Broken pieces in oil pan - What is it?

[kenamond]

Okay, I had to pull the oil pan to get a damned zip tie out that I stupidly dropped into the head, but I found an extra suprise. I'm hoping it's just a shattered bronze turbo bushing from my T25. The image below shows it pieced back together. The outer surface is a rough break, so I suspect that the rest of this part is still in the center section of my busted T25, but I'd love for someone to positively identify the part. I don't have sur clip pliars to take off the compressor housing, so I can't pull the center section apart to see if the rest is in there. If it's something else from the internals of my engine, I'd like to know that before I put my car back together.

It looks like it might be the thrust bearing. It doesn't make a full circle, because the ends are machined, not fractured, and the inner surface is sort of smooth but scored which makes sense when you consider that the T25 shaft broke. Also, there are tiny oil passages drilled both radially and axially through the part, and there are bearing surfaces on both sides (the three shiney patches), and each had an oil passage for the journal bearing.

The second image shows the pieces separated and includes the damned zip tie (atleast it was in the pan, so I know it's not in the motor anymore).

If anyone has a picture of an intact T25 thrust bearing (or any other bronze bushings that might match this part), I'd like to see it just to ease my mind.

Also, the fact that none of the pieces are missing and are quite small makes me think they're from the turbo; I parked it within 30 seconds of the turbo going, so they didn't even have time to get flushed into the lower section of the oil pan. If they were in there for any longer, I figure they'd have washed down to the bottom of the pan.

Just wanna make sure!

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Thanks!

 

[GVR4592]

Glad to see you got the zip tie out. Was it as hard as you thought it would be? I've never seen a turbo thrust bearing before so I'll let somebody else answer that one.

 

[kenamond]

No, it was harder than I though . I just got done with round one of cleaning all of the RTV off of the oil pan lip. I need to get a solvent made for that stuff. My gasket remover solvent is for paper gaskets and doesn't do dick to the RTV, and acetone doesn't do much other than clean up the oil. It's pretty clean, but I still have to deal with the bottom of the motor, too, and I can't recline in a chair with the car upside down in my lap to do it like I was able to with the pan.

Then I have to put it back together.

After seeing the design of the inside of the oil pan, I don't think the zip tie would ever have gotten out of the lower chamber to cause any problem. But if that broken up bushing is not from the turbo, it'll be good to know.

Oh well, I now know how to pull the exhaust, transfer case, bearing bracket, and oil pressure sending unit.

Then I can get back to my valve cover (left it off until I get the pan on just in case I drop something else in there ). Then I can finish installing my boost gauge, K&N FIPK, and hard IC pipe kit.

 

[Mike1992]

Thats interesting, i havent a clue what it could be though.

 

[kenamond]

Aha!!!

Found the T25 thrust bearing picture below in 1 minute on Google. That looks mighty familiar!!

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[Mike1992]

Looks to be exactly the piece in peices

 

[92awddsm]

I know I am late on this but it is definately the center of a t-25 thrust bearing. As far as cleaning the rtv, get a wire wheel for your drill and go to town on the oil pan. A razor blade will do wonders on the bottom of the block. Sounds like you did it the hard way. My method could have both parts clean in about 5 minutes.

 

[kenamond]

I know I am late on this but it is definately the center of a t-25 thrust bearing. As far as cleaning the rtv, get a wire wheel for your drill and go to town on the oil pan. A razor blade will do wonders on the bottom of the block. Sounds like you did it the hard way. My method could have both parts clean in about 5 minutes.

Thanks. Yeah, from the pic above, it's the thrust bearing, so I'm not worried anymore.

As for the wire wheel on the oil pan, will it leave the paint on? I don't want it to rust, and water will probably sit on the edge of the pan lip.

As for the razor blade, how clean does it have to be? I doubt the razor will get all of the silicone off (a film wil probably be left in places). If I scrape with a blade, then clean it up with acetone, would that be adequate for the new RTV to adhere? I *don't* want to end up doing this again to fix a leak.

Thanks again!