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Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:31 pm
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?

Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:50 pm
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.

Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:10 pm
by Mike Wilson
The tabs are bent over on the heater boxes to hold it in place.

Mike

Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:34 pm
by Jim Breazeale
Usually falls off in the first month of installation or from when the car was new.

Re: MYSTERY SHEET METAL 356 MOTOR

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:37 am
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!

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:08 am
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.

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:21 am
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?

Mike

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:23 pm
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

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 2:56 pm
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.

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 3:01 pm
by James Davies
Тhe image below shows the location. Taken from the 1956 Workshop Manual.

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 4:16 pm
by David Jones
Here's a picture of one in place.

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:07 pm
by Paul Hatfield
Here is mine-

Re: Mystery Sheet Metal on 356 Motor

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 8:01 pm
by Mike Wilson
Roger, let me add that the reproduction heat shields I have installed all needed to be trimmed to fit.

Mike