Show Care of Magneto Gives More Miles of Serm Service ce ceO O veu U TER BUTER i iI J ROTOR I r J. J t- t y it y 1 fir I A 4 J f 1 2 I I i t i J a- a I J j A- A tt FIELD RR Pi R 1 T i. i Iv INTERRUPTER I y fl poI POINTS POINT T. T I l showing wing main parts and oil oU well Dixie Dude magneto View Viet o of f a II magne ni rn T I 7 71 r r. r 7 LT l I toga 0 nl rl p Thousand Should Y u. u J Miles See That Points Are Even Method l for Following Following Fol Fol- lowing ei Min Out Line LiTle to F Find Trouble BY BARNEY OLDFIELD Copyright 1919 by King Kins Features Syndicate Inc A IVrO who hns has u used sed a magneto for ignition will agree with me mc that ANYONE ft trouble with i tho the magneto itself is a comparative rarity l. l Magnetos miles of service ice without attention attention attention atten atten- much have a been kno known n to give as as tion aside from occasional cleaning and und oil oiling I wouldn't expect any mechanism to rim runt that long b without attention and m my advice is is to give the magneto periodic care If H you ou do you ou will never have haye an any cau cause to complain complain com corn plain Main of the magneto One friend of mine wh who had a Dixie i c m magneto got t miles and all lie he h did was to adjust the points twice and lubricate as instructed Y You 0 can call do as us well if you will listen to me The Tho first point In magneto caro is isto ISto isto to maintain cleanliness Keep the tho outside of ot the Instrument around tho the distributor cover cr and breaker box absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab clean If tho the car owner o neglects neglects neg neg- negI I to clean away tho the dirt and cum gum that gather here hero by degrees decrees these substances work their way in among the moving parts Periodic inspection should be bo made of ot these parts to see that they are clean and operating properly Lubrication of the magneto l Is extremely ex extremely ex- ex simple An oil all well weIl Is provided provided provided pro pro- vided and all the tho owner has to do I Ito isto la is lato to fill this as directed led every 1000 miles of or running At the samo same time the Iho moving mo parts of or tho the Interrupter mechanism need a a. drop or two o of 01 oil and this must be of the very highest grade or It will gum and make trou trou- ble Dont Don't make tho the mistake of oC using too much oil 1 so that It gets on the tho breal breaker er points as this too will cause cluse trouble If the tho car owner will simply learn the lesson es on of or giving ln i the magneto magneto mag mag- neto the tho proper amount of ot oil In correct correct correct cor cor- quantity and at the proper time the thc Instrument will serve him faithfully faithfully faith faith- tull fully and long Date for JD hz Inspection My I advice to the tho car owner o I is to to sot set sota a 3 date once every month when a a. athor- athor thorough thor thor- ough inspection of tho the magneto is made At this time the oiling should be e inspected the tho moving parts should be looked into and the parts which hold the magneto In place should be gone over oyer to see that th thy they Y are aro tight of ot course If It there is trouble or an any sort the owner will wilt not wait for mont monthly l inspection period to give the magneto an overhauling The r e monthly ly inspection I should U e ta nl Include a a. thorough n cleaning 01 OL of I Ithe the distributor and Its parts At the tho same samo time the adjustment of at tho the InterruPter in interrupter interrupter In- In points should be chocked checked and the points cleaned with kerosene The normal distance by which the he Interrupter interrupter inter Inter- points should separate is to 02 of an inch This should be carefully checked up If It the points should appear to bo uneven that Is not parallel they should be evened e up b by the tho use o of a small flat rUe file which comes for the purpose or with what is known as a Jewelers Jeweler's file rile In an emergency I have havo even e used an ordinary ordinary nary manicures manicure's file My readers will readily appreciate the importance of ot keeping the wiring connections of or the magneto in the best possible shape At each monthly In Inspection Inspection inspection In- In the wiring should be carefully carefully care care- fully Cully gone over O to see that there are ara arano areno no breaks and that all terminals ar nr firmly anchored In this connection let me say a word against the use use of cheap cables which are arc peculiarly liable to develop cracks In the fabric covering through which th the current leaks a away Find Ignition Trouble It Is vitally important that every car owner who also drives his own car should bo ho O able o to diagnose and run down ignition trouble Failure in other parts of or the cars car's equipment may cause difficulty in operation Failure In the tho ignition system tim m moans means a dead car So I intend to too offer ter some suggestions for remedying troubles In Inthis inthis I this s system stem When Then tho engine suddenly goes coes oes dead and It has been ascertained that the I trouble Is due to Ignition t failure the tho first thing to be done dono Is la to check up all the wiring A wire broken away from Its terminal ends the tho search at once In examining tho the Ignition B system tom tem m my suggestion Is that the search begin at tho the plugs and proceed hack back to tho the switch Follow the wiring carefully carefully care caro fully watching for cracks broken or loose terminals etc Next ext go for the distributor that it is clean and that the interrupter arm is making contact properly If It these parts are functioning properly see see sec If It tho the trouble trouble trou trou- ble lies In the Interrupter points It Is seldom however that the magneto magneto magneto mag mag- neto fails absolutely to give coho a spark In man many types df r Ignition systems misfiring 1 is commonly encountered I Many causes may moy be back of ot this dirty spark plugs spark sparl gaps too wide or too narrow loose ground wire loose distributor cable broken Insulation Insulation Insulation tion on a cable dirt or uneven breaker points Misfiring at low speeds Is often oHen caused by a a. weakened magneto which means recharging of or tho the mag mag- nets In cases where rapid wear of or tho the breaker points Is moro more or less les of at a chronic trouble the tho basic fault will probably lie In tho the condenser In Incases cases casos where trouble has developed Inthe Inthe in the tho condenser the tho matter is past the ministrations of at the tho ordinary car owner Tho ignition expert at the service station is tho the only one capable o of dealing with tho the matter In fact tact serious trouble of or any kind in the magneto Is somewhat beyond the average owner Unskilled tinkering ma may make a a. minor ill a major failure Ho should bo be able to recognize minor troubles and eliminate them About the tha saddest experience of ot the car owner Is to sit alt by tho the roadside his hiscar hiscar hiscar car stalled through minor Ignition trouble which ho he Is unable to fix simply because he doesn't understand the tho underlying principles of or tho the thing I will be bo glad to advise my readers in regard to their ignition troubles trouble and give Cho them suggestions In regard i to any specific ignition system i Barney Will it be safe to have a passenger car chassis lengthened lengthened lengthened length length- ened f for r use as a truck by having a apiece apiece apiece piece welded In in-F. in F F. F G. G Y Yes the frame and drive shaft can be split and sections bo be welded In There are ar other considerations than mere length In making a passenger car car chassis chassis chas chas- sis Into a truck Barney Is Oldfield-Is Is there any other way of ot getting rid of at carh carbon n except b by having it scraped out Cant Can't I use one of oC tho the patent liquids that are claimed to accomplish carbon removal removal removal-D D. D A. A You can use a liquid but the tho result I will not be equal to scraping ScrapIng Scraping Scrap Scrap- ing is tho the only sure method of ot removInG removing ing carbon and the next best Is t to have hae it burned out b by an acetylene flame Barney Oldfield-I Oldfield I havo have had three springs break during the last year and always In the middle of or the spring Why is It that springs break here Also who do spring leaves lea get rusty when they are resting one ono on top of ot tho the other other other-J J. J K K L. L Springs break In the c center because the tho part is weakest here hero b by reason of or the holes drilled through for Cor the bolt Though the tho spring leaves rest ono one on the other there Is a sll slight ht space s bp bo be- tween th the tho leaves at times Into which water works Its way and causes rustIn rust rust- In ing An oil all box around the tho leaves will feed teed oil to tho surfaces and counteract the tho effect of ot the water fe Barney Cant Oldfield-Can't Cant Can't anything be done to get et more than a years year's service out of at a a. storage battery batler All I get Is Isa Isa isa a a single seasons season's use I put water inand In Inand Inand and take care ct f the battery but I cant can't get the service I think I ought to out of at It Can you suggest what the trouble trouble trou trou- ble is- is Is-G. Is G. G F 1 F. F T. T The maximum life Ute of or a storage battery battery bat bat- tery is about eighteen months and the he average about twelve You can get set eighteen months out of Cr it by se seeing that It is 18 properly filled with distilled water and Is never left l In an und undercharged undercharged under under- r- r charged condition for tor any length of or I time Also bo ho sure that tho the charging I rate Is correct for tor your particular ice You can help matters by giving the battery an outside charge charCe once in three months or so 80 Sc rf 2 Barney Oldfield I I have havo an eIght eight- c car and tho the engine has given me mo endless trouble It seems seem to thrash to pieces I am forever buyIng buyIng buy- buy Ing lag parts and having It repaired The Tho crankshaft Is a a. two-bearing two piece picco of ot email smaIl diameter Do 0 you suppose a heavier shaft with bigger bearings hearings would help matters F. matters F. F T T. R R. Tho The heavier shaft will reduce whipping whip whip- ping pine which Is probably causing most of ot the trouble To Install a heavier crankshaft y ois n would hay h e to u p provide for tor the tho heavier bearings and It Is possible possible pos POS- sible that the crankcase may not permit permit permit per per- mit this It might be possible to fit tit tho the present crankshaft with counterweights counterweights counter counter- weights to reduce the tho whipping whipping- this la is a possible out In way case you cannot can can- not Install the heavier crankshaft jt Jg v Darn Barney Barnay y What Oldfield-What What Is b tho the wheel slippage of or the average racing car It if this were avoided wouldn't tho the speed peed be bo considerably Increased Also I wouldn't It save sae tires tires tires-C C. C S S. S E F E. E The slippage varies with car driver I track and weather but It often orton runs to 3 per cent Undoubtedly It would save tires for tor slippage accounts for tor much ortho heat and consequent tire tiro J weal I I |