South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-02

Motoring Department, The News
Times.-How hot should the spark
be on a Ford engine? l mean. when
/ adjust the vibrator, how can
tell when il is hot enough? I am
told that the hotter the spark is
the more power l shall get from
the engine? c. p. L.
That is true but there is a prac-
teal point beyond which it is not
advisable 10 80 as the current burns
away the spark plug points and
causes pitting of the vibrator points.
Disconnect the wire at the spark
plug and make a quarter inch gap
the vibrator until a good fat spark
is shown which jumps the quarter
inch gap readily.
Motoring Department. The News
Times-While viewing moving
picture recently, I saw an automo-
bile on which the wheels seemed to
be turning backwards. Could
wheel be built TO do this or was
it a defect in the photography?
r. S.
While it would be possible to have
the wheel turn one way and have
a disk with painted spokes on il
turn in the opposite direction it
would only be used in comic pic
lures What you saw frequently oc-
ours when the wheels are turning
at a certain speed relative 10 the
speed at which the camera is OPP
Grated. The camera takes success
sive pictures of the wheel at differ
ent points in its travel. If a spoke
is photographed just back of the
position in the picture ahead. the
wheel will appear 10 turn back
wards. If in the same position,
the wheel will appear to stand still.
If slightly ahead, the wheel will
appear 10 turn forward slowly. In
all these cases the car may be
travelling forward at a high rate Of
speed
Motoring Department. The News
Times.-My generator does not
seem TO be making current. ! have
removed the wires and when / run
the engine and connect a volt-meter
across the generator terminals II
shows no current. How can / test
the armature and field windings to
see if they are in good condition
c. p. NJ.
Remove brushes or raise them
and place paper between them and
commutator. Also disconnect lead
wires from generator as you
have done. Touch one battery wire
TO ground and other battery wire
TO a binding post and also to COM
mutator A spark will indicate
ground; no spark means no ground.
Touch battery wires TO terminals of
generator. A spark shows current
passing through fields; no spark
open circuit. Touch battery wires to
opposite sides of commutator. A
spark shows current passing
through windings but one or more
coils may be defective. No spark
would show an open circuit in more
than one coil. These could only be
located by careful tests with an
ammeter Above tests will not in
dictate a short Circuit, for which an
ammeter would also be required.
Motoring Department, The News
Times have a StrOmberg car
buretor on my car and it is not
acting right. The engine stopped
the other day and I have not been
able to start it except by putting
gasoline in the cylinders, but il stops
Immediately. When / prime the car
buretor the glass chamber fills up
and overfows at the top. Please
let me know what TO do
The fact that the engine runs when
cylinders are primed shows that the
ignition is good, but that the car
buretor does not supply gasoline
mixed with air in explosive proper
tions. The overflow at the float
chamber shows that the spray nozzle
is cIogged. shut off gasoline at tank.
remove plug at bottom of carburetor
under spraw nozzle and run a wire
up TO push out the dirt.
Motoring Department. The News
Times.-Wnl you kindly answer the
following as soon as possible. 1 am
a daily reader of your paper and
enjoy your columns very much. L
have a 1917 Dodge touring run about
3. 500 miles. In the second cylinder
there is no compression at all, and
there has been none for some time.
If / go slower than , miles an
hour on high the car jumps. About
a week ago, | took off the cylinder
head and scraped off all IF the car
bon. but noticed nothing different
from the other cylinders. l put
back the cylinder head and 1 tight
ened all Of the bolts good. There
are no leaks around the petcoc6s or
spark plugs. / will appreciate any
advice Mr.. S.
Cylinder may be scored or piston
rings gummed by carbon, broken,
scored or slots in line Pour half
teacupful Of kerosene into cylinder
and crank engine 10 loosen rings. II
compression is not restored cylin-
darc must he rarnOyad and rings