What could it be? Engine runs fine, sounds fine...

It is sitting on a business card for reference.





Thanks for your help.

Brian

 

That looks like a needle bearing out of a rocker.....

 

ditto, check your rockers.

 

what they said

 

I had heard about that happening...recommended steps to remedy?

Thanks again.

Brian

 

I would pop the valve covers and make sure there arent anymoe floating around. Make sure the rest of the rockers look ok. Also might look into some replacement rockers, expecially if some of the other ones are looking like they are about to come apart. You don't really need to get aftermarket ones, just see about getting some replacement rockers, or maybe someone who has upgraded has some for sale

 

I have 2 sets of stock LS1 rockers with low miles on them..

PM me if your interested..

 

Is that a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper? If it is, that looks way too big to be a needle bearing.

 

.....

 

Looks like the old needles ejecting from the stock rockers. Many have replaced them with Harland Sharps I have a couple of sets on special. Or there are several people that have replaced theres and have used stockers...but could happen again.

Nate

 

yeh - needle bearing from a bad valve rocker arm....

DONT drive this car - replace all rockers NOW!

 

I know that the previous owner had some rockers replaced at the dealer.

This might be a remnant of the old rockers-

Crap- I guess I'll send it to a shop.

Thanks everyone.

B

 

Is this a random thing?

My rockers are fine (knock on wood)...do they just decide to let go one day?

How do you drive the car? ie. many 6000 rpm shifts etc?

 

maybe random??? There is a service bulletin out for this...

 

Right,
There is a TSB on this, so if the car is still under warranty.... let GM fix it.

If it is not, Call Nate The Harland Sharpe rockers I got from him are awesome.

 

I have actually never shifted at 6k RPM. For the most part I baby the car with only occasional Revs.

Since I have yet to work on these cars, are there any online intructions on how to take the valve covers off so I can check the RR? 98 Formula.

B

 

Same thing happened to my girlfriend's 98 T/A. I ordered a set of replacement stockers today.

 

It's really easy. check out www.ls1howto.com and look under f-body
yella terra rocker install.

 

I've had the exact same thing happen to me. Just take off the valve covers, look for the bad rocker and all the other needle bearings because I counted them a while ago and I know there are 30+(I think 34 or somewhere around there). What happened to mine was the retainer that holds the bearings broke into pieces and let the bearings go. The good thing is that the oil passages from the top of the heads go straight to the oil pan so all the bearings are either in the top of the head, around the springs, in the oil passages, or in the pan. Hopefully none got tossed into the pushrod holes but that's just speculation, I doubt it. I dropped the pan as far as it will go (about 3in. because of the K-member) and dug around the pan with a long bent magnet. I found one made of soft metal that was bendable and wouldn't break from either Home Depot or Oreilly's or some place like that. Just replace it with a stock one if you don't have the money for aftermarket rockers. Hope this helps.

 

How do you tell the screwed up rocker apart from the others?