Piece of oil cap gasket fell in fill hole.

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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: OceanRuns
The screen is small enough that something half the size of a dime will block it?


I didn't say block it; I said near zero. I left myself a way out.
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. I do appreciate all input.
 
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If pulling a valve cover is easy, and it is bothering you enough then do it and get it out. Otherwise leave well enough alone.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That'll get sucked into the oil pickup screen. When the oil pressure drops down to near zero, you'll know why.


That'll never happen in a million years.

There is no cause for concern, I've seen far, FAR larger objects in engines that fell in the hole.

This is just a little piece of cardboard.... the oil pickup screen is HUGE in comparison.

It won't hurt anything.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
This thread reminds me of engineer20's fishing lure debacle haha
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Yeah, that was a real snag!
 
I'd be more concerned about the nature of that gasket, it crumbling slowly and much smaller particles getting pumped around for a long time.

I found an oil cap band (the thing that breaks as you open a new bottle) in the sump of a car once. Migrated all the way down over many years.

When opportunity arises, redoing the vc gasket and oil pan gasket isn't the worst idea.
 
Originally Posted By: OceanRuns
Originally Posted By: CT8
The older Ford engines had those gaskets. They are needed so dirty air will not get sucked into the engine. PCV valve.


The way this particular cap is set up is the cap itself has a rubber hose going directly to the intake. It seems positive pressure is being vented out through the cap itself.

So, would the gasket be there to ensure the gases vent through the hose rather than just out to the atmosphere? How would anything be sucked in? Forgive me if I am misunderstanding, just would like to know how it works.

I do intend to replace the gasket if I can find one.

It's unlikely that crankcase pressure will outrun the intake draft, I suppose possible on an old, very worn engine. Well, yes, thinking back, I owned such an engine once, one with significant crankcase pressure, but it had a bad piston. But even if, you might get unfiltered air intake at the missing gasket due to Bernoulli's principle.

For your own peace of mind, pull the valve cover. Check each rocker arm tension while you're in there.

BTW we had one of these cars in the family. No surprise the engine is still on the road. Lots of surprise on the car. Typical 80's Ford quality, started rusting the moment we got it home. Weird start/idling/emissions problems denied by dealer and finally sorted out by a local independent mechanic. Specialty fasteners everywhere, had to buy Torx (or something like it) just to change the shocks, and a funky socket to change the oil pressure sender. (Still have that socket, never used it since). Why did I have to change the oil pressure sender? We've had Fords in the family since the Model T, never had to replace one before. Something on that Fairmont broke once a year like clockwork. Just Ford 80's quality.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2

I found an oil cap band (the thing that breaks as you open a new bottle) in the sump of a car once. Migrated all the way down over many years.


Just about every piston aircraft engine has a half dozen of those things in the sump.

I've pulled out 100's of them over the years (I'm not exaggerating)
 
Originally Posted By: HangFire

For your own peace of mind, pull the valve cover. Check each rocker arm tension while you're in there.

Something on that Fairmont broke once a year like clockwork. Just Ford 80's quality.


The valvetrain is non-adjustable.

We had a 1979 Fairmont station wagon with a 200 (3.3) 6, and a C4 trans. It went 181,000 miles and the air conditioner was still blowing ice cold.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: HangFire

For your own peace of mind, pull the valve cover. Check each rocker arm tension while you're in there.

Something on that Fairmont broke once a year like clockwork. Just Ford 80's quality.


The valvetrain is non-adjustable.

We had a 1979 Fairmont station wagon with a 200 (3.3) 6, and a C4 trans. It went 181,000 miles and the air conditioner was still blowing ice cold.


Nothing wrong with those 3.3 engines. I had one in an 82 t-bird w/ C5 and never had a problem for the 12 years,175k miles I owned it. When I changed the valve cover gasket back then, I found the gasket pieces and an oil bottle cap ring from several years prior laying in there, no harm done. I had a 79 Fairmont too, it had the 2.3 I4 w/4spd. It was the worst car I ever had.
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That'll get sucked into the oil pickup screen. When the oil pressure drops down to near zero, you'll know why.


That'll never happen in a million years.



I'm fairly confident that at some point in the next million years, that engine will experience near zero oil pressure.
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Originally Posted By: 28oz
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That'll get sucked into the oil pickup screen. When the oil pressure drops down to near zero, you'll know why.
That'll never happen in a million years.

I'm fairly confident that at some point in the next million years, that engine will experience near zero oil pressure.
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And STILL keep running! I had a 1970 Maverick with a 170 (the 200/ 3.3L little sister), and it never had any oil pressure. It did have flow, since the filter would get warm - just no pressure. You couldn't kill it. Oil light on all the time.
 
Originally Posted By: 28oz
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That'll get sucked into the oil pickup screen. When the oil pressure drops down to near zero, you'll know why.


That'll never happen in a million years.



I'm fairly confident that at some point in the next million years, that engine will experience near zero oil pressure.
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For instance, the next time it's turned off :p

Actually, there's a good chance it has near zero oil pressure right now!
 
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