TO MY UNCLE

ERNEST F. MCCARTHY

A PIONEER AUTOMOBILE DESIGNER AND CONSTRUCTOR

THIS TREATISE IS INSCRIBED

IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION OF PRACTICAL AID

AND MECHANICAL INSTRUCTION

GIVEN AT A TIME IT WAS MOST NEEDED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Defining Trend of Modern Practice-Explaining Components of Motor

Cars and Considering Functions of Each Group of Mechanism—

Parts of Typical Pleasure Car Chassis-Assembling Typical Chassis

-Arrangement of Truck Parts-Wind Resistance and Body De-

sign-Classification of Motor-Car Types-Utility of Three-Wheel

Tractor-Advantages in Three-Wheel Construction-Two-Wheel

and Four-Wheel Drive Trucks-Light Cars and Cycle Cars-Agri-

cultural Automobiles or Gas Tractors-Automobile Plow

PAGES

43-99

CHAPTER II

How Power is Generated-Forms of Power Plants Commonly Used-

Two- and Four-Cycle Engine Action-How the Gasoline Engine

Works-Internal Combustion Motor Parts and Their Functions-

Typical Single-Cylinder Engines Described-Sequence of Cycles in

One and Two-Cylinder Engines-Sequence of Cycles with Multiple-

Cylinder Engines-Actual Duration of Strokes-Typical Engine

Types Described-Features of Knight Slide-Valve Motor-Action of

Poppet Valve Motor Described-Operating Principles of Two-Cycle

Engines-Two-Port Two-Cycle Motor Action-How Three-Port Two-

Cycle Engine Operates-Action of Differential Piston Two-Cycle

Motor-Why Two-Cycle Motor is Not Widely Used in Automobiles

-Power-Plant Installation-Three-Point Support-Unit Power-

Plant Advantages

100-142

CHAPTER III

The Principal Parts of Gasoline Engines, Their Design, Construction,

and Application-Methods of Cylinder Construction-Influence of

Crankshaft Design-Combustion-Chamber Design-Bore and Stroke

Ratio-Meaning of Piston Speed-Advantages of Offset Cylinders

-Influence of Cylinder Construction on Engine Design-Valve Lo-

cation of Vital Import-Separable Head Motors-Valve Design and

Construction-Valve Operation Means-Methods of Driving Cam-

shaft-Spur Camshaft Gearing-Silent Chain Camshaft Drive-

Valve Springs-Piston and Rotary Valve Motors-The Valveless

Miesse Engine-The Itala Rotary Valve Motor-The Reynolds Ro-

tary Valve Design-Cylindrical and Conical Rotary Valves-The

Sphinx Ring-Valve Motor-Darracq Rotary Distributor Valve-The

Hewitt Piston-Valve Motor-Valve Timing-Causes of Blowing

Back-Lead Given Exhaust Valve-Exhaust Closing, Inlet Open-

ing-Closing the Inlet Valve-Time of Ignition-Typical Valve-

Timing Diagrams Outlined-Unconventional Poppet Valve Arrange-

ment-The Fischer Slide Valve Motor .

PAGES

143-213

CHAPTER IV

Constructional Details of Pistons-Methods of Wristpin Retention-Pis-

ton-Ring Construction-Connecting-Rod Forms-Camshaft Forms

-Crankshaft Types Outlined—Typical Built-up Crankshaft-Two-

Cylinder Crankshaft-Types for Four- and Six-Cylinder Engines-

Ball-Bearing Crankshafts-Flywheel Construction and Retention

-Utility of Fan-Blade Form Spokes-Marking Flywheel Rim to

Indicate Valve Timing-Engine-Base Construction Outlined-Barrel

Type Crankcase-Divided Crankcases-Typical Two-Cycle Motors

-The Amplex Power Plant-The Legros Design-Features of Coté

Differential Piston Motor-The Rayner Construction-Conventional

Four-Cycle Power Plants-Cyclecar Power Plants

CHAPTER V

214-263

Defining Liquid Fuels Used and Methods of Vaporizing to Obtain Ex-
plosive Gas-Distillates of Crude Petroleum-Benzol and Its Prop-
erties-Special Vaporizers Needed for Kerosene—Advantages of Al-
cohol-Solid Gasoline as Fuel-Principles of Carburetion Outlined
-What a Carburetor Should Do-Methods of Carrying Fuels in
Automobiles-Gravity-Feed Systems-Gasoline Supply by Pressure
-Fuel Supply by Pump-Early Vaporizer Forms-Wick Carbu-
retor Construction-Filtering or Bubbling Vaporizers-Marine
Type Mixing Valves-Development of Float-Feed Carburetor—
Elements of Carburetor Design-Mixing Chamber Forms-Problem
of Float-Bowl Design-Gasoline Spray Nozzle Forms Important—
Typical Auxiliary Air Valves-Methods of Gas-Supply Regulation
-Use of Automatic Governor-Construction of Modern Carbu-
retors-Schebler Models-Kingston Carburetor-Holley Carburetor
Features Features of Mercedes Carburetor-Chapin Carburetor De-
sign-Excelsior Carburetor Construction-Pierce-Arrow Vaporizer
-Grouvelle and Arquemburg Mixing Device-Peerless Carburetor
and Induction Manifold-Breeze Automatic Carburetor Features-