custom heat shield to prevent future oil leak

[DP944]

i just replaced my rod bearings and oil pan gasket. While the subframe was down i figured id fab up some type of heat shielding for the corner of the oil pan gasket closest to the exhaust headers. heres a few pics below. i work for a vw dealership and the heat shield material i used is very common and readily available. There was a recall in b5 passats that required us to install this heat shielding on the body of the car closest to the exhaust. i figured it was easy enough to mold into the shape i needed, then just punched some holes and used some hardware i had kicking around to fasten in to the block and to the flywheel cover. took longer than i thought and personally i think it could have come out a little better, but if it prevents excessive heat at the oil pan gasket, im fine with it.

[FransB85]

Looks like it will do the job, nice! Did you plastigauge the rod bearings or just put in like for like?

[VirginiaF1]

Nice..
Is the heat at that point (in a NA anyway) enough to warp the OP gasket over say a decade?

[Catamax944]

Good idea ! What's the part number of that heat shield you used, i can't make out the first three digits.

[DP944]

i didnt plastigauge the bearings, but im fairly certain they are standard sized. i replaced the rod nuts and oil pickup seal though for good measure. The pan gasket has a tendency to leak in that area over time because of its proximity to the headers. Porsche actually sells a heat shield that bolts to the block. in the parts diagrams it shows it being bolted to the opposite side,(im assuming its for turbo models) but im pretty sure you can bolt it to the passenger side of the block for naturally aspirated models. Or just make your own

[DP944]

3bo 825 676 ...list price is like 14 dollars