noise disappears. In case this bearing has no adjustment the washers may be removed and thinner ones put in, or else thin brass shims may be placed between the bearing and differential case.

In some cases both pinion and gear may have to be adjusted, but if this does not correct the trouble, the gears are too badly worn or are loose on the drive shaft or differential case or the differential runs out of line or the bearings may be loose or worn out.

R. In reassembling a rear axle each part should be tried as it is placed in position to see that it turns freely.

All housing joints should have paper gaskets well shellaced and should be bolted tight.

T. The rear axle housing carries the springs on spring seats which may be designed to turn on the axle housing, being in the form of a bearing and having a grease cup. Looseness at this bearing causes a loud knock when the car is driven off a bump in the road at fair speed. This bearing should be treated like any other plain bearing in adjustment required.

If the rear axle housing leaks oil at the wheel ends so that the brakes, hubs and even the wheels and rims become covered with oil or grease the trouble is probably that the housing has been filled too full of oil. This may be corrected by first draining the grease or oil to the proper level, removing the wheels and washing the grease from all exposed parts and re¬ moving it from the brake linings as directed under “Brakes.”

The driving shaft should be removed and the grease washers or packing or drain tubes should be cleaned or replaced. Should the axle still leak oil or grease the wheel may be removed and the bearings inside the outer end of the housing taken out and about a pound of waste stuffed into each end of the axle.

BRACE FOR STRENGTHENING REAR AXLE HOUSING.

Full floating axle loose wheels may be tightened by adjusting the wheel bearings as directed under “Bearings.”

Full floating axles having play in the wheel jaw clutches make a rattling noise at the rear of the car. The best remedy is to fit new clutches or new hubs or both, but a very good repair may be made by heat¬ ing the clutches slowly to a red heat and hammering them out so that they will take up the play. The clutches should then be tempered and the driving faces case hardened, after dressing to an exact fit. A tem¬ porary repair may be effected by placing thin sheets

Section 1 10 of brass shim stock between the clutches and hub teeth. Thin steel would make a more permanent job.

Semi-floating axles often have the driving shaft bent by skidding, hitting the curb or going over bumps too hard. To remove the shaft take the wheel off the end, remove the bearing inside the end of the housing and pull the shaft out of the differential. To remove the wheel first take the hub cap off, then remove or loosen the cotter pin, straight pin, or other locking device for the nut, then take off the nut (which may have either a right or left hand thread) and then try to pull the wheel off by hand.

If the wheel does not come off, catch the jaws of a wheel puller over the edges of the brake drum and place the point of the screw in the small hole in the center of the end of the axle.

In replacing the wheel turn the driving shaft until the keyway is on top, lay the key in the keyway and slip the wheel on the shaft, holding the keyway in the hub uppermost. It is a good idea to slightly oil the end of the shaft before replacing the wheel.

Three quarter floating axles, being a combination of the other two types may have some of the troubles of each as well as having some of the advantages and some of the disadvantages of each.

BALL JOINTS.

D. These joints allow movement in any direction, and are made up of a steel ball which slips into the end of a tubular piece. The neck of the ball passes into a slit cut along one side of the tubular piece and the ball comes up against a spherical end of the tube on the inside. A plug is then screwed or slid into the tubular piece, closing the end through which the ball passed. This plug is cup shaped at the end touching the ball. If the plug slips into the tube there is a screw plug that follows it and holds it in place. Some ball joints have short, heavy coil springs placed back of the cup ended plugs.

Ball joints, or ball and socket joints, are used for the rod from the front axle to the arm on the steering gear and for the radius or distance or torsion rod ends in some cases. Small ball joints are used on the rods operating the spark and throttle controls and for any other small control rods on the car.

C. Ball and socket joints should be lubricated with cup grease and the larger types should have leather covers placed around them and strapped on.

A. Ball joints are adjusted and play is removed by screwing the plug farther into the end. The plug is prevented from turning by a cotter pin,, straight pin and ring, or taper pin. These pins must first be re¬ moved and they must be replaced after the adjust¬ ment is made.