Ford T Series User Manual

2~ T /:J E F 0 R I> \I .\ :\ l: .\ I.
contact with th e engine pan or ot her metal parts is made. A steady
buzzing of one of the coil units will i ndicate a "short" in th e wiring.
When driving the car the engine will suddenly lag and pound on
account of the prematu re expl osion. Be careful not to crank the
engine downward against compression when the car is in this
condition, as the ' 'sh ort " is apt to cause a vigorous kick back.
Does Coil Adjustment
affec t start ing?
Answer No. 58
Y es. Wh en the vibrators are not properly adjusted more current
is required to make and break the contact between the points, and, as
a result, at cranking speeds you would not get a spark between the
spark plug points. Do not allow the contact points to become
"ragged," otherwise they art· apt to stick and cause unnecessary
difficulty in starting, and when running they are apt to produce an
occasional "m i ss" in the engine .
WIJat is th e purpose of Answer 7\ 'o . 5/)
t he Commu tat or? 1 v~ Y
The commutator (or timer) determines the instant at which the spark
p lu gs must fire. It effects the ·•make and break" in the primary
circuit. The grounded wire in the magneto allows the current to
The Ford Co mmur :u or. ( Cu t ~ ·o . II )
flow
through the metal parts to the metal roller in the commutator.
Therefore, when the commutator roller in revolving touches the four
c ommutator contact points, to eac h of which is attached a wire
connected with a coil unit, an electrical circuit is passed thr ough
the entire system of primary wires. This circuit is only momentary,
however, as the roller pass es over the cont a ct point very rapidly
and sets up the circuit in each unit as the roller touches the contact
point connected with that unit. The commutator should be kept
cl ean and well o il ed at all tim es.
T H E F 0 R D I G :\ I T I 0 :\ S Y S T E ~ I
29
What about A 7\ r
the Spark Plugs? 42 nswer .J. V 0 . 60
One is located at the top of each cylinder anp. can easily be taken out
with the spark plug wrench included wit~h every car, after the wire
connection is removed. The high voltag current flows out of the
secondary coils in the coil box and on rea · ing the contact points in
each spark plug it is forced to jutnp a -h" g p, thereby forming a spark
which ignites the gasoline charge in the cvlinders.
The spark plugs shou ld be kept clean (i ( e., free from carbon) and
should be replaced if th ey persist in not ~orking properly. Th ere is
nothing to be gained by experimenting with different makes of plugs.
The make of plugs with which Ford engjnes are equipped when they
leave the factory are best adapted to the requir ements of our motor,
notwithstanding the opinion of various ' garage men to the contrary.
All wire connections to spark plugs, coil box and commutator should,
of course, at all times be kept in perfect contact.
What are the indi c ations of
Igniti on trouble?
Answer No. 61
The uneven sputter and bang of the Fxhaust means that one or more
cylinders are exploding irregul ar ly or not at all, and that the trouble
l>hould· be promptly located and overcome. Misfiring, if allowed to
continue, will in time injure the engine and the entire mechanism. If
you would be kn own as a gooc! driver you will be satisfied on ly with
a soft, steady purr from the exhaust. If anything goes wrong, stop
and fix it if possible-don't wnit until you get home.
Ho w can one tell which
Cylinde r is missing?
Ans wer No. 62
This is done by man ipul ating the vibrators on the spark coils. Open
the throttle until the engi n e is running at a good speed and then hold
down the two outside vibrators, No. 1 and No.4, with the fingers, so
they cannot buzz. This cuts out the two corresponding cylinders,
No . 1 and No. 4, leaving only No. 2 and No. 3 running. If they
e xplode regularly it is obvious the trouble is in ei th er No. 1 or No.4.
Re li eve No. 4 and hold down No. 2 and No. 3 and also No. 1; if
No. 4 cylinder explodes evenly it is evident the misfiring is in No. 1.
In this manner all of the cylinde rs in turn can be tested until the
trouble is located. Examine both the spark plug and the vibrator
of the missing cylinder.
Jf th e Coil and Plug are Ans wer 7\To . 63
right -w hat? 1 VI
The trouble is probably due to an improperly seated valve, worn
commutator, or short circuit in the commutator wiring. Weakness
in the valves may be easily determined by lifting the starting crank
slowly the length of the stroke of each cylinder in turn, a strong or
weak compression in any particular valve being eas ily detected . It
sometimes happens that the cylinder head gasket (packing) becomes
leaky - permitting the gas under compression to escape, a condition
that can be detected by running a little lubricating oil around the
edge of the gasket and noticing whet h er bubbles appear or not.

Ford T Series Specifications

General

Brand	Ford
Model	T Series
Category	Trucks
Language	English