73.5 oil tank question

[ossiblue]

My 73.5 came with a front fender oil cooler, plumbed with post 74 hard lines and thermostat. While reading another thread, it was mentioned the 73 had a one year tank. I assumed my tank was changed out to a later model but I don't know.
What can I look for on my tank to know if it is the original, one year only, or a later tank?

Thank in advance.

[Jim Sims]

It will have a expanded metal screen welded over the side facing the wheel; the screen deflects thrown road debris but yet allows some air circulation provided it is kept clean.

[Sunroof]

Ossi

Your probably referring to my "oil past the filter seal" thread on my 1973.5T. If you look at the parts diagrams the tanks before the 73.5T which includes the 73 MFI model had the screwed in oil filter holder. Many resonded to my leak issue coming from the gasket on that unit. The 73.5T came with the tank where the filter holder was welded into the tank body. This I believe was the prototype for the 74 model and beyond.

My car too has the front mounted oil cooler (not trombone) with the giant thermostat mounted in the rear right fender well. I was trying to find out if this was standard factory, a dealer option or aftermarket owner add on, but never found an answer.

If you have a 1973.5T look at the oil filter housing. If its welded on and not screwed on or bolted in, its a 1973.5T tank or newer.

Bob
1973.5T

[RWebb]

looks like we are generating a treatise on these things, so...

here is the expanded - looks "woven" metal screen Jim mentioned

[Sunroof]

Being that the woven shield is removeable, I never thought mine came with a shield although its a great idea. I would think that when they took the body apart for the bare-metal repaint it might have been removed then. Could'nt be too hard to fabricate one.

[Jim Sims]

"My car too has the front mounted oil cooler (not trombone) with the giant thermostat mounted in the rear right fender well. I was trying to find out if this was standard factory, a dealer option or aftermarket owner add on, but never found an answer."

For 1973 the 911 factory external oil cooler thermostat was hung off the front side of the oil tank with metal oil lines going up through the rear wheel arch, along the rocker and then up through the front wheel arch and then through two short lengths of hose to a simple turn around loop (that evolved into the "trombone" in later years) in the front of the passenger side front wheel well. This mounting scheme was only used for the 1973 MY. I would expect that this oil cooling system was not standard on 1973 911T's but could be special ordered or added later. We salvaged most of such a system off a wrecked 1973 911E and mounted on my son's 1973.5 911T when we added air conditioning. The turn around loop was damaged beyond easy repair in the accident that totaled the 911E so we used a later year "trombone" which mounted directly to the 1973 lines without problems.

[ossiblue]

Thanks guys. Mine has the screen attatched and the plumbing is like my 75S, so it looks to be the 73.5 tank.

[RWebb]

more info on these oil tanks:

Oil Tank Repair/Replacement? - 73.5T

Stainless Steel Oil Tank