Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

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Roger Craig
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Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#1 Post by Roger Craig »

THE PIECE OF SHEET METAL SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED PHOTO IS A KIND OF MYSTERY TO ME.
WHERE DOES IT FASTEN IN AND WHAT DOES IT DO? ANY IDEAS?
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_DSC8521 - Copy.JPG

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David Jones
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Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

#2 Post by David Jones »

Heat shield, goes across the heater duct outlet channels to hopefully shield some heat from the muffler to the oil pump area.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
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Mike Wilson
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Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

#3 Post by Mike Wilson »

The tabs are bent over on the heater boxes to hold it in place.

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Jim Breazeale
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Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

#4 Post by Jim Breazeale »

Usually falls off in the first month of installation or from when the car was new.
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Vic Skirmants
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Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

#5 Post by Vic Skirmants »

Jim Breazeale wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:34 pm Usually falls off in the first month of installation or from when the car was new.
It was many years after acquiring my first 356 that I found out those existed!

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David Jones
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#6 Post by David Jones »

The real question is, does it accomplish anything when it is installed? I bought replacements from Ab Tiedeman and installed them and cannot say with any kind of certainty that it made one iota of difference. To be honest I am not even sure they are still attached having forgotten they exist.
Last edited by David Jones on Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mike Wilson
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#7 Post by Mike Wilson »

Good question, David. I do have one on my engine but I wonder when and why Porsche started installing them and when and why they stopped. Were they installed on the 912's?

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Roger Craig
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#8 Post by Roger Craig »

THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS. SOUNDS LIKE A CURIOUS THING TO PURSUE. BUT I GOT A NEW ONE FROM STODDARDS. STODDARDS SAYS THE ARE ALSO FOR THE 912! FROM THE COMMENTS I STILL AM NOT CLEAR EXACTLY WHERE IT GOES. IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE CURVE IN THE ITEM THAT IT MUST FIT SOMEWHAT LIKE WHERE I SHOW IT. DOES ANYONE HAVE A PICTURE OF IT IN SITU? OR MAYBE ANY FACTORY INFORMATION ON IT?

ROGER

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James Davies
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#9 Post by James Davies »

Mike Wilson wrote: Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:21 am I wonder when and why Porsche started installing them and when and why they stopped.
It was used from the beginning. This "middle motor cover plate" comes from the VW Beetle, and the early Porsches used the same engine block and the same cover plate. With the 3-piece case, the Porsche "middle motor cover plate" grew longer, as the heater boxes became narrower at the back.

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James Davies
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#10 Post by James Davies »

Тhe image below shows the location. Taken from the 1956 Workshop Manual.
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David Jones
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#11 Post by David Jones »

Here's a picture of one in place.
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21FE20F7-42D0-4D6C-9158-8E99BECC1704_1_201_a.jpeg
Last edited by David Jones on Thu Apr 14, 2022 8:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Paul Hatfield
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#12 Post by Paul Hatfield »

Here is mine-
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Mike Wilson
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Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

#13 Post by Mike Wilson »

Roger, let me add that the reproduction heat shields I have installed all needed to be trimmed to fit.

Mike
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