My engine's got nuts

cjameson · 12:38 AM

literally, I found them sitting at the bottom of the oil breather/oil filler passage

, here are some pics of them:

http://www.flickr.com/gp/12288187@N04/09JJ63

They have a split on the end of them, I tried to show it in the pictures, I thought maybe one of you gurus might know where they go, and if it's catastrophic.

Charles

j.hall · 08-28-2007, 02:25 AM

Are they 10mm? They appear to be the ones that hold the breather on.....was it (the breather) on when you bought the car?
Hope this helps.
joe
'68 912
'64 356 Outlaw
'63 356 shell...wondering what the future holds for it!

cjameson · 08-28-2007, 07:21 AM

The socket that fits on them is actually 12mm. The breather was mounted when I got the car, and the nuts that hold the breather on are accounted for. I thought maybe the little "split" on the end of the nuts might give a clue as to where they go.

C. Clark · C. Clark's Garage

They look like copper, are they ? I've used copper nuts on exhaust systems because they're anti sieze...but how would exhaust parts get into the crankcase ?
Chas.
356
912
911

j.hall · 08-28-2007, 07:36 AM

Charles,
AHHH, the joys of buying an old Porsche! Did you find anything in the oil? Probably the previous owner set them there without realizing.
I found a house key taped to the inside of the rain tray for the cowl vent?!?! Odd place as its not easily removed.
Good luck on this one....I'll scratch my head some more?!
joe

cjameson · 08-28-2007, 07:36 AM

My hope is that some PO accidentally dropped them in the engine when they were putting oil in the engine, and that they don't come from something internal. Also, and this may be a stretch, but perhaps someone, (for whatever reason) was trying to "sabotage" the car, you know, like the old "pour sugar in the gas tank" trick.

cjameson · 08-28-2007, 07:40 AM

joe, I haven't drained the oil yet, perhaps I should do that and see what other mysteries come "pouring" out

.

j.hall · 08-28-2007, 07:48 AM

Lets hope nothing but clean oil comes out. How does the car run otherwise? You mentioned a few posts ago it needed work....these are great cars and realitively easy to work on. Its easy to start over thinking on problems though. Common sense is the best approach.
Have fun.

356racing · 08-28-2007, 08:06 AM

Those are common replacements for exhaust stud nuts. Probably just got misplaced during some engine work. There is nothing inside that those would work on.

cjameson · 08-28-2007, 08:40 AM

Joe, It's been years since the last time I heard the engine run. From what I recall, it ran poorly and it sounded like something was "clanking", but it didn't sound like anything internal, it sounded like maybe it was something in the fan shroud that was loose. Also, the car would overheat when you'd try to run it. I think the first thing to do would be to do a compression check. If that turns out to be okay, then I think the next step would be to remove the fan shroud and see if that eliminates the "clanking" sound. I've also ordered a new temp sensor and oil pressure switch. I am definitely keeping a common sense approach, this isn't my first time down this road.

356racing, that's great news

, I'll root around the exhaust and see any of the nuts were replaced, maybe that's where they came from. I just hope that more weren't "misplaced" and ended up deeper in the engine, maybe that's the
sound I'm hearing.

Charles

j.hall · 08-28-2007, 01:04 PM

I guess I misunderstood....I thought you just picked up the car

Anyway it'll be interesting to see what (if anything) is in the oil.
Keep us posted!
joe

'68 912
'64 356 Outlaw
'63 356 empty shell waiting to be filled with goodies

cjameson · 08-28-2007, 02:55 PM

The car was a friend of mine's for quite some time, so I heard it run years ago when they first got it. It sat for i think 3 years before I picked it up from them. So no, you didn't misunderstand at all

it's just a kind of weird deal.

I'll let you know what develops, and thanks for the help BTW!

Charles

itsofishel · 08:57 AM

Theory has it, that the PO or shop (lets hope not VW's U Us) that put the engine together to either repair whatever required removal of the exhaust and oil fill perhaps even the generator stand and so on. The mechanic placed the four nuts for your exhaust system in the only safe place a good mechanic would put them, at the time;-). Inside the generator stand.

If you pulled two out of the top of the generator stand, odds have it, that they have been sitting there in the small ketch all nook since the engine work. Your car requires 8 of these but a good mechanic would place the other two for under the tin in the exhaust tip and the other four in a safe place for the J tubes in the half shaft rubber sleeve;-)

Gregg