Heres everyones chance to prove they are a REAL DSM'er...tell me what this is! PICs

[Drift_SM]

Alright, about two weeks ago, the motor started ticking, first thoughts were..."ah normal sound" Few days later it was getting louder.... I suspected, the begining stages of a spun rod bearing. (crank walk) Well about 4 days later I pulled into my garage and heard it louder then ever, to listen closer i revved it to 3,000 and then Clank!, Clank, CLank! I let off and the sound stoped... at idle it was very very faint. If i touch the gas agian...knock! knock! knock. No mater what RPM.


I shut her off, Iwas convinced it was a rod bearing. So next day I pulled my oil pan to find a decent amount of gold shavings....and these little "ring like pieces" which seemed way to small and odd shaped for a rod bearing.

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Then I inspected the crank...(Asuming I would find a good amount of end play in the Crank shaft....( This 7 bolt has 109,000 miles...and has had a ACT2100 clutch for over 30,000 miles.) But nope. Not even 0.00000000001 of end play! The crank is as solid as new. And trust me I gave it some heafty tuggs. I have eliminated a spun bearing...and crank walk is over rated...

Later in the day I pieced the little chunks together and got this....

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That is its full shape, it seems its supposed to be a "C" shape, because the ends are flat and smooth. Its about the size of a nickle.

I'm thinking it has somthing to do with the balence shafts?

So my question is........ DOES ANY ONE KNOW WTF THAT RING IS!
What it does? Where its located?

 

[IslandTSI]

It looks like its a retaining clip of some sort. Hopefully someone will know. But I wouldn't start the car until you know what it is

 

[silver eclipse]

Does resemble a retaining clip, But I cant think of anything that uses one inside the engine.
Just making sure, that thing is metal right?
-Chad

 

[Drift_SM]

yeap. A little bigger then a nickle...but smaller the a quarter.

 

[silver eclipse]

It seems to be a metal washer.
I could be wrong of course. Almost looks like it spun the head of the bolt and put the grooves in it.
Just my speculations.
-Chad

 

[Dream On]

Whatever it is, it doesn't look good.

 

[the_skin_eater]

Kinda looks like the washers that go under the head bolts.... Coulda slipped down an oil passage? Got caught in the cams?

We pulled the head off my buddys car, and one was loose....That thing clanked really bad, and went with the revs...Id check those out...Though I have no idea how it would randomly come off.

Just a thought.

 

[silver eclipse]

Does look like an ARP washer.
It might have slipped down in an oil passage or somethin.
-Chad

 

[roadrunner2176]

Its a first for me, but it looks like a retainer ring for one of your pistons. Not the cylinder rings, but the ring that keeps the piston rod from moving side to side on the engine rods.

That would explain the scoring on the sides and maybe the rattle upon excelleration.

 

[RipperXX]

^ Your talking about the "shaft" if you will that connects the connecting rod and piston? I wasn't aware thoughs had a retainer clip. I thought you had to press them into place. Ah well shows I guess im not a "REAL DSM'er" .


Good luck man!

 

[silver eclipse]

Stock DSM use press in wrist pins (your "shaft" you talked about). After market ones that ive seen usually are more comlicated than just a c-clip.
-Chad

I still believe it to be a washer from something, expetually givin the size.
Note: there shouldn't be enough clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall to let that come out if it was a clip for the wrist pin.

 

[ekanddsm]

It doesnt look like a part dsm's call for, resembles more of a (C) clip for a rear wheel drive axle on a truck,

 

[99gst_racer]

Are your balance shafts removed?

It looks like some sort of thrust washer. I'm wondering how it ended up broken in so many pieces.

I'm beginning to doubt that is a piece from a 4G63 engine. (Which brings upon the next question: How the hell did it get in there?) Nevertheless, the way it is broken, leads be to believe it was once a working part of the engine and it failed.... I am very curious now.

 

[Drift_SM]

Are your balance shafts removed?

It looks like some sort of thrust washer. I'm wondering how it ended up broken in so many pieces.

Thats what I think it is....somthing for the balence shaft... Uhg...arent there any engine builders on here!? jeez comon guys we should know this.

 

[99gst_racer]

Thats what I think it is....somthing for the balance shaft... Uhg...arent there any engine builders on here!? jeez comon guys we should know this.

I've assembled and disassembled engines before, and I don't recall ever seeing that part before. If I had to guess, I'd start by searching over the oil pump/front cover.

 

[Drift_SM]

I've assembled and disassembled engines before, and I don't recall ever seeing that part before. If I had to guess, I'd start by searching over the oil pump/front cover.

Mmm, that was another theory. Seeign as my oil pressure was fluctuating (flutter) pretty bad the last few weeks when cruising at set speeds...or slowing down.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Did you happen to check out your Turbo?
That looks like a piece from the CHRA.

 

[99gst_racer]

Did you happen to check out your Turbo?
That looks like a piece from the CHRA.

The thrust bearing in the CHRA was my first initial thought as well. Mostly due to it's basic shape and the fact that this picture looks like it has an oil hole and thrust wear marks. But at the same time, I cannot foresee how a precision machined and mounted bearing could break into many small pieces, and work it's way down through the drain tube to rest in the pan....

 

[kevingst]

Like, Ekanddsm said, when I first saw the pic I thought it resembled a rear axle c-clip, but naturally that would have no business in your motor. I've done several bs eliminations, just did one last week, and that's not a part I've seen anywhere down there. He said it was smaller than a quarter so I wouldn't think it to be a turbo thrust washer. Now you guys got me wondering what the hell this thing is. Screw it... button the motor back up and run it...see what happens.

 

[romeen]

Did you happen to check out your Turbo?
That looks like a piece from the CHRA.

Agreed. The gold/bronze color of the metal shavings found in the oil pan (initial post) are consistent with the thrust bearing (as shown in Strm Trpr's post) not to mention the similarities in the holes as Paul pointed out.

Alex, check the turbo for shaft play and let us know as this has raised quite a bit of curiosity.

 

[TSG59_Steve]

Agreed. The gold/bronze color of the metal shavings found in the oil pan (initial post) are consistent with the thrust bearing (as shown in Strm Trpr's post) not to mention the similarities in the holes as Paul pointed out.

Alex, check the turbo for shaft play and let us know as this has raised quite a bit of curiosity.

Agreed, look at the outside edge of the one in pieces, looks there should be more pieces laying around somewhere.

Thats craziness though!

 

[Strm Trpr]

Check out this pic.
I really think it's the inner most portion of the thrust bearing.

 

[roadrunner2176]

Its looking like they found your part.

How it happened, and how it got there is still a mystery. My bet, either your turbo sat for awhile and started to get stiff, but not seize, or the two retaining pins for the thrust bearing sheared off causing it to spin around with the shaft.
The outer portion of what came of your oil pan matches up, but the inner portion has been worn away. Without seeing the oil holes, it looks just like a c-clip.

If you look at the picture 99gst_racer posted with the oil hole circled, look left of it and you will see an inner piece tore out. I'm assuming thats the other retaining hole.

If this went out, wouldnt the turbo be leaking oil?

 

[romeen]

Agreed, look at the outside edge of the one in pieces, looks there should be more pieces laying around somewhere.

Thats craziness though!

Yeah, it looks like the outer edge just kept getting grinded away until there was so little left and the structural integrity so weakened that the remainder of what was left just grenaded. Just speculation but seems reasonable.

Strm Trpr, nice photos!

 

[99gst_racer]

Check out this pic.
I really think it's the inner most portion of the thrust bearing.

I agree.

I can't believe this is possible.... The turbo's CHRA is definitely fubar with a missing bearing center. I'd be curious to see disassembly pictures of it. Has another turbo failed on this engine in the past? Or is the current one failed?

Yeah, it looks like the outer edge just kept getting grinded away until there was so little left and the structural integrity so weakened that the remainder of what was left just grenaded. Just speculation but seems reasonable.

I imagine the rest of the thrust washer is still in the CHRA. The center probably just busted out and drained into the oil pan through the turbo's drain tube.