What is This Thing: Decoding Mysteries on Online Communities

“What is This Thing” is an online community where the second group of people can be found. Nearly 2 million members of this subreddit help each other identify things that seem mysterious or peculiar. These items range from old lampposts to obscure mechanical parts, each one sparking curiosity and debate.

A Modern Marvel of Mystery

Ah, that my friend is the latest and greatest in perplexing perplexities, a modern marvel of mystery! It is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, disguised as a puzzle and sprinkled with a dash of bewilderment. In simpler terms, I have absolutely no idea. But isn't it fascinating?

Common Theories

I would guess it’s the base of an old lamppost or streetlight possibly, or some type of electric switch system depending on how large and how old it is. It looks like it’s made of concrete. F10 probably doesn’t mean a plane; it probably simply means a model number for some type of electric device. The label in the upper right seems to say 'Yeager,' which might be one of these products:

If the system is still running, it can be illegal to tamper with them and sometimes dangerous in more ways than one.

A Closer Look

It appears to be a small engine block with a crankshaft and studs for the missing cylinder and head assemblies. I cannot tell if there is a connecting rod still attached or not, nor do I see a piston head in the photograph. What does the other side of the block look like?

Definitely a horizontal engine block, you can see the crankshaft and at the bottom is the oil sump. The studs retain either a cylinder jug or the cylinder head itself. The casting possibly says Yanmar, who made several small horizontal engines, but not sure of that. That is a crankshaft for sure – I worked in an auto machine shop years ago and ground hundreds of them!

Clues and Insights

If you could provide a clearer photo and/or tell us what is printed on the case, we may be able to help. It is certainly a crank case but from what I can gather, it could be an engine or a pump.

Thanks to the sharp eye of Mr. John Beaty, who read “Yanmar” on the side of the block, I think that there is little chance that it is anything but an old Yanmar F10 10hp Diesel motor. I found this video on YouTube where they are actually overhauling one, very similar if not identical to the one pictured.

Join us in this fascinating journey of uncovering mysteries, where curiosity and knowledge converge. Together, we can decode the enigmatic and unravel the peculiarities of the world around us.