Steel Wool in Oil Pan?

[BaxterStockman]

Pulled the oil pan the other day and found what looks to be a plug of steel wool sitting in the bottom. Any ideas? :confused2:

http://www.turbododge.com/forums/attachments/turbo-iii/44528d1320416983-steel-wool-oil-pan-img_1160.jpg

[zin]

It might be a shop towel, no matter how you slice it it isn't a good thing!

I'd have to guess it was left in there by a previous owner after doing some work, possibly an oil pan gasket ...

Curious as to how you came to find it!

Mike

[Turbo224]

WTF?! That's exactly what you want in your oil pan, a giant ball of steel shavings. Is this a running motor?

[135sohc]

Blue shop towel.

[BaxterStockman]

It might be a shop towel, no matter how you slice it it isn't a good thing!

I'd have to guess it was left in there by a previous owner after doing some work, possibly an oil pan gasket ...

Curious as to how you came to find it!

Mike

Had to drop the oil pan to be retapped because the old drain plug was rounded off, and I seriously screwed up the threads in removing it and installing a new one (guess I learned my lesson never to trust the big auto parts chains when it comes to finding the correct part for a TIII - the computer stock list at Advance said I needed a 1/2" plug!). :confused:

So are those blue shop towel made with some metal fibers? Cause that's sure what the plug looks to be made of...

And yes, this is a working motor. It works quite well, in fact - another Jackson special!

I should note that the balance shaft assembly has been gutted - there's no chain, and the shafts themselves are gone from the "frame". Guess that's why the 4.5 quart capacity listed in the manual was about half a quart less than full!

I wonder if the plug is in there intentionally - maybe it fell out of something it was supposed to be plugging up?

[Black93RT]

See if it sticks to a magnet...

[BaxterStockman]

That reminds me - I've been having some trouble with valvetrain noise, and I think I've tracked it down to the exhaust-side lifter furthest to the drive side. I pulled the rocker assembly last week, and when I popped out the lifter, there was what looked like a tiny little wire sitting right in the cavity at the top of the lifter (i.e. right on top of the lifter's valve). I removed it, actuated the valve and dipped the lifter in motor oil, working out as much air as I could. Still was a bit too squishy, and still ticks. I'm replacing it with a new unit from FWDP that should be showing up in the mail soon. I just hope that, whatever the plug is, it's not tearing up my engine! I am getting a light spray of oil on the intake VC under heavy boost... but I think that's from some holes in the hose from the breather-separator - at least, I HOPE it's from them...

[135sohc]

Steel wool doesnt have a fuzzy fiber appearence.

[turbovanman²]

Could be a rag, but agreed, see if its magnetic. No reason for that to be there, what could it possibly plug up? lol.

I would check your bearings while the pan is off.

[BaxterStockman]

Steel wool doesnt have a fuzzy fiber appearence.

Sure it does, if it's very fine (like #0000).

---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:25 PM ----------


Could be a rag, but agreed, see if its magnetic.

I'll try the magnet test.


No reason for that to be there, what could it possibly plug up? lol.

Yeah, just grasping at straws - trying to think of some way it might not have been a screw-up messing up my motor...


I would check your bearings while the pan is off.

Will do, thanks.

[contraption22]

Could be ScotchBrite if non-magnetic.

[zin]

Blue shop towel.

I concur, sir...

Might have started up top, to keep something from falling into the guts of the engine when doing some other work by a PO, then just made it's way down... Those blue shop towels are pretty resistant to breaking down, an ordinary paper towel would have "biodegraded" by now, assuming it's been in there for some time.

Good that it's out now!

Mike

[Reaper1]

Maybe a PCV filter that got in the engine somehow?

[Lotashelbys]

Its a blue shop towel,my bad. It must of been when I was powerwashing the bottom end before I re-assembled it. I always stuff towels in the oil retun ports and one must of gotten pushed down where I missed it. Hope it had no bad effects on the motor.

[Shadowjake]

Its a blue shop towel,my bad. It must of been when I was powerwashing the bottom end before I re-assembled it. I always stuff towels in the oil retun ports and one must of gotten pushed down where I missed it. Hope it had no bad effects on the motor.

Ha.. I chuckled when I read this.. Oopsy! My bad! Classic.

[RoadWarrior222]

Count 'em in, count 'em out.