Vehicle Lubrication Markings

[Simon Daymond]

was it ever common practise to write on certain parts of a vehicle things such as 'oil', capless bulb etc? Reason I ask, is that today I steam cleaned the militant in an attempt to remove excess flaky paint. On doing so, on the number plate light top and convoy light top I exposed signwriting, which reads 'capless bulb'. On the rear bogie pivet tube, the word 'oil' was clearly painted next to the filler plug. The ends of the rear bogie were blue, but could this just be a manufacturer primer?

[fv1609]

Simon I can only speak for postwar. But even today the Regulations require "The lubricant to be used for gear boxes, transfer and/or auxiliary gear boxes and axles is to be clearly marked on such assemblies as near as possible to the filler plug ie OEP220, OMD330 etc. Markings are to be in white paint except on those rear axles which are painted white for convoy purposes where the marking is to be in black paint."

 

Earlier there had been a requirement to mark the location of the radiator drain plug, which really should be pretty obvious I would have thought.

 

"Capless bulb", whatever that means, may well have been to avoid people trying to fit the wrong type of bulb & causing damage given that they might not be too skilled if they were unable to locate a filler plug. Although the type of oil to be used would have been more helpful!

[Simon Daymond]

thanks for that, I could clearly make out the ord 'oil', but there was other writing which I could not, most likely this was an indication of the type of oil to be used.