Apologies for a basic question like this but what is this cap part circled and the metal it's sunk into? The cap part is missing on my car and I can't seem to find out what exactly it is.

its the cap that covers the cooling impeller fan.
its removed to check timing with a strobe light.

small amounts of air escape when its removed... and would very minorly reduce the cooling air that is pumped by the fan (through the silver fan shroud the cap screws into) and over the heads and cylinders.

not going to blow anything up or create harm if its missing
I would bet (but haven't looked) that 914 rubber makes a brand new replacement cap.

that plug can also look like this (at least on my car)

Click to view attachment

Where does the hose on that one got to? Purpose?

Not yet but we can.

Curious though. I'm pretty sure all the 914 ones are not the vented version.

Any input?

Also try posting in the classifieds . I'm sure someone has a spare. You can run the engine with out it, but I'm sure you are loosing some cooling capacity,so it you live in a really warm environment you probably want to replace it.

That cap is NOT the oil filler cover! I had a local fellow (some 30 years ago) complain about a massive oil leak after adding oil to his engine. I had him show me where he had poured the oil. What a mess.

Anyway, I have not see the cap with a hose fitting on a 914 before, and have no idea what the proper application was.

ok, so in my car (that the picture with the hose came from) .......1973 1.7
Two plastic lines from the carchoal filter in the front that end in the engine bay....1 of them attaches to the airfilter. The other one to the plug that covers the inspection/timing-hole...and that is in my picture. Is that not how it should be ? looks original....

That's friggin hilarious!


Does it have an original-looking hose fitting on it? I've never seen that before either...

I've never seen that before
if you pull the hose, does the cap look factory made to be a vent, with fittings cast onto it?


the tin work on the drivers side has a metal hose nipple sticking out on some years.
that hose nipple was to be the air supply to the charcoal canister (from the cooling air) I guess the timing cover could do the same thing, but wonder if that is a factory adaptation, or one that a previous owner created?

brant

yes, not homemade....see picture, happy to take it apart for you guys :-)
Click to view attachment

pressurized air from the fan housing used to vent the charcoal canister. I have seen that exact part before but never on a 914 as on 914s the source of this air comes either from a port on the engine tin or a port on the fan housing itself depending on the year.

cool

thanks Frank!

Yes I knew it was a T4 part, but I was thinking bus. I'll have to look at these a little closer. Not on my bone stock 72.

@mikey914 : Ok....I do not think a bus has that, since it is not needed to have a hole for anything....engine is the other way around so access to set timing is different.

Checking on my Type4 2.0L bus engine....yep...not there:

Click to view attachment

Or did I misunderstand what you meant ?

Betty's 74 1.8L had one of these on it from the factory.


Clay

My 76 has that style cap also.

So looks like it was superseded at some point