[SEL] Breather Holes in General

[Richard Allen]

On many of the machines I have worked with and owned that were meant to
be used out-of-doors had breather holes with a cotter pin inserted
through them. The fit of the pin was always a bit loose, say 1/8-inch
pin in a 9/64-inch hole and the legs bent so that the pin was also free
to slide back and forth about 1/4-inch or so. Where rain could get in
there was usally a rain cover of some sort over the breather. The idea
was that the vibration from the machine in use would give enough motion
to the cotter pin to disturb and dislodge any dust buildup that would
otherwise plug the breather hole. The first machines I saw that used
this scheme were made by Caterpillar, which had the breathers for the
transmission, clutch compartment, brakes, etc., equipped this way. I
never saw it used on Caterpillar fuel caps, though, but it wouldn't
have hurt a bit!

If any of you are old enough to have read the now-classic Earthworm
Tractor stories in The Saturday Evening Post, as well as see the also
classic 1940 movie by the same name starring Joe E. Brown, a cranky
misbehaving engine was cured in one episode by removing dirt from the
breather hole in the fuel cap! Of course what it needed was a cotter
pin through it!

Work and play safely,


Rich

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