Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana 'For The Automobilist'

I had seen on one of the threads an oil can (glass type) that someone identified as belonging under the hood on an early Automobile and I wondered about that until I read the following. It's from a column called 'For The Automobilist' and was writen in 1910.

'Automobile Row, which is that part of Broadway lying between Fourty-second and Sevety-second Streets is liable to have its asphalt payvement supplanted by wood block pavement some day soon. Automobilists, in which class may be placed everybody from the person who gets a chance to ride in a car, to the owners, manufacturers, and dealers, is pounding away at the city authorities for this change of (base?) and as the means a large majority of the people the demand is apt to be heeded. It is pointed out that the asphalt is injured by the oil and grease that necessarily drips from the running automobiles, and that these little trails of oil and grease are a positive preservative for the wood. Also wood blocks do not wear out so quickly as asphalt, and never, no never do such hugh caverns wear in tham as are found constantly dotting asphalt whereever it may be laid.'

It goes on to say, that 'Decoration Day will witness such a gathering in Indianapolis as was never seen before, for on that day a series of national Chapiolnship races is to be conducted...' and mentions the distributuion of 'a half hundred medals more or less...'

'Oil and grease that necessarily drips...' EGADS! The last time I had a car leave a trail of oil was about 5 years ago. Thank goodness I heard a sound underneath the car and caught a glimpse of the oil plug bouncing on the highway behind me and pulled over before I threw a rod. Thank you AAA!

So oil guys...what was that can of oil kept under the hood used for?

Nicole, there wasn't really an oil can per se. On many early cars there was an oiler, usually 6 to 10 station that fed oil to various engine/trans/chassis locations. Some parts being oiled from the outside. On my 1914 Overland the valve springs are exposed and required regular oiling, oil also leaked from the base of the valves at the crankcase. Coupled with more crude engine case sealing, old cars leaked oil. This wasn't considered a problem as oil helped keep the dust down.
This is not to be confused with an old Triumph I owned which leaked oil so bad I'd just pour it in the driveway and skip the middleman.

Could you elaborate on what you said "there was an oiler, usually 6 to 10 station' What do you mean by 6 to 10 station?

Thanks!

BTW one of my early automobiles, ie early as in my first car, at the end of it's usuable life, I had to top the oil off every week, no leaking, just burning... : (

It would supply oil to 6 to 10 different areas, a more simple car could only use 4 and the more elaborate the setup the more oiling "stations" required. It was usually a drip system. I have one around here somewhere, measures about 10x6x6 inches and has windows so you could see the oil dripping. So however many windows or fittings equals the number of stations, hope that makes sense.

Thanks!

Makes me think about those old trains (last time we were up in Cumberland MD) and all the oil they needed added all the time...

That will give me a good excuse next time I see someone with one of those old cars to ask about the oiling stations. Seriously...any excuse to see an old car up close is alright by me. : ) : ) : )

Another problem with many early autos was "total loss" oiling systems. This had oil circulating thru the engine but not recirculating or filtering. Every so often the driver would purge the system ie.. opening a crankcase valve and letting the
used oil spill out on the roadway. On dirt country roads circa 1910 this was considered good policy to keep the dust down.(Not to be outdone by what the horse left behind}! Some of those old Locomobiles and Simplexs had 10-15 gal oil tanks to keep things flowing.

Thanks,

I can see the dust being a problem for early roadsters but I am guessing more likely that mud was a worse problem. It was because of the mud that winter was the prefered time of travel for colonial era folks either on frozen ground or packed snow, as wheeled, hoof or foot travel on mud was so bad.

BTW Here in Amish country (yes we have them in S. MD), what the horse left behind isn't too bad... : )