The Steamboating Forum

The gentleman I bought my engine from has given me an oiler for it.
It’s identical to the one in the fuzzy photo attached, which BTW is also on a Mumford auxiliary engine very similar to mine.
What are these oilers called and are they any good?
Many thanks as always
Ian

For regular lubrication while running, not really. For an occasional shot of oil when working hard or when backing off after a hard run, useful.

As a way to get a bunch of preservative lubrication into the cylinder when laying up at the end of a season, great. Maybe even beats pulling the head off each Fall as I do now.

Thanks, and does it have a particular name?
Best wishes
Ian

They're (very) commonly called "Fat Ladies" in the UK.

You can drop in a little (and I mean "a little") oil in after warming the engine and before starting, then maybe give another small shot at lunch time, and a final dollop when shutting down. The fat part of the oiler can have a much smaller quantity of oil in it than its full capacity, but filling it fully at shut-down could be sensible. If you do not use superheating to any extent, that will probably be enough lubrication for the cylinder on its own, and indeed many UK steamboaters use nothing else. You can always reduce the interval between oilings if you think it's necessary, but experience suggests that's unlikely.

Excellent, thank you.
I think a fat lady on board would be rather fun !!!
Regards
Ian

I have seen these on some boats here in Pennsylvania. Used as recommended in the previous posts. Be careful to always keep at least one cock shut, more than once I have seen the top cock open, then the bottom one is opened to lubricate the cylinder, but instead giving a spray of hot oil all over the boat. I know this is obvious, but mistakes do happen.

Bound too !