25 replies to this topic

[David Birchall]

A friend who is rebuilding a Bentley 6 1/2 is looking for a fuel tap--it was probably not a Bentley original part-more likely borrowed from commercial or marine use.  Any one seen something like this:

 

Edited by David Birchall, 14 January 2020 - 19:47.

[arttidesco]

Seen on #TX3246 a 4 1/2 litre....

 

 

... I am afraid I have no idea where you might find one IIRC Stanley Mann is the go to person for all things vintage Bentley ;-)

[Ralf Pickel]

Sorry to say that, but Stanley Mann died a few years ago and his company no longer exists.

 

But I would either try http://vintagebentley.com or http://www.ndr.ltd.uk/index.php - they should be able to help.

[arttidesco]

Sorry to say that, but Stanley Mann died a few years ago and his company no longer exists.

 

 

Doh ! Sorry that passed me by Ralf 

 

 

These taps seem quite common here they are on another 4 1/2 litre (recreation ?) I saw in Duesseldorf recently ;-)

Edited by arttidesco, 15 January 2020 - 09:07.

[Ralf Pickel]

No problem, Ralf ! 

 

I think contacting one of the specialists I did mention above should provide a source.

[David Birchall]

Thank you for the responses-the usual suppliers want two thousand quid for one of these--hence the request! 

[arttidesco]

Thank you for the responses-the usual suppliers want two thousand quid for one of these--hence the request! 

 

Sometimes I think I might have missed my calling ! 

 

I guess I won't be trading up from my Millenial Japanese Hairdriers Roadster to a Vintage Bentley for a while yet ;-)

[Ralf Pickel]

Thank you for the responses-the usual suppliers want two thousand quid for one of these--hence the request! 

 

Wow.... maybe a good 3D printer might help in this case...

[Ray Bell]

Or take a mould (mold?) from it and cast and machine it up for yourself...

 

Look at small ball cock taps and see if you can pirate parts from them.

[Dipster]

Or take a mould (mold?) from it and cast and machine it up for yourself...

 

Look at small ball cock taps and see if you can pirate parts from them.

 

 

I did think that such a project would have been the sort of thing that apprentices might have been challenged with in years past. Equally I suspect you could get something very similar from the parts catalogue for one of the older petrol/paraffin fuelled tractors that used gravity feed. I think there must still be support of some kind for the many old tractors still in use around the world.

[D-Type]

I did think that such a project would have been the sort of thing that apprentices might have been challenged with in years past. Equally I suspect you could get something very similar from the parts catalogue for one of the older petrol/paraffin fuelled tractors that used gravity feed. I think there must still be support of some kind for the many old tractors still in use around the world.

Or boats as many have multiple tanks.

Edited by D-Type, 17 January 2020 - 14:31.

[David Birchall]

Thanks for the responses.  The problem seems to be finding a tap that has the intake directly under the lever-so the fluid has to turn 90 degrees.   

[GreenMachine]

Thank you for the responses-the usual suppliers want two thousand quid for one of these--hence the request! 

 

Is originality a requirement?  If not, is a reproduction an option?  At 2k quid, that might be a nice little earner, modern technology should surely allow reproduction with a decent margin 

[Lee Nicolle]

A heap of modern fuel taps out there. A decent industrial or hydraulics shop should have something that will do the job. 

A speedway supplier will also probably help though probably all 3/8 or 1/2. Speedway as many other forms of motorsport have to use them. The one I have has female threads so just use a 90 deg elbow in front of it.

Where it came from I dont know, it was on the car when I got it 26 years ago!

[David Birchall]

Is originality a requirement?  If not, is a reproduction an option?  At 2k quid, that might be a nice little earner, modern technology should surely allow reproduction with a decent margin 

 

I think the two thousand quid ones are repro!  at that price they won't sell more than a couple a year I would think.  Since this is a 6 1/2 Bentley it has to look original.

[Dipster]

I think the two thousand quid ones are repro!  at that price they won't sell more than a couple a year I would think.  Since this is a 6 1/2 Bentley it has to look original.

 

I wonder where WO got them originally?  I doubt they were made specifically for the car. 

[David Birchall]

Dipster:  That is what I am hoping we can figure out! 

[D-Type]

I wonder where WO got them originally?  I doubt they were made specifically for the car. 

Given his background could they be from the Great Western Railway or one of its suppliers?  

[elansprint72]

This is the Birkin team Blower, owned by Bentley Motors. I've asked a contact if he can help, a bit of a long shot given the passage of time.

 

[elansprint72]

Rapid response from my Bentley Engineering contact: "The taps aren’t that special as far as I remember they are standard brass ball valve taps."

 

 

One thing I have discovered this evening: these valves are properly called "petcocks", as an Engineer that was not a term I was familiar with.

 

https://www.bing.com...973749118E9A813

 

The quest goes on!

 

Pete.

Edited by elansprint72, 17 January 2020 - 22:40.

[David Birchall]

Hmm,  Thanks for the photo and the info Peter.  The taps on that Bentley look different to others we have photos of--they may be replica! 

I had searched the net using the term "petccock"--something from my old motorcycling days perhaps...

 

Edit:  It seems that Bentley used different petcocks on the 4 1/2s and 6 1/2s  (absolutely no thought for restorers 90 years later...) 

Edited by David Birchall, 18 January 2020 - 02:42.

[GreenMachine]

I have heard the term 'petcock' before, perhaps in a marine context - contraction of 'petrol cocks' presumably.

 

Those Birkin ones are very different to the ones in the op.  The ones in the op seem a pretty simple CAD/CAM project - remove one, dismantle, scan, import to CAD and fiddle the design to accommodate modern off-the-shelf seals, send it to the multi axis milling etc machine, and after a trip to the industrial supplies shop for the seals you are good to go.  Two thousand quid for the suckers, fifty quid for you (mates rates, as long as I get a drive ).  That would be my OOM cost (guess), there may be more on the other side of the tank that might add complexity/cost though.

 

If you can't find an original supplier, that would be my next step anyway.

 

On the other hand, those Birkin ones look like you could get them on Fleabay … at least the brass part, they seem like a different philosophy separating the bend in the line from the tap.  Sorry, 'petcock'  .

[Bloggsworth]

A couple of those petcocks look a pretty fair match - I would have thought that, as a matter of pragmatism, Bently would have used whatever was available. It might be worth contacting restorers of vintage launches and perhaps traction engines and the like.

[Odseybod]

Given his background could they be from the Great Western Railway or one of its suppliers?  

Great Northern, Shirley?

[D-Type]

Great Northern, Shirley?

Whoops!  I thought it was the Great Western.  

[Odseybod]

Whoops!  I thought it was the Great Western.  

Must confess I had to double-check, in case I was confusing him with Henry Royce who did a stint with the Great Northern at Peterborough.