Hot Rods Strange glass bottle on firewall

I just picked up a 31 A for my grandson and to work on, can anyone tell me what this thing is and what it is for?

 

Typically when I see a firewall or inner fender mounted jar that isn’t a windshield sprayer it turns a out to be… well I don’t really know what they are called lol, guys basically put marvel mystery oil in them and it syphons into the carb.

seems a little jc Whitney do dad to me but the oil does work so hey why not.

The photos are a little hard for me to see but it does look like it has a line to the carb and it’s above where the stock fuel filter is so I don’t think it would be a good position for a non stick fuel filter

Be curious to find out what it is as well


If it wasn’t glass I would
Guess it’s an auto pulse fuel pump

 

Pre-oiler?

 

top oiler?

 

One a buddy ran for a while on his car.

I still think it looks like a fuel pump but I can’t find anything that looks like that and has a glass bowl

 

I've mentioned this many times, but just keep thinking back to when.
When my head could just see the counters in the gas stations, flat heads were prevalent.
Father, Uncle, and Stepdad, all were involved, one way or the other, with gas stations.
Learning to read, I asked what is valvetop oil?
Years later I understood how the flathead does not get its valves bathed in oil, as do OHVs
But rather, just bathed in fire.

 

Does it have a glass dome at the top with a curved brass tube inside? Is the glass held in place with a couple J bolts? Curious as I have two top oilers like that. Hard to tell from pics.

 

What 1952Henry says

 

bigger picture. always hit that "full image" button to avoid thumbnails.

 

Used to add lead replacement goop while the engine is running. If it has a sightglass after the needle valve, 1 drop every 30 seconds at idle. Diesel works fine in these.

 

Does it look like these? Best I can discern, these are from early 30s.

 

Yes sir, the one on the left, this 31 was parked in an agricultural building since 52 so surprising they were adding this stuff on in the 50’s?

 

I have a small collection of these. A few NOS. The literature of one has the newest cat application as a 54. Another, newest car as 33or 34. Glass on that one has turned purple. An Allstate NoS ki has literature dated 52. I believe various makes /designs go back to the 30s from what I’ve seen

 

The coupe was originally sold in California and brought to northern Utah in the late 30’s. The farmer I bought it from said it was always there, so the purpose is to keep the valves lubed? I want to just drive it all original so I will probably just plug the ports internally so she’s stays the way it came out of the barn.

 

Mainly for valves. I have a NOS Ampco vacuum plate for my flathead V8 carb. It has the tubing and fittings so it would draw through that. Heck, fill it with MMO, after a cleaning, and let your banger munch on that.

 

Snake oil dispenser.