Forced Induction - Let's play, "What's that in my oil pan?"

So I blew up my motor back in January.... cracked the ring land on #7 blah blah blah, and the new motor is almost done so I was cleaning up my oil pan. Removed the baffle and there was a little bit of sludge in the front, not much, about an 1/8 inch or less, not bad for a motor with 65,000 miles on it. As I'm cleaning it out, I discover a little peice of metal, magnetic, sitting in the sludge.

Cleaned it off and sure enough it's a tiny c-clip. Here it is next to the baffle bolt for size reference.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581076_3474852702900_1018675813_3110619_1877140008 _n.jpg

I have no clue what it goes to. No it's not needle bearings.

ive torn apart several ls motors and never seen that. first thought was lifter part but i dont think it is

It's got to be something internal, so lifters maybe, I don't know. I'm stumped.

know if anyone tore into the car before you bought it? i feel like that had to enter with the timing cover off. it looks like a c-clip to a locking header bolt but seems way too small.

no clue:confused:
and ive torn down ALOT of busted motors of all kinds.

ive torn apart several ls motors and never seen that. first thought was lifter part but i dont think it is

The lifter retainers are thinner and not flat. I'm not sure what it is though.

seems to small to be from lifters, possibly oil pump pressure relief valve?

I am the original owner of the car, and this is the first time the oil pump and pan have been off the car. I've done heads/cam before, a few times, and I've never dropped anything in there. Where is the oil pump pressure releif valve?

The clip really is small. To give size reference the bolt above has a 10mm head on it.

its on the opposite side of the pickup tube, has i think an 8mm hex plug on the end, ive taken one apart but cant remember seeing that but there is a ball, spring and small plunger in there

Yeah, nothing missing or different with the oil pump. Checked the lifters and they are all fine as well.

could of been accidentaly dropped in..

Here's another clearer pic:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/575458_3475356235488_1018675813_3110771_1618435819 _n.jpg

You might have had a "Friday at 5pm" motor....coulda been in there from when the pan was installed at the factory....almost looks like a clip from a throttle cable but that would have gone in and out of the motor.

Do u have a trunion kit on Ur rockers? They have c clips u said stock but Jw.

Possible C clip from a trunion upgrade as stated before...if you have the trunion upgrade lol

The rockers are stockers, actually a combination of ls1 and ls3 style. No trunion upgrade, plus, aren't those c-clips larger?

Top piece out of a lifter had one come apart looked similar

The lifters clips aren't as rounded as the one in the pic they are a diff style.

The rockers are stockers, actually a combination of ls1 and ls3 style. No trunion upgrade, plus, aren't those c-clips larger?

Yes the trunion upgrade are larger and they are snap rings.

what wheels are you running they look great

My overall concern is making sure when I put the motor back together that there isn't something missing a c-clip somewhere. I was looking over the oil level sender and trying to see if it came off it but I didn't see anywhere that it would fit.

what wheels are you running they look great

:offtopic:

im stumped on this one, i was thinking rockers too but when i did the trunion upgrade i dont remember any clips like that. just a little present from gm haha. hows the new motor, any specs? mine broke over 600 and maxed out the pump so i went with a bigger pulley.

Looks like a lifter plunger retainer

The lifter plunger retainer isn't a c-clip, and I checked all 16 lifters, they are fine.

Edit never mind lol was in the pan.

im stumped on this one, i was thinking rockers too but when i did the trunion upgrade i dont remember any clips like that. just a little present from gm haha. hows the new motor, any specs? mine broke over 600 and maxed out the pump so i went with a bigger pulley.

Yeah, I honestly don't know how long it's been in the pan.

Good to hear you got your setup going. Where'd you dyno/tune it? We need to finally meet one of these days and shoot the shit.

Looks like a "Jesus clip" off of a linkage.....

I went to a shop in horsham, where Joel works at. Non sponsor so I better not list it but I think you know who. Yea sounds good to me, wish this weather would finally clear up. The whole project took a lot longer then expected but it was worth it.

Something from the Timing chain !!! :lol:

muffler bearing retainer

:offtopic:

:jest:

I wonder if it came out of an oil filter. I have never cut one open, and that may be highly unlikely...but as usual I am just thinking outside the box.

There is nothing on a Ls motor or anything in engine bay that has the style/size clip. I do know from experience that those clips tend to snag onto rags & towels.
So only guess I have, is that you had your oil changed, & mechanic wiped excess oil that he dribbled onto filler neck or valve cover with rag & that clip was hanging on rag & fell in.

I went to a shop in horsham, where Joel works at. Non sponsor so I better not list it but I think you know who. Yea sounds good to me, wish this weather would finally clear up. The whole project took a lot longer then expected but it was worth it.

There is nothing on a Ls motor or anything in engine bay that has the style/size clip. I do know from experience that those clips tend to snag onto rags & towels.
So only guess I have, is that you had your oil changed, & mechanic wiped excess oil that he dribbled onto filler neck or valve cover with rag & that clip was hanging on rag & fell in.

did you have a like a csi flash back or vision while typing that? lol... i kinda did

Well, it's out now. Like I said, I found it in the little thin layer of sludge in the front of the pan. Just as long as it doesn't go back in, I'm happy.