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If the pilot light will not burn with a blue flame it might be caused by some of the screws leaking or the flush
valve might not be closed tightly enough. On the old style pilot lights the little hole in the nozzle may become too
large. This can be remedied by peening it over with a light hammer. This will not happen, however, to the later pilot
lights, owing to the difference of having a graded valve. The older model pilot lights will be turned on full with one
half turn of the regulating valve. With the later ones from Naught Seven it may be necessary to open the regulating
valve from one to four turns in order to have a sufficient flame. A corroded flame spreader might cause a red flame.
The pilot light should be removed and this brushed off occasionally. A very common cause for a pilot light burning
with a red flame is not having it heated enough to vaporize properly. Pilot lights have been condemned as worthless
when all that was wrong with them was that they were not heated enough in starting.
When flushing the pilot light, feed just enough to fill drip cup inside of the shell. If an excessive amount of
fuel is turned into the drip cup upon becoming hot it changes to gas faster than it can pass up through the shell,
consequently the flame flares outside. During the time of flaring outside it is not heating the pilot light vaporizer
inside. The pilot light should be heated and made to burn blue without any flame outside the shell. Much quicker
results can thus be obtained. Always leave regulating valve open when putting up car for the night. Contraction of the
metals while cooling is apt to spoil the needle valve seat. On older models it may enlarge the hole in the nozzle. In
later models, the graded needle on the end of the valve stem may be seized by the walls of the nozzle orifice and the
result will be that it will twist off when the valve is opened.
If the front wheels are not parallel the tires have a tendency to run at an angle and hence slip some if the
wheel is running in a straight line. This condition makes it difficult to steer a car and also wears the front tires very
rapidly. In order to check up the steering gear to see if the front wheels are parallel the distance should be measured
from felloe to felloe on the front side of the wheel at the centerline. Then measure the distance at the backside
diametrically opposite. Supposing the distance in the front is one fourth of an inch less than the rear measurement.
This shows that the wheels are turned in, in front. The remedy is to lengthen the tie rod between the steering knuckles.
It seems to be a very common thing to neglect the lubrication of all the steering gear joints, consequently the
wear is greater than it should be and a sum of the resistance of all these joints is enough to make a car steer very hard.
If front tires are soft it makes a car steer hard. (For the proper pressure on tires see table issued by some reputable tire
company.)
A broken ball or a rough cup or cone will cause a grinding sound in the rear axle. In a case of this kind an
examination should be made before the bearing cuts itself to, pieces. A good way to test for this condition is to jack
up the car and spin the wheels by hand. The chances are that any roughness in the bearings can be detected in this
way. Care should be taken that the rear wheels are not allowed to become loose. This is caused by the nut on the end
of the axle shaft not being sufficiently tight or by the omission of a cotter pin. CAUTION: In replacing the rear axle
wheels be sure that the lugs on the axle cone are in place in the slots in the rear wheel hub. If this is not done the cone
may screw inward on the axle shaft and lock the axle.
A great many cases of engine vibration are laid to the rear axle, owing to the fact that it appears to be there.
One should be very sure before taking any steps either way whether it is the engine or the axle.
On the Naught Five and Naught Six cars the torsion bar spring sometimes allowed to become loose or weak.
This permits too much motion of the bar making a bumping noise in the rear system, with each stroke of the engine,
more particularly on slow heavy pulling.
31
PILOT LIGHT BURNS RED
PRECAUTIONS
CAR STEERS HARD
IF THE REAR AXLE GRATES OR GRINDS
VIBRATION
(See Engine Vibration)
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