Mystery engine component

[Tim+]

I was at an agricultural museum the other day looking at a very early Ferguson tractor engine (1937 I think) and there was an odd component on he side of the engine I couldn’t identify and it’s causing me sleepless nights. Okay, not really, but it’s bugging me a bit.

It’s the oblique pot shaped device with the brass “tap handle”. The spout-like part that is sticking out towards me is blanked off. It’s not a water pipe connection.

I did wonder if it might be some sort of grease pot (recharged by undoing the bolt at the top) to lubricate the drive chain/gear for the magneto and speed governor (on the other side of the engine).

Tim

[Chris Green]

It definitely looks like some sort of greaser, the sort where you give it 'half a turn, once a day'. I have one (rather bigger, and vertical) which greases the prop shaft on my little river cruiser.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

The pot diameter seems too large for that, and the tap shaft has a compression seal around it. Both of which suggest to me - water.

[Adrian]

In message [e-mail].n et>, Tim+ [e-mail]> writes

I've no idea either. Are you happy for me to post this elsewhere where there are old engine nuts ?

Adrian

[Fredxx]

Although it may be being used as a greaser I think it has been repurposed from its original designed use. The angle and appendages are also a give away.

[Tim+]

Of course. How can I stop you? ;-)

Tim

[Tim+]

Why wouldn’t a greaser have a seal? I don’t suppose that in such an early machine (one of the first Ferguson tractors) they would have made their own tap fittings. I imagine they would have used an off the shelf plumbing fitting.

But what possible purpose would a water fitting have there?

Tim

[Andy Burns]

several photos/videos of Ferguson-Brown Model-A seem to show the same diagonal pot with brass valve, so I don;t think it's a one-off repurposed item.

[Chris Green]

They'll be Whitworth of course......

[Adrian]

I've had a suggestion that it might be a self cleaning oil filter, which is a new one on me.

"You turn the 'tap' to scrape crud off the strainer which you drain out of the spigot on the bottom. "

Adrian

[Sam Plusnet]

But you'd need a 3/8ths Gripley.

[wasbit]

That was my first thought. It looks the right shape & size for an oil filter.

[Andrew]

It must be an OEM part because the same thing can just be seen on this website

[Tim+]

The positioning of the spigot would certainly fit with it being used to drain crud into a jug or similar. Just not sure how effective any sort of self cleaning filter would be at cleaning the oil though.

Tim

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Coolant drain valve - A strange arrangement though.