Chapter I: Introduction

The development of the gasoline automobile at home and abroad has produced a great variety of designs, good, bad, and indifferent, but the advancement of the industry has weeded out the unsatisfactory and improved the good until with few exceptions the leading makes show a striking similarity in all but details. The advantages of certain forms of construction have been recognized, and their adoption by the large majority of makers has produced what may be called a standard type.

The object of this book is to explain the principles that underlie automobile construction and operation, and to illustrate the movements and mechanical combinations adopted in present-day practice. It is not the intention to explain the exact details of construction of the different cars, and the illustrations have been prepared with the sole object of making the principles clear, for with an understanding of these there should be no difficulty in comprehending any particular application of them.

The lubrication table on pages 244 and 245, which was prepared by Mr. T. D. Hanauer, is reproduced through the courtesy of the _Scientific American_.

* * * * *

The advantages of magneto ignition for internal combustion engines are so obvious that designers and inventors have directed their attention to the perfection of apparatus that will improve present methods. The number of systems proposed for the purpose is very large in comparison with the number in actual and practical use, and as in a work of this size it would be impossible to describe the many methods for the application of the magneto that are on the market, attention has been given only to those that are in actual, everyday use. The absence of a practical treatise on the principles, application, and care of low and high tension magnetos is the reason for the addition of the appendix to this work.

R. B. W.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

GASOLINE-ENGINE PRINCIPLES

PAGES

Properties of gases—Steam-engine principles—Gasoline-engine
principles—Combustion and explosion—Events of cycle—Four-cycle
and two-cycle engines—Strokes of cycle—Fly wheel—Valves—Inlet
stroke—Inlet valve closing—Compression-combustion stroke—Advantages
of compression—Instant of ignition—Advancing and retarding
ignition—Limit of compression—Power stroke—Heat losses—Opening of
exhaust valve—Exhaust stroke—Clearance—Back pressure—Steam and
Gasoline engines compared—Gasoline—engine power 1-19

CHAPTER II

ENGINE PARTS

Crank shaft—Crank-shaft bearings—Relative position
of cranks—Connecting rod—Wrist pin—Piston and piston
rings—Automatically and mechanically operated valves—Cams
and cam shaft—Secondary shaft—Two-to-one gears—Valve-lifter
rod—Valve locations—Muffler—Engine cooling—Cooling by
Water—Pumps—Radiators—Pressure and gravity systems—Cooling by
air—Lubrication 20-36

CHAPTER III

ENGINE BALANCE

Vibrations of engine—One-cylinder engine—Horizontal
double-opposed—Two-cylinder vertical—Four-cylinder—Firing
order—Balance of three- and six-cylinder engines—Comparison of engine
types 37-46

CHAPTER IV

TWO-CYCLE ENGINES

Principle—Construction—Ports—Cycle—Action—Advantages and
disadvantages 47-51

CHAPTER V

CARBURETION AND GASOLINE FEEDS

Carburetion—Carburetor—Carburetor parts—Carburetor action—Necessity
for auxiliary air—Auxiliary air inlet—Automatic and mechanically
controlled air inlet—Carburetors with side and central
mixing chambers—Mechanically controlled carburetor—Surface
carburetors—Gravity feed—Pressure feed—Check and relief valve 52-73

CHAPTER VI

IGNITION

Ignition system—Electric current—Parts of ignition system—Flow
of current—Conductors and insulators—Resistance—Measurements of
current—Lead and return wires—Grounding the return—Generators—Dry
cell—Storage cell—Electrolyte—Hydrometer—Battery connections:
series, parallel and multiple—Magnetism—Magnets—Magnetic
lines of force—Magnetic field—Field and armature—Magneto and
dynamo—Switch—Switch parts 74-90

CHAPTER VII

IGNITION—(_Continued_)

Ignition systems—Make-and-break
system—Igniter—Tappet—Connections—Primary induction coil—Action of
coil—Induced current—Magneto—Jump-spark system—Secondary induction
coil—Primary and secondary circuits—Timers—Mechanical and magnetic
vibrators—Spark plug—Circuit—Condenser—Secondary distributer 91-111

CHAPTER VIII

TRANSMISSION

Transmission parts—Clutches—Friction-cone clutch—Reversed
friction-cone clutch—Multiple disk clutch—Internal expanding
clutch—Change-speed mechanisms—Sliding gear: progressive and
selective types—Use of clutch in changing gear 112-131

CHAPTER IX

TRANSMISSION—(_Continued_)

Planetary type of change-speed mechanism—Individual clutch—Friction
type—Final drive—Turning the direction of the power—Bevel
gears—Single-chain drive—Propeller-shaft drive—Universal
joints—Live axle—Floating axle—Torsion rod—Double-chain
drive—Jack shaft—Differential—Bevel-gear differential—Spur-gear
differential—Driving-gear ratios 132-160

CHAPTER X

RUNNING GEAR

Steering—Front axle—Steering knuckles and arms—Drag link—Steering
principles—Steering mechanisms—Brakes: contracting and
expanding—Brakes: single- and double-acting—Running brake—Emergency
brake—Engine as a brake—Brake equalizer—Tires—Tire construction—Tire
inflation—Skidding—Antiskid devices—Springs—Shock absorbers—Distance
rods 161-178

CHAPTER XI

TROUBLES

Ignition—Circuit—Battery—Magneto—Coil—Spark
plug—Igniter—Timer—Secondary
distributer—Switch—Gasoline—Tank—Carburetor—Compression—
Cooling—Freezing—Lubrication
179-202

CHAPTER XII

LOCATING TROUBLE

Make-and-break ignition—Jump-spark ignition—Carburetor—Engine will
not start—Engine will not deliver full power—Weak explosions—Missing
explosions—Missing at high speed—Engine starts well, but comes to a
stop—Overheating—Engine comes to a stop—Noises 203-219

CHAPTER XIII

MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION

Inspection—Washing the car—Tires—Care of the engine—Care of the
chains—Valve grinding—Care of the steering mechanism—Care of the
springs—Adjusting the vibrators—Matching coils—Adjusting the
carburetor—Setting the valves—Ignition wiring 220-242

LUBRICATION TABLE 244-245