Mystery engine tin? What is this?

I fixed my gas pedal, took out the pedals, greed them up, reinstalled, etc. Anyway, That project put me at the clutch adjuster. Anyway, I looked up, and saw a "scoop" pointing down. Its about 4-5" wide, and is loose, but I couldn't pull it out. Its sitting on top of the drivers front cylinder. In the picture, its the black tin with the rusty "line" across it. What is this??

That's the final exhaust of your oil cooler system. One bolt/nut holds it up there....and apparently the fastener has come loose and let the bugger hang down.

Where is it supposed to be? Thanks!!!

Looks like part of the dog house cooler tin.




~WB

it still feels screwed in place, just flimsy...

As long as it's being held in place. Is the front breast plate (the piece that goes over the bell housing and it goes through) there like in the pic? If it isn't then the spent hot air from the cooler will just get recycled back into the engine compartment.

Check that perfect pic.

It bolts to the front of the shroud beneath the "dog house" housing for the oil cooler and exits through an opening in the front tin. It should be rock solid, if it's moving, the bolt has come loose but the rubber surround in the tin is holding it in place.

A neat touch regarding that little "dump" is that, under perfect conditions (when no oil leaks are present and the oil cooler was cleaned/tanked before installation) the air coming out of it has passed through a "radiator" filled with 200 degree oil. A length of aluminum flex hose and a 4" hole somewhere in the body fitted with a trim ring will bring all of that toasty warm air right into the cabin.

Free heat . . .

Needs to go up to that rust line.

TC - I had '57 bug while in college in NJ. I wired the rear flappers shut in winter for more heat. Unfortunately it was a leaker and when I got to class I smell of "eau d'oel" - like I had been running a chain saw all day.

Yeah, I had an old Beetle with the stale air heater boxes too, didn't take but a small oil spill to drive you out of the car with the heat on.

Still, a WHOLE lot better than my '64 Corvair was ! ! ! ! When I came home from school each night, I used to have to change clothes in the garage.