Is this a problem?
 

If so, any suggestions about what to do about it?

This a 1982 3.0L case half that has chip out of it where the oil tube runs from the thermostat on top, down underneath and then to the other half.

Machine shop didn't want to mess with it. Welder was worried about welding aluminum over steel. He suggested pulling the tube out prior to welding and machining the chase before reinserting tube. That sounds like a recipe for worse problems considering the big curve the tube makes going under the bottom of the case. Other options are JB Weld as a patch and doing nothing.

I haven't had the opportunity to get an 'expert' opinion on this, so please chime in if you have any thoughts.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1635789881.jpg

The steel J-tube is cast in place and can't be removed. Plug one end of the J-tube and pressurize the other with a rubber tipped blow gun. If it holds pressure, it's good.

From your pic it looks like just the casting flash is cracked but the J-tube is ok.

If the J-tube itself is broken, then you have much bigger troubles.

It's not really an issue. If you have a concern about an external leak, the factory had a builtin about case leaks on some 3.2 cases. The outside of this casting, tube exposed can be sealed with epoxy.
At first the factory warrantied the cases but later moved to a simple sealant application.

Thanks for the insight, gentlemen. The tube itself seems fine, but I'll give it a pressure test to make sure. I will probably leave it as is.

Odd spot for something to chew on it? The usual disasters leave a variety of witness marks elsewhere inside a case. How could part of the #3 rod get in there and not gouge the nearby webbing?

Walt, it's a casting flaw in the case at the J-tube. If you look at the outside of a case near the oil cooler, you'll see the equivalent. This just happens to be where most people don't look.

The Porsche bulletin was 8911 that covers the repair.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/850925-911-sc-oil-leak-notch-above-oil-cooler-case.html

I know about that - I epoxied the external part of my 3.0 case just in case, though it wasn't leaking (and can't leak out of the steel pipe). This just didn't look like the flaws I have seen, more like some gouges due to something mechanical. However, I don't know why I thought the owner had said he had the case apart due to something getting loose - he didn't say that.