Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-16
s|MPL|F|EDl,EssONs IN
CARE or AUTOMOBILE
" cI'known Mechanical Engineer
Explains Working Units to
IIaymcn.
by FREDERICK G. GUERRI,rCII,
NJ. T..
LECTURE No. 1913.

70 time distributor system, or for
snat matter any ignition system. the
nLsl thing TO do Is to determine those
innings. to find which. il is necessary
10 turn over the engine (revOlve the
crank shafp. then the engine must
&c set 30 that the piston OF ono OF
tno cylinders Is In the position whore
sne spark must come. and then tho
fpark giving or timing instrument
III set so as to give the spark ut this
n,,3i The best practice is to set
~ rSy.'n nnr, No. ! In the position for
riEht. the others will also he timed
right; The steps to take to time a
distributor system arc therefore az
]. Determine tho direction In which
tho shaft on which the distributor in
3strumcnt Is set. rotatcs when the
snEine liz running. This liz done by
y wninbI tn: re, engine over by hand and
q. Find the firing, order az explain
cd In lecture No. ..
;. Set the piston OF cylinder No. ]
at the top dead center between the
compression and power strokes. In
lecture No. the method Of doing
Now Consider Spnrk.
We are now ready to set the spark
giving or timing instrument SO as
to give the spark at this time. Let
us sec what must happen I'm order
that we can transform the low volt
age current of our battery into the
high voltage necessary to have the
current jump across the spark plug
points and thus give the spark
Why. tho low voltage or primary cur
rent must be interrupted, or in other
words the interrupter points must
Just open. 1t would he well for the
reader TO clearly understand the
above. az the timing OF any ignition
system resolved itself down to the
doing OF three things, namely: Set
ting, cylinder No. / ready for the
sparks: setting the ignition system so
that the intcrruptcr points just be-
gin TO open. and connecting the wires
TO the cylinders SO that the secondary
current will be sent TO the spark
plugs In the firing order.
:; Retard spark control lever fully
and then advance II about three :
fourths OF an inch as measured on
Its sector.
s. Take hold Of the sleeve. '.B."
zig. I. and slowly revolvc tho cam
|"E.' in tho direction o. rotation. until
tho interrupter points just begin 20
open. and then fasten the instrument
Care must be taken in doing this
to have tho points just begin TO open
and to rcvolve In the direction the
shaft. &C." revolvcs when the engine
Put On Distributor Hru.h.
6. Put on the distributor brush and
then note which Of the contact seq
mcnts. *" it Will come In contact
with.
I. Put on the distributor and con-
meet the segment you noticed would
be In contact with the brush to the
spark plug OF cylinder No. !.
20 the spark plugs in the firing order.
ihus. IL the firing order be l-3-4-2
the next segment the brush will
3neh Wii be son rx,nSnr to cylinder
the last to cylinder No. 9.
Q. Connect the main secondary lead
from the coil to the center OF the
distributor. ~
%As wire no W sn' tn nTf yi S!re% When
timing ignition devices. In in not
making the inatrurncnt fat when
The points just begin to open. The
The mistake Of having cylinder No.
between exhaust and suction instead
, of between COMPRESSION and power
is also often made.
Mnny Ignition Makes.
As there are no two makers oi
Ignition instruments who use exactly
the same wiring, some using the
while others furnish wire for this
purpose. some putting the switch be-
tween the battery and the coil. while
|othcrs put |, between the coll and the
cannot tell you how to wire up your
particular car. To do this you will
have to be guided by the wiring dia-
gram which the manufacturer fur
|nishes
Every driver OF car should be
Familiar with the wiring Of II, and
should know how TO time his igni-
ton system. While 1t is extremely
Iloose from it's shaft nevertheless II
il simply held by set screws which
Isome time do come loose and the in
This happens you are as liable 10 be
miles from nowhere as In the shop
l would recommend that those OF