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OK Y'all, a question that has been puzzling me. What is the function or purpose of that extra "hole" in the bottom of the engine near the REAR, drivers side portion. It is covered by a plate that is removable. Just wondering.

SMILES
Dale

Unless you are driving a 914, it should be on the right in a 411/412...but I have wondered that all of these years also. The one you are speaking of is the one with the two 10mm bolts sealed with an O-ring? The one closer to the left on a 412 is the strainer of course. Ray

yea, that one with the two 10mm bolts. I know very little of the 914s, but I thought it might be something for them, but I guess not. Hmmmmmmmm.

I will ask around. It was not for 914's as the 411/412 came out a few years before the 914. Ray

If you come up with a firm answer, please p-mail me. This topic has been debated for years in bus/vanagon/914/912e groups. To my knowledge, the "Sump plate" or sump cover as it is called is never used, except as a place for the oil temp pickup in the 914 and 912.

I've heard:
(1)VW design prep for a dry sump option
(2)VW design prep for aviation use???
(3)Design influence/excentricity from NSU who had major hand in overall design of the 411/412 before being bought out by VW Audi.

whoknows?

type4@bulley-hewlett.com

I have heard all of those and have always figured it was for a dry or deep sump addition also. There was a fair amount of machine work done to install that nicely O-ringed plate. Maybe Tuna will read this...or Jake R....and add their two cents. Ray

Hi...

That little cover is where the oil temp sending unit goes on 914s that were equipted with a temperature guage. There is a part ofthesame diameter that fits under a different cover. It has a threaded hole for the sending unit and then the different cover goes on top(or bottom as you look at it) this has a hole in it for the sending unit wire.

John

Ahhhh...fabulous! But one question. This block came out in 68 in the 411. A few years before the 914. I wonder if they ever used the same sending unit on the 411 in europe? Ray

Ray,

Didn't mean to imply it was 914 only...I think you right that VW probably did use it in the 411/412 or even the Type 2. I too have heard the stories about the dry sump theory. This same engine was also used in industrial applications so maybe some thing there too.

John

I have been wondering if possibly the type 4 engine came from an industrial design of some sort, because it definately showed up earliest in the 411. No telling what their total range of designs were for this motor. Hmmmm. Ray