"pins" in the oil
"pins" in the oil Guys,
I've changed the oil on the car 3 times now and each time I keep finding little "pins" attached to the drain plug. The first time I dropped the plug into the shop's drain and found them so I thought they might have come from there. The second time I forgot and dropped it again and they were there. This time I remembered to hold the plug and sure enough they were there. I can take some pics but they are so small I'm not sure they will come out. These "pins" look just like a cam dowel pin but are about 1/20th the size. Anyone have any clue what this could be? They are perfect, round pins about 1/8" long and very thin. Each time they have been there it's been like 2 or 3. The car runs great and only has about 40K miles so I'm not inclined to tear the engine out to see what this might be.
Thanks,
Derck
I've changed the oil on the car 3 times now and each time I keep finding little "pins" attached to the drain plug. The first time I dropped the plug into the shop's drain and found them so I thought they might have come from there. The second time I forgot and dropped it again and they were there. This time I remembered to hold the plug and sure enough they were there. I can take some pics but they are so small I'm not sure they will come out. These "pins" look just like a cam dowel pin but are about 1/20th the size. Anyone have any clue what this could be? They are perfect, round pins about 1/8" long and very thin. Each time they have been there it's been like 2 or 3. The car runs great and only has about 40K miles so I'm not inclined to tear the engine out to see what this might be.
Thanks,
Derck
They are the needle bearings for the rocker arms. Remove the rockers and find the one or ones that are losing bearings. Not too much of a big deal but you better replace the failing ones as soon as apossible.
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They are an LS1Tech Sponsor that handles Harland Sharp Rocker mods.
I guess a couple of other sponsors now do so as well.
Harland Sharp will swap out the trunion in your rockers with a better built ***'y and ship you new bolts to mount them for $250-275 or so.
I guess a couple of other sponsors now do so as well.
Harland Sharp will swap out the trunion in your rockers with a better built ***'y and ship you new bolts to mount them for $250-275 or so.
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Verdad Gallardo Thanks for all the info guys!
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
I'd put all new OEM arms back in it. I especially wouldn't go to heavier, less stiff aluminum roller arms. The Sharp re-bearing mod is ok if it's done right, but most engines don't need it unless the aftermarket cam/valvetrain guy has really screwed up the valvetrain loads. In that case, fixing the rest of the valvetrain should be job 1. It rarely is.
There are stock hydraulic lifter, stock rocker arm drag engines running 7900 every run with zero problems throughout a season/seasons. The cam lobes, pushrods and springs are very important to making things work well and last a long time. Most folks use the wrong parts.
My $.02
There are stock hydraulic lifter, stock rocker arm drag engines running 7900 every run with zero problems throughout a season/seasons. The cam lobes, pushrods and springs are very important to making things work well and last a long time. Most folks use the wrong parts.
My $.02
Last edited by Old SStroker; Nov 14, 2008 at 07:02 AM.
Here's what mine looked like when my rocker let go...and it happened all at once. Don't wait, pull the valve covers ASAP.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2446297/2
Simple enough to fix, but you better find all the needle bearings and any other carnage that maybe floating around, that's the PITA
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2446297/2
Simple enough to fix, but you better find all the needle bearings and any other carnage that maybe floating around, that's the PITA
Get the Harland Sharp rebuild. Well worth it, and these rockers are good to the 8's or better.
FYI, some of the aftermarket rockers will not fit under stock covers. Ran into this with Harland 1.8's on a 98. Would have had to use spacers....
FYI, some of the aftermarket rockers will not fit under stock covers. Ran into this with Harland 1.8's on a 98. Would have had to use spacers....
Thanks again and I'm gonna check into both just replacing the stockers and the Harland Sharp.
OldSS my main concern with putting stockers back in is they've already failed me once on a car with only 40K miles and is babied (read not raced) most of the time...what's to say it wouldn't happen again with a new set? Plus I do plan on getting a cam hopefully sometime next year.
1QWIK is there any "easy" way to find all of the pieces? I really don't wanna tear the engine apart so is there some way to flush it? I'm hoping when I pull the rockers I'll find one and hopefully I've already gotten all of the pieces with the oil changes...guess we'll see.
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
OldSS my main concern with putting stockers back in is they've already failed me once on a car with only 40K miles and is babied (read not raced) most of the time...what's to say it wouldn't happen again with a new set? Plus I do plan on getting a cam hopefully sometime next year.
1QWIK is there any "easy" way to find all of the pieces? I really don't wanna tear the engine apart so is there some way to flush it? I'm hoping when I pull the rockers I'll find one and hopefully I've already gotten all of the pieces with the oil changes...guess we'll see.
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
Thanks again and I'm gonna check into both just replacing the stockers and the Harland Sharp.
OldSS my main concern with putting stockers back in is they've already failed me once on a car with only 40K miles and is babied (read not raced) most of the time...what's to say it wouldn't happen again with a new set? Plus I do plan on getting a cam hopefully sometime next year.
1QWIK is there any "easy" way to find all of the pieces? I really don't wanna tear the engine apart so is there some way to flush it? I'm hoping when I pull the rockers I'll find one and hopefully I've already gotten all of the pieces with the oil changes...guess we'll see.
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
OldSS my main concern with putting stockers back in is they've already failed me once on a car with only 40K miles and is babied (read not raced) most of the time...what's to say it wouldn't happen again with a new set? Plus I do plan on getting a cam hopefully sometime next year.
1QWIK is there any "easy" way to find all of the pieces? I really don't wanna tear the engine apart so is there some way to flush it? I'm hoping when I pull the rockers I'll find one and hopefully I've already gotten all of the pieces with the oil changes...guess we'll see.
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
The fix is likely to be more labor intensive than $$$$.
Good Luck.
Chris
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
OldSS my main concern with putting stockers back in is they've already failed me once on a car with only 40K miles and is babied (read not raced) most of the time...what's to say it wouldn't happen again with a new set? Plus I do plan on getting a cam hopefully sometime next year.
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
Also the car is parked for now. Won't be driven until I get it looked at but I'm out of town so it'll be another week
If you go with the Sharp mod, make sure each rocker turns freely on the trunnion bearings. They should all feel tha same. Same thing goes for the new stockers. Don't install a tight or funny-feeling one. But that goes for any replacement rocker.
IMO, the stock rocker is a light, strong, low polar moment of inertia piece. Most replacements are not those things. The Sharp mod replaces the weakest part of the stocker which is the races for the bearings. If you don't have a big cam and don't run it past 6800 too often, use new stockers. Your valve springs will appreciate it.
Jon
I appreciate your concern, but I think yours is is the exception rather than the rule. There are plenty of 100,000 mile LS engines running with no rocker problems. Mine has 125K.
If you go with the Sharp mod, make sure each rocker turns freely on the trunnion bearings. They should all feel tha same. Same thing goes for the new stockers. Don't install a tight or funny-feeling one. But that goes for any replacement rocker.
IMO, the stock rocker is a light, strong, low polar moment of inertia piece. Most replacements are not those things. The Sharp mod replaces the weakest part of the stocker which is the races for the bearings. If you don't have a big cam and don't run it past 6800 too often, use new stockers. Your valve springs will appreciate it.
Jon
If you go with the Sharp mod, make sure each rocker turns freely on the trunnion bearings. They should all feel tha same. Same thing goes for the new stockers. Don't install a tight or funny-feeling one. But that goes for any replacement rocker.
IMO, the stock rocker is a light, strong, low polar moment of inertia piece. Most replacements are not those things. The Sharp mod replaces the weakest part of the stocker which is the races for the bearings. If you don't have a big cam and don't run it past 6800 too often, use new stockers. Your valve springs will appreciate it.
Jon
Sounds good...thinking that's the route I'll probably go.
I had this same thing happen to me... Went to put a cam in my old motor, loosened the rocker and it fell off to the side of the spring... I don't think there is anything wrong with stock rockers, they work real well and are on the cheap... Unfortunately, failures due happen, and most times you see it a lot on OEM parts because they have so many miles on them. Whereas aftermarket rockers, etc... usually are in high hp applications where they don't see a huge amount of total miles... I think this is the misconception.