ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TUNING HINTS
The average car owner usually fights shy of the electrical system. This
deserves attention when overhauling the car, as well as any other part
of the car, and a few simple precautions will go a long way toward
eliminating electrical troubles.
The entire electrical system should be gone over. One of the most
important things demanding inspection is the wiring. It often happens
that the insulation becomes chafed or worn, through contact with other
parts of the car. It is, therefore, important to look over the wiring
very carefully. Where there is any doubt as to the insulation being
insufficient, new wires should be used. This eliminates the possibility
of there being an accidental ground, or short circuit, rendering a part
or the entire system inoperative.
All terminals should be gone over to determine whether they are clean
and tight. This is especially true of the terminals on the storage
battery, and at the point where the battery is grounded to the frame of
the car if it is a single wire system.
The connections between the storage battery and the starting motor
should be clean and free from corrosion. If these connections are not
tight and clean, improper performance of the starting motor is the
result.
Apply a small amount of vaseline to the battery terminals for
protection of the metal from the action of the acid fumes and
prevention of corrosion. It is well to have the battery inspected by a
battery specialist and any necessary repairs taken care of.
Distributor and relay points should be examined to see if they are
pitted or burned. If they are, they should be smoothed down with a fine
platinum file and adjusted to the proper gap. It is essential that the
contact points meet squarely. If this is not done burning and pitting
will result.
The generator and starting motor commutator should be examined for
undue wear and high mica. It may be necessary in order to insure good
performance that the commutator be turned down in a lathe and the mica
undercut.
The brushes should be properly seated by careful sanding. This is
especially necessary when the commutator is turned down. It is
desirable to have three-quarters of the brush face bearing on the
commutator. This can be determined by examination of the glazed area on
the brush after running a short time.
Should the starter drive be of the bendix type, the threaded shaft and
pinion should be cleaned, and any grease which has hardened should be
removed.
Lamps should be examined. Dim and burned out lamps should be replaced.
All connections of the lighting and ignition switch should be
inspected. It should be noted whether the terminals are touching,
or nearly touching. If any wires are rubbing thus, entailing the
possibility of a short circuit or ground, they should be fixed.
Electric cables that rub on sharp edges of the battery box will
soon wear through the insulation from vibration of the car and a
short circuit will occur that may be hard to find. Such parts of the
wire should be well protected with adhesive tape and should be also
frequently inspected.
High tension currents are very hard to control, and a short or leakage
often occurs where the wire is cramped. The center wire works or wears
through the rubber insulation causing the current to jump to the
nearest metal part. This kind of trouble is especially hard to locate
as the outer surface of the braided insulation does not show the break.
It is a good plan to examine the wiring for short circuits occasionally
in this manner. When putting the car in at night, close the garage
door and turn out the lights, running the motor at various speeds and
gently moving each wire. If there are any short or grounded circuits a
brilliant spark will jump at the defective point.