msm07c6

It’s definitely not a jug seal. I was able to get needle nose pliers on it but could not remove it. Given my car is a late ‘07 seems even more likely that its LS2 has the tensioner rather than the earlier dampener, and I’m hoping that’s what this thing is.

my oil pressure seems to run around 40 at idle (a little lower when it’s hot and I’m in traffic). Can’t really say what it would be at cruising…just don’t recall. I do seem to recall it will get up around 60psi under throttle…maybe that’s wrong.

For the group, if it does turn out to be a broken tensioner, I’m likely going to ask them to replace it with the older LS2 dampener, but (short of dumping a bunch of money into power mods), what else should I do as relates to the timing chain/gear?

cgladish

Your pressure readings are consistent with what i see ( LS3 @ 17k miles ). for whatever that's worth.

ClothSeats

If you had more miles on the car, I would suggest a new harmonic dampener. Maybe inspect the dampener and then make a decision.

msm07c6

If you’re meaning harmonic balancer, I’ve already had the stock one replaced with an ATI (not under drive). The OEM HB started an ever so slight wobble somewhere around 20k miles and I didn’t want to eff around with it. It’s rock solid now.

Chatman

You mentioned that your plug had a magnet and that might be holding the piece in place. Have you tested whether the piece is ferrous or aluminum? I think that is the right term. Is it attracted to a magnet?

cgladish

ferrous or non-ferrous i think is would be the correct phrasing.

msm07c6

Yeah, it’s definitely ferrous metal.

F4Gary

Why did you start it if you are going to have it taken to 21st Century?

Oh, and while it is there and all apart.....

old motorhead

It could be one of the little end caps that hold the needle bearings in the rocker arms. Those have been known to come off. Not so common at low miles...But, it's something to consider.

msm07c6

I had it up on wood ramps to get my jack under the front end and wanted some semblance of control…driveway slopes away from my garage door pretty quickly! I figure that thing’s been in there a while so what’s one more startup.

And, I wish I could , not so sure that’s going to happen. My luck, I’d spend for some added fun and then the fuel sender issue would gouge me for another couple thousand. And then while that’s apart, might as well freshen up the TT and throw in a new clutch…and I’m a good $10k down the road?

sleepingcougar

well, the magnetic drain plug may have saved your engine.

dpigguy

Never saw an answer as to rather or not there is a heli-coil installed. Sure looks like it from the picture. If so, could be part of the original threads that required the coil be installed in the first place. With an after market plug it’s even more suspect. Drop the pan to get a look!

msm07c6

Sorry…a lot of posts and I missed yours. It sure looks like one doesn’t it?!? Is it common practice to put one of those in to put in a magnetic plug? When I first bought the car, one of the first things I did was take it to a dealer (I know…) for an oil change. Seems they would have said something, but I guess not. Hell, they probably didn’t notice either or just saw future dollar signs?

Should this necessarily change my approach? The piece of ferrous metal in the pan looks to be too large to be either a piece of the helicoil or the original threads.

Just need this damned winter storm to leave DFW so I can get the car to 21st.

Hmm, normal then?
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c5-general/3203052-helicoil-in-oil-pan-plug-hole.html

post #12…

msm07c6

This looks like the plug I have, but I’d guess there are many versions of the same thing.

https://www.hawksmotorsports.com/ls1...n-plug-o-ring/

Keppler

There is no way I would use that drain plug per the picture. The threads are not well defined as they should be for the correct OEM thread.

There are not many versions of the correct thread. There is only one correct OEM thread.

If it was my car I would try to use a magnet and/or a wire to pull that piece out to identify the part.

BTW your photo shows that the drain plug thread is definitely a Heli Coil.

Keppler

This is a picture of a Heli Coil. Although your picture shows a deformed piece, I wonder if your picture shows the separated coil that was used for the installation? The top notched half thread is used to install the Heli Coil. That half thread is always removed but your application is a blind hole.

Also to install a Heli Coil you have to drill and tap the hole for the Heli Coil install. The piece in your photo could be the aluminum from the drilling and thread cutting. A magnetic will determine this.

msm07c6

I appreciate your response, as I do all the others here. I know what a threaded insert is, and have offered up that I agree there is a threaded insert in that hole. Further, I've offered that it seems to me from some light reading that our aluminum oil pans come from the factory with threaded inserts installed since that's one bolt that will be loosened and tightened several times over the life of the car, sometimes by "technicians" at the random quick lube place down the street and other times by guys who think they know exactly what 18 ft/lbs *feels* like.

If that were a piece of the original threaded insert (seems highly unlikely given the factory install scenario as there is no way they're drilling, tapping and inserting that thing after the pan is bolted to the block), seems to me it wouldn't be flattened, and seems to me I could have pulled it out with a magnet (yes, I tried...it's definitely ferrous metal, and definitely not fitting through that hole..."that's what she said").

The frustrating thing right now is this damned ice storm that won't freaking leave DFW so I can get the car to the shop! But, it too will pass, and I'll update this thread when I finally figure out what that thing is and what I'm into for a fix.

Thanks!

Travlee

i came to work this morning, office is at 635 and coit. only some slush on the bridges but the work parking lot was solid sheet of ice with a downward right sloping angle. that was the only place i slid and barely bumped the curb, wasnt in the vette though. i think by tomorrow everything will be good

msm07c6

Wanted to close the loop. I took my car to 21st Century yesterday and they extracted what turned out to be, as suspected, a broken timing chain tensioner. That metal spring piece at the bottom is what was in the pan. Per 21st, there were no further issues. The car now has the older dog bone style dampener.


Thank you all for your interest and comments.

SixAddict

Thanks for letting us know what the object was. Glad to hear it was not a terminal issue.