So three or four Thanksgivings ago I started up my Blue '74 2.0, pulled out of the garage, out on the side street and noticed my oil like come on. Shut the car off and walked home (later pushed the car back). On the walk, I noticed I had left an oil trail that ran from the middle of my cul-de-sac to where my car was parked. If I can remember, the weather was in the 50/60s.

Fast forward a few weekends from then and I swapped the engine out of my other 914 into the blue car. I tucked the oil-donar under the yellow '74 2.0. There it sat for that weekend.

Finally got a bug under my butt to pull the aluminum fan housing off to see what happened. I had guessed an oil cooler gasket had bitten the bucket. Nope. See photos.

Can this be fixed safely with all the metal shavings that will be made when tapping this for a plug?

Yes. Just take off the oil filter mounting bracket so you can get behind where you are working.
Then use wax when tapping the threads. it will hold all of the crap and you can clean it out when you are done.

Stu

Yup. And you should do all 5 while you're there. If it happened to one...

I have the plugs, the tap, etc. I can lend them to you, except the plugs - you can keep those.

I would take out the oil pump and the filter housing. That plug is on the galley that connects the two. Take a cloth and tie it to a string. Soak in oil and pass the string from the oil pump towards the oil filter. Pull the string until the the cloth plugs the galley. Now do a test and pull the string to make the cloth pass through the galley and exit on the filter side. Make sure you get a cloth that plugs well but doesn't get stuck in the galley.
Pass the string again and plug the pump side with the cloth. Tap the hole and when done blow the residues from the tapped hole and then pass the cloth though the galley.
The description is long but the operation is very simple and will keep everything clean.
Good luck!

Valy gave a good description. Make sure that cloth is of the paper shop towel variety. A little piece of cloth string can get in the oil passages and lodge.

I had my car a McMarks shop a while back to pull the tranny and fix a rear main seal leak. Turned out the seal was fine, it was the rear galley plugs leaking. Some PO had taken a punch and dimpled around the edges, I guess to keep them from coming out, the put jb weld and epoxy over the top, well guess what it didn't work, they were loose under the jb and epoxy and leaking.

McMark drilled them and tapped them in the car, he put a glob of grease in the hole to block the passage way, and grease on the drill and tap to help collect shavings.
Drilled tapped and threaded plugs. Changed the oil and filter, just to be sure.
Have put about 3500 miles on the engine since, changed the oil after 1000, clean nothing in it. Still runs great no problems. It can be done.

Good luck Randy, just take your time, or let Mark do it.

Jeff

Thanks everyone!

Mark! I'll take you up on your offer if Soren doesn't have the bits readily available. I know he does this on any aluminum case that needs to be headed for straightening.

Where's the 3rd galley plug located? I'm at work, so I can't look at the motor. Just see the two from my photos.

I'll have to decide if I want to do the grease or plug method. Guess I'm pulling the oil pump off either way. I can't remember - when installing the oil pump do you use a gasket, or a light coating of permatex or a combination of both?

Thanks!!!

You can do both the grease and cloth plug together. There is never too much insurance in keeping your oil galleys clean
For oil pump gaskets, see the gasket template in my signature or buy new ones. For me is usually faster to make one than to go and buy one and of course, more fun

Pull the oil pump and the oil filter console. It'll be good peace-of-mind for very little effort. There are the two at the front in nearly the same location, and there are three behind the flywheel. The ones behind the flywheel don't have as many side passages as the front, so they are a little safer/easier. Not as many places for the chips to go.

Actually, since we haven't hung out for awhile we should pick a day and I'll come do the work with you and then we'll go grab a beer with the girls.

You're amazing!

I'll take ya up on that offer and take care of beers, etc. Thank you!

Let's talk via PM/Skype, etc to figure out a day that works for everyone.

You rock.

Randy