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Pan Mysteries

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Got a couple of real mysteries here:


1) Oil pans on the 6-cyl cars--don't know about the 100s--have a small, er, something--tab?--spot-welded on the inside bottom in front of the baffle. I can't for the life of me think of any (obvious) purpose for this but, as usual, there must be a reason else BMC accountants wouldn't have allowed an extra half-quid in parts and labor to install it (photo 1). Guesses?


2) The pans all have a fairly large 'dimple,' for lack of a better term punched in the front on the left-hand side (photo 2). All I can think of is it must have something to do with the way the pans were stamped, as they appear to be made from a single piece of sheet metal. I think if it's for reinforcement, why not a couple or, better yet, one at each corner. Any guesses?

Photo 1
Pan Tab.jpg

Photo 2
Pan Dimple.jpg
 
It's diagonal to the drain plug; it's been suggested that it's to facilitate drainage (but, I can't see why it would do much good, and why not 'slope' the pan anyway?).
 
Design Variations to facilitate installation in other cars???
 
Might've been a function of the manufacturing process (pic 1) to hold it in a fixture for a subsequent operation, although I do like Rick's analogy too!
 
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