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At the bottom of the oil fill tube there is a flap welded to the tube

For some reason mine broke off but I was able to catch it before it fell into the oil pan. (LUCKY) There is a wear spot on the bottom of the tab, looks like the crank rubbed against it when the motor was running.

What is the purpose of the tab? Is it really required? Should I have it welded back on? I never saw the tab on other fill tubes before.

Looking at the motor from the driver side should the opening face toward the motor or toward the fender?
I am alittle worried about welding it back on an getting it in the correct position so it won't rub against moving parts

It's there to prevent the crankshaft from throwing oil up the tube, and yes, it should be there. The flap should be pointing down, meaning the open area towards the oil pan. At least this is the way all the one's I've taken out have been and it makes sense to have it that way.

Turbopackman has a lot more experience with these things than I do so I would install it the way he has seen it.

My tube had the opening toward the fender. Maybe it doesn't matter?

It doesn't matter until it gets hit with the crankshaft and breaks off. Some times you just have to turn them a little bit to clear, but most of the time the flap is pointing down.

thanks guys

I noticed my fill tube was loose most likely because the crank was hitting it. When I pulled it out and touched the flap it fell on the floor. The flap looked a piece of metal that you bend back and forth to break into. So if I got this right the opening should face out from the motor

The flap opening should be facing down towards the oil pan.

Or in other words, the point where the flap attaches to the tube should be towards the pistons/center of the engine. Basically if you look at it like this, you pour oil into the engine and it runs down the side of the pan, instead of onto the crankshaft.

Yes...that is how I was trying to describe it too. Here is the pic I took of my tube when I was removing it so I would remember how it goes. You can see the opening if you zoom in.

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Try this bit of logic: The oil breather cap only goes on the filler tube one way (at least it does on my car). If you point the breather opening correctly towards the front of the car, the orientation of the flap should take care of itself (which I believe is as shown immediately above and described by Turbopackman).

Wonder how many people went out to the garage and pulled their filler tube out. I did. I had one give up and break right at the block and had to replace the thing. I never gave the tab at the bottom of the tube a thought when I stuck in the replacement. Just figured that the opening in the breather cap should face forward. That was a good thing. I could have just as easily stuck it in any which way. BTW had a time getting the broken off piece of the old tube out of the block without dropping it into the pan. Figured to start with that if I lost it inside the block I would just leave it in there. Figured it was too large to really hurt anything and would just lay on the bottom.

Ok now I understand I had the flap welded back on. I go lucky with this one. so now I just need to make sure that the vent in the cap is facing the correct way. Packard should have pur a grove in the pipe so it would go in only one way, guess it is too late for that.

THANKS ALL for the help