Fig. 40.—Illustrating Correct Method of Grasping Starting Crank to Avoid Injury Due to Back Kick.
How to Start the Ford Motor.—The essential precautions enumerated having been taken, the first step in starting the motor is to look at the steering wheel and notice the position of the spark and throttle control levers which are clearly shown in inset, Fig. 42. The right hand lever is called a “throttle,” as it controls the amount of gaseous mixture drawn into the motor. When the power plant is in operation the nearer the operator this lever is the faster the engine will turn and the greater the power output. The left hand lever controls the spark which should be in retard position or at its extreme position away from the operator when starting the motor. It is possible in many cases to advance this lever three or four notches by moving it toward the seat without any danger of injury in cranking.
The throttle lever should be placed about four or five notches down to secure easy starting. The reason it is desirable not to advance the spark control lever too far is that the engine may kick back. This may result in damage to the wrist or arm of the person cranking the motor unless care is taken in the method of handling the starting crank. Before cranking the engine one should make sure that the emergency brake lever is pulled back as far as it will go. When in this position the clutch is out and the hub brakes are engaged, which prevents the car from moving. After inserting the switch key in the switch on the coil box, throw the switch lever as far to the left as it will go toward the point marked “magneto.” The engine cannot be started until the electrical circuit is complete. If batteries are used for ignition as an auxiliary it may be possible to start the engine easier on the battery current, though a very easy start maybe secured on the magneto provided the coil vibrators are properly adjusted.
After having put the switch in either battery or magneto position the next step is to crank the engine by lifting on the starting crank at the front of the car. Take hold of the handle and push the crank in toward the car until you feel the ratchet on the crank engage with the pin passing through the crank shaft. The crank handle should be pulled upward with a quick swing. The proper method of grasping a crank is shown at Fig. 40. It will be observed that the crank is grasped in the left hand and that any tendency to backfire will pull the handle out of the hand by opening the fingers. The improper method of cranking is shown at Fig. 41. In this case the right hand is placed around the crank handle and the engine is started by pushing down against the compression instead of lifting up on the handle to overcome the compression resistance. It will be evident that if the spark advance lever is set so that an early explosion obtains this will drive the handle vigorously backward, which force is partially resisted by the tensed arm of the operator. There are times when it is necessary to turn the crank vigorously which is called “spinning” the engine. In this case be sure that the spark lever is fully retarded, otherwise a sudden backfire may cause injury.
If the engine has been standing for a time it is advisable to prime the carburetor by pulling on the small wire at the lower left corner of the radiator while giving the engine two or three quarter turns with the starting handle. In this case the crank should be grasped by the right hand but care should be taken to only pull up against the compression. In cold weather gasoline does not evaporate very readily so it is somewhat more difficult to start a motor under these conditions. The method recommended by the Ford company for starting the engine when cold is to turn the carburetor dash adjustment one quarter turn to the left in order to allow a richer mixture of gasoline to be drawn into the cylinders, then to hold out
Fig. 41.—Showing Wrong Method of Exerting Pressure on Crank When
Starting Motor.
the priming rod which projects through the radiator while the crank is whirled vigorously. Another method is as follows: Before throwing on the magneto switch close the throttle lever, hold out priming rod while you give crank several quick turns, then let go of priming rod, place the spark lever in third or fourth notch, advance throttle lever several notches, throw on the switch and crank briskly.
After starting the motor it is advisable to advance the spark half way down the quadrant and to let the motor ran until thoroughly heated up. If one starts out with a cold motor it is not likely to have much power and it would be easy to “stall” it. It is said that the advantage of turning on the switch last after priming is that there is1 plenty of gas in the cylinders to keep the motor running. After the motor is warmed up the carburetor adjustment should be turned back to the proper running position. If, for any reason, the engine is warm and does not start readily it is probably because the engine has been flooded with an over rich gas mixture. The remedy for this condition is to turn the carburetor adjusting needle down by screwing the needle valve on the dash to the right until the needle seats in the carburetor. Crank the engine briskly to exhaust the rich gas, then throw on the switch and start the engine. As soon as the cylinders fire turn back the needle to the normal running position.
If the engine fails to start the following defective conditions may be responsible: Water in the gasoline;: water or hardened oil in commutator; coil vibrators out of proper adjustment; gas mixture too thin; gas mixture too rich; magneto contact point in transmission cover raised because of foreign matter or short circuiting by a piece of wire from brake lining; gasoline supply shut off; water frozen in gasoline tank sediment bulb; poor contact at coil switch; loose magneto wire leading to coil; loose timer wires; engine too cold to properly vaporize gas (only in zero weather). Should the engine start, run for a time and then stop suddenly, one should make sure that there is plenty of fuel in the gasoline tank. The trouble
may be a flooded carburetor; dirt in carburetor or feed pipe; magneto wire loose at either terminal; magneto current collecting point obstructed; engine overheated on account of insufficient oil or water supply.
If the engine lacks power and runs irregularly, which is called “skipping” at low speed it may be due to: imperfect gas mixture; dirty spark plugs; poorly adjusted coil vibrators; poor compression; air leak through intake manifold; weak exhaust valve springs, too little clearance between valve stem and operating push rod; spark plug points too near together.
If the engine misfires at high speed, it may result from imperfect contact in the interior of the commutator; too much air gap between the points of the spark plugs; imperfect gas mixture or poorly adjusted vibrators. When an engine overheats, the most common condition is running with too rich gas mixture and retarded spark. Other troubles are: insufficient lubricating oil; not enough water in the radiator; fan belt too loose or slipping; water circulation poor, owing to sediment in radiator tubes’; or carbon deposits in combustion chambers. These carbon deposits may be also present on the piston head and will result in loss of power as well as produce knocking sounds. If a loud knock is evident it is usually due to a loose connecting rod or crank shaft bearing or running with the spark advanced too far and it is always the sign of a badly overheated engine.
