Why is there a cotter pin

[Bob56]

On the oil pan of my 36 there is a cotter pin. What is this for or what does it do? doesn't seem to be attached to anything

 

[Seth Swoboda]

It's a drain for any oil that would make it into the flywheel housing.

 

[Bored&Stroked]

The idea was for the cotter pin to move/rattle around in the wind such that it keeps the oil drain hole open.

 

[Tim Ayers]

The idea was for the cotter pin to move/rattle around in the wind such that it keeps the oil drain hole open.

This is what I've been told as well. Of course, guess who forget to install it before I mated the engine to the trans?

Yep. This guy

 

[petehoovie]

 

[Fritz]

The pin is there to prevent the hole from clogging. The oil is there to keep the pin from rusting. Its 1930s American engineering.

 

[ssffnomad]

Jiggle Pin

 

[JayChicago]

From-the-factory correct. Typical Henry Ford: low tech, low cost, fully functional.

 

[Flathead Fever]

The fibers from the clutch discs would mix with the oil and plug the hole without that cotter pin spinning around in there toi keep it open. I think those same engineers were still there in the 1980s because my dad bought a new 1982 GT Mustang and it had shield over the exhaust crossover pipe, so that when the rear seal started leaking oil at around 20,000 miles, it would drip onto the shield and then onto ground instead of dipping directly onto the exhaust and burning. In 1983 they went to a one-piece seal and finally fixed the rear seal problem.

The Ford 8N tractors have them too.

 

[Brian]

Heck!, my 8N could do with a few more split pins!!! It leaks copious amounts of oil from all sorts of places. Poor thing, doesn't get the same love as my V8

 

[Bob56]

I continue to learn new things about this car. Thank you everyone