dlandsvZ28

Found this piece of metal in the oil on the magnetic tip of the oil plug. I know little about all of the engine interals about where this piece is from. My hunch is that a piece of the valve retainer has broken off. I have not pulled the valve covers off yet.

Note there is also loud noise coming from the driver side front valve cover that has existed from day one after the install of the cam, lifters, and ported heads which were replaced with a set of Patriot LQ9 heads by Bob at Brute Speed when his shop installed my ATI DS sc. (Blew a head gasket on original set of heads when tuning and why the original ported heads were replaced to replace high compression heads so my stock bottom end might live longer).

Current boost is about 10 lbs.

Am not implying anything on Bob's shop's work. Just giving a history of the work done on this engine for the heads. A broken valve spring retainer isn't the responsibility of the shop installing the heads.

Need opinions of what the piece might be from and then what to fix.

Info on the engine and car:

1998 Z 28 with 82K miles - still have stock bottom end.
ATI Procharger D1 SC. I do not race the car. Been to a drag strip three times. Have driven car less than 2000 miles in last five years. Tune is an SD tune.

Mods to the engine have been:

Comp Cams 224/228 LSA 114 - 23K miles
Comp Cams R type lifter – 2003 era - 23K miles
Patriot LQ 9 heads with dual springs etc. Low compression – 9.0 - 5K miles
Stock rockers replacing the Yella Terra rockers. - 1 K miles to try to get of rid of extreme valve train noise)
New style LS6 oil pump - 23k miles

Lots of other modifications, but none that would related to engine internals.

Pics of piece of metal.

Bob@BruteSpeed

iTrader: (16)

This work was done back at EPP which closed down in early 2010. I did not own that shop, I managed it. Bob

dlandsvZ28

Thanks Bob for the correction.

Again - I don't want to place any blame at all on Bob's shop (EPP).

The head that failed was actually a used head along with a new head that a shop in KC installed - a fiasco I don't even want to begin to expand on in this post. The shop was supposed to install two new ported heads.

So we ended up replacing them at EPP with Patriot LQ9 low compression heads with titanium retainers.

Something has broken in the engine and I would like to fix it if it but don't want to tow it hundreds of miles to replace,repair a set of heads since the car still has original bottom end. This set of heads has less than 5k miles.

I'm thinking it might be best to replace the engine with a rebuilt TSP or Thompson motor rather than continuing to mess with the current engine. That said don't want to tow it hundreds of miles if it might be a simple fix.

Only reputable places to swap engines that I am aware of would be KC, Dallas, or TSP. I live in Wichita KS.

slogo

So you have had a noise from driver side front valve cover day after cam was installed 6 years ago?
And with the history of the heads, you know, a broken valve spring retainer is not the responsibility of the shop who performed said work, when did we get a used head and a new
head installed, and was they the original ported heads that was a used and new head pair that was replaced with Patriot LQ9 low squeeze heads with titanium retainers?
or were they the original before the original ported?
And i totally agree, the valve spring retainer you have pictured is the low quality kind,
they most definitely used a low quality material for spring retainers.
And you are correct, you should just replace the engine with another, and go GM crate
and have dealership install. Just my .02 Good luck with it all

Bob@BruteSpeed

iTrader: (16)

I think it was actually around 2005 if EPP swapped the cam, as his ProCharger was installed at the shop's first location. Bob

dlandsvZ28

Again - EPP IMO shares no responsibility for the broken part.

I was only trying to explain the history of the heads.

To clarify - a shop in KC installed ported heads,cam,lifters,oil pump, headers,Yella Terra rockers (first version), LS6 intake, Precision TQ, and rebuilt the A4 around 2003. I was supposed to have been sold two new ported heads. I got two heads (99 heads) only later to find out that one of the heads had at least 60-70 miles on it. That head failed during tuning at EPP when the ATI kit was installed.

EPP installed the ATI D1SC kit around 2005. EPP installed two new Patriot LQ9 low compression heads replacing the 99 heads. The Patriot heads were advertised as having titianium retainers by Patriot.

These heads (Patriots) currently have less that 5k miles on them. The only hard work these heads have ever encountered IMO is during the times it has been on the dyno. I don't street race. Ninety nine percent of the miles since the mods have been highway miles and city driving. I am 69 btw.

Essentially the reason for the post is to get opinions on what the piece is? Perhaps it isn't a retainer and something else.

And if I should throw any more money at it, or just get a new GM engine or a complete rebuild from sources such as Texas Speed or Thompson. I would probably replace the current engine with a forged 347 or iron block 370 if this piece has damaged the engine or to what extent there is damage.

I want something reliable - not looking to make 700 rwhp. Current 565 rwhp is enough.

slogo

So you mean to tell that a stock bottom end with a Procharger that is just pampered,
because if I had a procharger I would drive it very easy as well, is already having issues after only 11 years.
I am really surprised those spring retainers are already giving up.

Bob@BruteSpeed

iTrader: (16)

It could be a piece from the previous heads, which finally made its way do the oil pan. If the engine is still running well, I'd remove the valve covers and inspect the valvetrain. If everything looks fine, I'd drive it as is for no more than you use the car. Bob

Crf450r420

iTrader: (1)

There is thin metal in the valve covers to make baffles. That is aluminum, I think, so the magnet rules that out. The only other thing that comes to mind are some rockers have a cap on the trunions and the angle plus the curve looks like it could be from there. Not much else steel and that thin. Truck pans have the oil bleed which might have some thin metal, but not on these pans. If it had a Gen IV tensioner it could be from that spring metal. That's all I can think of.