The red cast housing is the fire pump primer pump/controller. It's job is to allow truck engine vacuum to be used to purge the air out of the suction side of the main pump as well as the draft hoses. The controller has a float assembly that prevents pond water from being sucked into the engine once the pond water reaches the main pump...just like a carburetor float/needle seat valve. New fire engines use electrically driven primer pumps as diesel engines don't make vacuum, so all that stuff is obsolete now.
Like John said, you can/should remove all of that to clean up the engine bay...I'm sure there is someone in the world that would take that stuff off your hands, but it's probably not worth what it would cost to ship it.
Can't thank y'all enough! Yeah I can't wait to get the old 401m running. We have 90% of the pump stuff off just actuator and block under carb to go. Whoever removed the old bed and other components done a sloppy job lot of hot wires were cut and left hanging so really want to take care of the loose ends before throwing power to the system. (Dont want to call a new fire truck out for my old one lol). It really makes me feel a lot better about those parts though. I am going in a somewhat rat rod direction so some of the brass components may get polished up and find new purpose. (Kind of seeing that brass tube turned into a light bar). Again can't thank yall enough. Peggy M has been a huge help and made me feel welcome.
Thank you sir! Between you and John yall have answered more than two weeks of internet searches and even harassing all my mechanic buddies at the penske shop we use. I'm probably going to save the Brass components and repurpose them somehow but just scrap the rest. I was telling John now it's just getting the last few bits off and chasing down the wires they left hanging and getting all that squared away. Again thanks so much now I can have a clear conscience about not trashing something and get down to business.
I've got an American LaFrance pumper on a 61 GMC pug nose chassis. It's running the 401 V6 and a direct drive 5th. gear Clark transmission. Since the tank has a big hole rusted in it and most of the plumbing is missing, I've got plans to remove the fire bed and replace the driveline mounted pump with a 3 speed Brownie transmission. That will give me 15 forward speeds including overdrive in 5th. and maybe slightly better gas mileage- - - -from outrageously bad to merely horrible, probably! I'll install a commercial 5th. wheel and a goose neck trailer hitch, and pull any trailer I feel like backing up to! That project is about 10th. in line right now! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
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