The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
FINDING CAUSE OF
MISSING CYLINDER
Expert Tells of Many Things
That May Cause the
Trouble. ..-f
~ II. CLIFFORD BRoKAw.
Principal west Sidc v. M. c. A
Automobile school.


Automobile school.
Have you counted your cylinders lately
to see IL any OF them are missing?
do not mean a cylinder actually lost of,
but are all Of them operating? On some
of the older engines I have really seen
cylinder Jump Off or be blown on. but
this does not occur with the better de-
signed motors OF to-day. All the
same ~ a cylinder Is not working 1t
might better be lost.
You may have heard OF the taxi driver
who displayed service Gag with two
stars on the car. A customer could not
arure 1t out, for the driver was too old
10 have sons of fighting age. and so in
nuired. He was convulsed when the
driver answered:
"Oh. that means there are two cylin-
ders still in service.
or you may have heard OF that other
case where a car had been going along
.n,oo,hIv mile after mile and then began
10 act up. The owner inquired the cause
and was informed by the chauffeur
'Cynnder missing.
"My! Where did we lose t7' queried
the owner I'VE had better go right back
and hunt for it,
The term missing Ia a contraction OF
speech and means that the cylinder II
misfiring. In other words. although the
cylinder Is present II Is slacker-is not
operating This causes a considerable
loss Of power. For instance. with four
cylinder motor the loss Is more than one
fourth Of the cars power. and the irres-
la NJ
occupants OF the car.
The most usual cause of misfring.
perhaps, is a dirty or short circuted
spark plug The means a collection of
carbon from burned oil and Basolene on
the insuator Of the plug which makes an
easier path for the current than across
the gap az the points; consequently nc
shark occurs. This In very quickly
remedied by removing the plug, taking
out the insulator and cleaning II. Not.
that IT is the insulator which is to be
cleaned. The metal points and shell
need cleaning also. but the essentia
thing is to clean the porcelain or mics
insulator
1t is well always to carry extra plugs
in the car for quick changes on the road
particularly where there Is a broken 'ol
cracked porcelain.
Another common cause of misfring IL
a leaking valve. II a valve leaks the
gas drawn into the cylinder will b
blown out past the valve on the com
preston stroke. with little or none left
! to ignite and give power This Is known
| as lack OF compression. and may be de
| tected by turning the engine over will
| the starting crank and noting the diner
| ence in compression of the various cyrn
ders OF the compression strokes.
The exhaust valve is more likely to b
at fault than the inlet valve. The latte
remains closed while the gas Is burning
and usually keeps a clean and tight seat
All the burned and still burning case
| pass out over the exhaust valve seat
tending TO warp the valve and TO de
post loose bits OF carbon on the seat
where they are hammered down and pre-
vent the valve from closing tight
| Where this occurs temporary repai
! often may be made by removing tn
valve and scrapn.s the carbon off witt
a knife To make the repair more per
manent the valve should be ground II