Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-16
SPARK WIRES MUST
60. TO SAME CYLINDER
Ono OF Best Mays to Prevent Theft
of Autos Is to Switch
Connections.
WHAT FIRING ORDER MEANS
Singlc-Cylindcr Engine Found to BE
Very Heavy for Its Power and
Vfbratcs Too Badly In Make Rid
ing Comfortable.

: ing Comfortable.
When, the wires are taken, of the
spark plugs they mast be replaced ON
the plugs In the same cylinders as
they were before, or the engine will
10 prevent ear from being otolcn
is to change these wires about
When n number OF wires have been
removed for some cause or other, and
long. then the firing order OF the
engine" must be determined. also the
order In which the current comes to
the wires from the distributor. The
wires must then Ice connected to the
spark plug in The Firing order"
Let US see what is meant by The
Firing Order" and how To determine
w.. Each piston OF q ,. I, 6. :. II or
the single piston Of onc-cylindcr
engine. must go through the following
cycle tnotc difference between cycle
and .cyiinder"l 10 get the power from
the fuel: ii must suck in the mix
ture: IL must compress 1t. Il must
he forced down hy the explosion OF
the mixture. and finally IL must push
out or exhaust the burned gases. Thus
the 4 stroke OF the cycle through
which IL must pass are: suction. com
preston. power and exhaust. The
firing takes place at the beginning OF
the power stroke.
y single cylinder engine was found
vibrated So badly as 10 make riding
in n car equipped with one uncom-
Portable. i'he result was that de-
signcrs conceived the idea of having
four engines. enc Of which could give
its power stroke. while the first was
on suction. another while the first
was on comprcssio!,. then the first
would give it's power stroke the re-
manning engine giving it's power
stroke while the first Is cNhaustinE.
Thus you Will notice that for cach
q the four strokes. OF the cycle
through which any OF the engines is
passing one Of the other engines will
DC giving a power stroke: also. that
while one engine IS on suction. an
other viii hc on compression. another
on. power and the other ON exhaust.
Having conceived the idea OF hav-
ing the four engines. I'll" designers
hod next 10 iud way to combine
each engine musi have its own cylin-
der. piston connecting rod. crank pin
and arm. It's own valves. valve l!itcrs.
Gems. etc. II WAS easy % set the
crank shaft, and do iiktwis" with the
cams. Thus we have the four en-
zine engine. or II is called. four
cylinder cnrirc.
cyIinder engine and e four-sycIc en-
CINE. \ tour-cvcl" engine may h.
slnp'c cylinder a -FOUR n six. an
cirh; or a twelve-cyli"dor engine. Ia
fact In tho automobile all Of these
engines are four-cy,fndcr engines.
Firing Order.
Having now four cylinders in a
row. eaci, TO give u power stroke at
a different time in what order shall
these power strokes come" Shall IL
he in the l-2-3-. order Calling the
-. or Otherwise? Fly studying the
drawing of The fou:-cylindcr crank
SHAFT herewith. YOU viii see that tho
above order OF the powcr STROKES or
Ia . f.Ar N.41 f,,R-
poesiblc. Tn. only possible airing
orders for 4 four-cylinder engine be.
ing LET'S or l-2-4-2.
Practically Nil four-cyllnder crank
SHIFTS are built as tho one shown
herewith. You VIII notice tand this
You should know tina. crank pins
be up or down al the same time; thus
piStuns and 1 viii always bc up "a;
the same tine. Likewise, crank piaS
> and are in line. and therefore pis-
tons . and Will be I'M together
i.et US sc" why "" cannot have the
power strokes come in numerical or
der thai is; SHY the ,irimg order can
not be l-2-3-i. Imagine the crank
shaft 70 he set as shown In Fig. l.
No. crank IS now up and likewise
No piston. and We can therefor.
hrG IN cylinder No ! thus driving
down the, piston. and so the crank
pin. =, the completion OF this stroke
] and VIII be down and > and 3 up.
as shown IN Fig Z so thai; We can
completion Of this second mower
stroke . and 3 Will he down. the
crank shaft being again as shown in
Fig. ]. As is now down be cam
rot nre IL. and must therefore go To
NO. for the third firing stroke. At
the completion OF. this third pOw.r
stroke the crank shaft vii! again
he as shown IN Fig .; No. . viii
be up. and can bow hc fired Thus
we have firing order OF l-@-i-3 By
the same reasoning you VIII also see
1S-i-2.
! have gone into this question OF
the airing order rather In d.tniI for
Inc reason that there viii probably
conc time tand tn" ,imc may b,.
while you are on the road whcn. Won
VII nave 10 krow what the nrjng
order o! your engine is
firing order IL tn" order in which
the power strokes come. ana Won ,.pn
readily understand that IN. com
preston. exhaust and suction strolirs
MDst also come IN this sam. manner
me sam" being trGs OF thu, sharks
a; the spark plugs
ny arranging tnc cams on tin. cnp,
smart IN SUCH way that The inlet
and exhaust valves are made 10 0,,.r
IN Il certain order, the manufacttir.r
determines V hat ;he firing order az
INC engine - 10 he, and yoU Canuot
change H. Tho sparks. however. ar.
by arranging the wires rurriul.
from the electric current control IN
strnment 70 Tile plugs SO ina; the
current VIII ," Jed ur distributed to
the plug, in this order YOU inav
nave 10 d!SronHcct these wires a,