Originally Posted By: rg200amp
I would drop the pan and get it out of there.
Plus you can clean the pan if there is any varnish build up.
Take pics!!!! we love pics!!!
I should have taken pictures, but my hands were full of oil and I didn't want to give the digital camera a greasejob
Originally Posted By: tom slick
The only scary thing is where did the part come from. it is not going to fly up and hit anything or get sucked into the oil intake.
thats good to know. i've gotta get through the winter with my explorer first, then i'm in the market for another car in the spring, and the explorer can get looked at
Originally Posted By: Cogito
My guess would be that it has been there since the engine was built. Probably just a piece of unknown junk that a worker accidentally let fall into the oil pan during assembly. I wouldn't worry about it since the engine seems to have been running fine so far, and it doesn't sound like anything obvious that could have come from inside the engine.
ford quality at its best. this seems unlikely though.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Prolly a clamp/tube support or somesuch.
If it was me, I'd still be under there trying to flip it/flop it such that I could get something that it resembled to rationalise.
tried that, could only get it to move up and down.
Originally Posted By: moribundman
It's an oil pan lozenge.
standard equipment sponsored by halls!
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Probabaly too heavy to go anywhere and hurt anything. But you could move it off to the side and then use a small strong magnet on the pan to hold it against the pan.
If its been there for a while and hasn't hurt anything, then it should be alright. its probably a good idea though. will think about it when i get back from my trip on friday.
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Good idea if its a ferrous metal, and not something else. I would flip flop it and try and get it out. I know it would bother the [censored] out of me, and I would probably end up dropping the pan at some point.
Frank D
Its bothering the *$*% out of me. used oil analysis been sent and should be done at the end of the week.
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Time to get the Sawzall out. I wonder if the chunk would be caught in a particle count?
Just kidding.
I say drop the pan and inspect. Yes photos, please.
If its there next time i change the oil, i'll snap some pics. Although i'm going to try and draw it when i get home from work tonight. used oil analysis been sent and should be back by the end of the week. Iron count has always been extremely high though.
Originally Posted By: Johnny
This is a good temporary idea, but the fix is to remove the pan and find out what it is and to see if you can tell where it came from.
How many miles on the 94 Explorer? Could be anything from assembly junk to a piece of chipped off piston skirt.
Just for us oil nuts info, what oil are you using?
174580miles. Last two oil changes was Royal Purple 5w30 but this one used Pennzoil Platnium 5w30. Pennzoil Platnium 5w30 is also in there now.
Originally Posted By: kingrob
By all means drop the pan and lets put our collective heads together to try and figure out what the heck it is...
I wish I could drop the pan, but with the 4x4 front axle and everything you can only drop the oil pan by pulling the engine. I need to do the rear main seal and the camshaft sensor as well. I just need to get through the winter, but if that chunks been there since last December when I purchased it, it hasn't hurt anything, yet. So my mind's at ease for now.
Originally Posted By: Steelhead
the Ford 4L OHV engine has a windage tray so chances of the mystery piece getting into the crank/rods is nil.
my guess, a piece of piston skirt. ford used a thin lightweight piston in these.
aluminum cast oil pan. time to pull it. may as well replace the rear seal while it's off.
Sweet info about that windage tray. Now you've got me thinking about the piston skirt. A couple weeks back my computer died and the fuel pump wasn't getting enough voltage. I managed to get it running for a while on starter fluid (ether) but it sounded like a diesel. Maybe this was a bad idea for the engine and a weak part of the piston skirt broke off? At least its under the windage tray, and its not burning a drop of oil.
Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Can you rent/borrow a telescoping magnet that would fit into the drain and bring the unwelcomed guest into view?
i've got one, and i'll try that for the next oil change. With my previous Royal Purple used oil analysis, thats about 3500 miles. This Pennzoil Platnium UOA should be interesting, because the Royal Purple sheared a bit (due to it not being SM) whereas the Pennzoil Platnium is regarded as an awesome oil here.
