How do I keep the oil bath from falling off the intake muffler?

[joeceretti]

I have a 38 Sixty Special. The oil bath and filter fell off today. Didn't do any significant damage, luckily! The second I heard the noise I shut the engine off and coasted into a parking lot. Got it back on and limped home with oil splashed up clogging the filter material, starving the engine for air. Cleaned with kerosene now and all should be good.

The nut on top is bullet shaped. It's tricky to get it tightened securely. I'm worried it's going to fall off again and next time get into the fan blades.

How do I get it tight and keep it there until I actually want to take it off?

Joe Ceretti

[Steve Passmore]

It should not have a nut Joe.  Its a wing nut with a long shaft and a thread on the bottom to catch the braket above the generator.   Chances are the wings have broken off in the past making it difficult to use now.  The clamp around your carb should have held though, is that missing?

[joeceretti]

Sorry, not a nut. A threaded rod with a bolt head, but bolt head bullet shaped. Definitely never had any wings. The entire muffler didn't fall off. Just the filter canister and the oil bath chamber below it. The muffler and crank case venitlation tube are nice and tight.

I used a small sheet of rubber to wrap on the "bullet" and some vicegrips and gently tightened it down. I *think* it should hold. I will check it regularly. Here's a photo showing the offending piece.

I'm learning something new every day.

Joe Ceretti

[Steve Passmore]

Completely the wrong fitting Joe, its should be a wing nut head which is easy to tighten. Ask on this forum if anyone has a spare.

[harry s]

Joe, Looks like you are missing the support bracket that attaches to each of the generator bolts. The bracket has a horizontal slot that the bottom of the oil bath reservoir slides into.    Harry

[joeceretti]

Joe, Looks like you are missing the support bracket that attaches to each of the generator bolts. The bracket has a horizontal slot that the bottom of the oil bath reservoir slides into.    Harry

Can you take a photo of what it should be like? I'd love to get it back to the way it should be.

[Glen]

From the April 1938 Cadillac Serviceman