Porsche 914 1.8L Case Internal broken around oil screen bolt hole

[mturner7]

I purchased a 1975 Porsche 1.8L 914 long block engine that had a knock according to the owner. Low mileage engine, 12k on it. I tore it down to find the bolt that holds the oil screen/windage tray hole is broken inside the internal case (See photo attached). Can this be repaired? I read about this being a weak spot in the case, I can tell someone had put thread lock on the bolt and put it back in. When I removed it, it was very loose and had RTV around the head of the bolt and washer giving it away. The bolt appeared to be slightly bent.

The pistons, heads, crank, rods, are all very new. The pistons are 95mm and a high performance cam has been installed, there was a blue sticker on the case saying so. The cylinders look new. This is a 1.8L case/engine that has had several performance upgrades to a 1920cc? engine (2.0L). Is the case salvageable? I can't believe someone out there has not figured out a way to fix this bolt from hell! If it can't be corrected, does anyone know where I can get a new case?

IMG_1486.jpg

Thanks Turner

[Type 4 Unleashed]

The case is JUNK, some idiot over torqued the oil pickup nut, which is supposed to be torqued to like 8 or 9 ft. pds.

You can check with Jorge @ EMW (click on the link in my signature) for a replacement case. He will probably need to know what your main jrl size is for new bearings that will fit your crank and the case.

And did you determine why the previous owner said it was knocking ?

[H2OSB]

Salvage all the parts and take the case to the scrapper. Find a nice 1.7 case. Rebuilt. Smile

H20SB

[Piledriver]

It can be fixed, but it all has to come apart so it can be TIG welded by someone who has ideally made the repair before.
Never take your t4 to an quick lube type oil change place.

I'm with both the folk above: find a clean 1.7l case, esp if going in an upright conversion 914 case preferred.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

It can be fixed, but it all has to come apart so it can be TIG welded by someone who has ideally made the repair before.
Never take your t4 to an quick lube type oil change place.

I'm with both the folk above: find a clean 1.7l case, esp if going in an upright conversion 914 case preferred.

... and the case's material has to/should be closely matched. Both grain and material are important for several reasons: such things as expansion and contraction of things alone can make a difference.

Lee

[raygreenwood]

This may also be of interest.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... &highlight

Aside from what this bolt lends to clamping pressure in the case at the cam bearing boss....its TOTALLY unnecessary for "suspending" the oil pickup bell with a few mods. While you still have no need of more than 9-10 ft lbs of torque on the strainer bolt....you CAN take all contact with that cross bolt out of the equation. Ray

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Some fasteners are to be torqued in "inch pounds" of torque due to the material of the threaded receptacle/part. The variation doesn't happen often so it can be missed.

The "base" to do this is multiply or divide by 12.

For what it is worth.

Lee

[raygreenwood]

The strainer spec is 9 "foot pounds"....which is also still kind of dumb. You either have well calibrated hand or experience....or one must keep a torque wrench on hand to do oil changes. Not something the average American owner was going to do back in the day (even though they should).

Yes, if one has an inch pound TQ wrench...sure...use it. I think everyone who works on ACVW should. However, too many do not have one and there are also too many owners that also do not do their own oil changes. This factor alone causes a lot of the breakage in this area.

My point of that thread...is that with a minor modification during a rebuild or refurb, you can take the possibility of case breakage clear out of the equation. All the loop on the oil bell "should" be doing is lateral location. There should have never been the possibility by design ....that tightening the strainer bolt adds side load to the case cross bolt. Bad design. Ray

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I pretty much agree but when, for example, you mount a front engine in a rear engine position then things pointed the right way now can get pointed the wrong way so things can now be easier to break. The same with things made to fit one way in something but get used to fit the other way, OOO-ooo-Doo-doo can happen there also.

A never ending battle between the right way and the wrong way isn't it.

Lee

[Piledriver]

I have seen pics of t4 cases modded to use a t1 oil strainer plate, if it's all apart its likely a good fix, but a good unbroken case will likely cost less.