Look ma, a free feeler gauge blade!

[Won]

Look what I found stuck to the crank case drain plug!



Haven't done a valve adjustment in the past 2.5 years of ownership and haven't seen this thing in any previous oil changes (obviously)... Do YOU know what's floating around in your crank case??

[bit]

Holy shi!t. I'm surprised it is not mangled or just metal dust.
Look like you were pretty lucky and it just flowed through an got caught.
Wonder what else is in there. The last guy to do a valve adjust here seems to have had some probs.
.Steven

[rnln]

oh mine

[old man neri]

Well, at least you know the magnet works.

[dshepp806]

Would someone explain how this could have happened.

WOW! What could have happened (as a result) in a worst case situation.

Thanks!

[chrisf]

I found the master link clip to my driver's side timing chain! That one could have been disastrous on many levels!

[euro911sc]

I guess... if your engine was on a stand and one was doing an adj. with out blocking the oil return tubes it could fall down there straight to the bottom of the case. What is interesting to me is how it passed the screen... If you have one.

Best regards,

Michael

[Won]

I'm thinking the same thing as Michael, except the engine never appeared to have come out of the car. The oil flow probably carried the blade into the sump. Mine is a late 83 with Carrera case so I don't think there's a screen before the sump drain, I'm guessing cars with sump plates have one there?.

It's funny because I was draining the oil for a valve adjustment and Carrera tensioner installation. A good reminder of what NOT to do I suppose.

[Walt Fricke]

Doesn't surprise me (either the event or the lack of damage).

The feeler blade tears so easily, especially if you like to set your valves tightly and are always trying to wedge it in sideways. It fell off, maybe doing an intake in the car? Or an exhaust on an engine stand as suggested. Guy couldn't find it. Decided what the hell.

At some point Porsche abandoned the sump screen that inserted from the outside as part of the plate system. Went to a screen attached directly to the suction snout and so on. To make this work with a case with a big round sump hole in it they produced a plate with a hemispherical bottom rather than the mainly flat one. This plate also has no drain plug - you pull the plate to drain. Then, if I have this right, they went to the case with no sump plate. As noted, this was for late SCs in preparation for the 3.2s and due, no doubt, to the old dies wearing out at that point.

So it is an easy shot from the return oil tube to the lower case. Only thing there is the IS gear system and it is over half an aluminum IS gear's width up from the sump floor. And all the oil is flowing toward the pump pickup area, and nothing from the IS gear area rearward can really allow anything to get caught up in anything else moving.

I had a rocker adjuster nut come off and I couldn't find it. Replaced the broken rocker and went on with life. Eventually, on a teardown for other reasons, found the nut nestled up beside the oil pump. Safely out of the way. Not a mark on it.

Which isn't to say I don't milnd bits falling into the sump. I suppose there is some minute chance something might move forward over or arround the ridge separating the IS stuff from the rest of the sump, and get caught up in a chain gear or the IS gearing itself. However, when a Carrera tensioner spat out its relief valve (small ball bearing, small spring, small sheet metal stamping "hat"), some of that made its way up to the sump without a problem (the rest I found in the chain housing and promptly retrieved).

Great photo, though.

Walt Fricke

[Wil Ferch]

Wonder where the two little nuts are...that hold the blade onto the feeler gauge handle.....

????

[Won]

Originally Posted by Wil Ferch

Wonder where the two little nuts are...that hold the blade onto the feeler gauge handle.....

????

Probably explains little thread filings I found stuck to the tank drain The blade was actually torn out of the holder, judging by missing corners on the bolt holes. Would the bolts stay on after that? I'm not sure.

I have the service record going back to 1990 and there is no mention of a valve adjustment, so it's been around for a looong time (perhaps not, the engine runs pretty quite). Either way, I'm not worried, the engine runs fine and if anything's broken then I could probably fix it

[mhoffman]

Just hope you did not mess up the cosmic equilibrium and now nothing works!

[Won]

Originally Posted by mhoffman

Just hope you did not mess up the cosmic equilibrium and now nothing works!

I've got 3 brand new blades I can throw into the engine in case that happens!

[Mr.Puff]

Maybe they'll give you more power.

[EarlyPorsche]

If I found that between the crank and a crank bearing I would be worried. If I found that as you did on a magnet I would be thankful.