-
[Coyote] Small piece of plastic fell into the oil filler tube. What to do?
Long story short: When moving the engine around the oil filler tube got twisted and one of the tabs that click-lock the tube in place came off. It's about 4mm by 2mm piece of plastic. The only place it could have gone is down the tube itself. The filler tube is on the passenger side valve cover. Here's a picture:
20220105_015718.jpg 20220408_171916.jpg
The piece of plastic is missing from this slot:
20220408_171908.jpg
Looking down the hole it looks like it fell straight into the valve train:
20220408_171939.jpg
I pray that the coyote experts on this forum can guide me on what the next best step is. Will the piece of plastic fall down into the oil pan? Does the filler-tube just shower oil straight onto the valve train? Do I need to take off the valve-covers and remove the piece?
Last edited by facultyofmusic; 04-08-2022 at 07:26 PM.
-
I had the same thing happen. It’s really easy to remove the valve cover. If it fell into the pan, your good. It will come out during oil change. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. Not my engine though.
Mike
-
Originally Posted by
michael everson
I had the same thing happen. It’s really easy to remove the valve cover. If it fell into the pan, your good. It will come out during oil change. Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. Not my engine though.
Mike
Thanks for the quick reply Mike. My paranoid brain can't stop wondering what happens if it gets stuck in a spring or in the timing chain. Is it possible for catastrophic failure to happen in that case?
-
If it were my car, I'd pull the cover. If it isn't there, drain the oil and if it doesn't turn up, drop the pan. You might also be able scope the pan rather than removing it.
-
Daniel - I have one of those cheap Amazon wifi endoscope gizmos that you can shove down the hole and have a look around (or into the oil pan if you drain the oil) if you want to see if you can spot it. You're welcome to swing by and borrow it.
MkIV Roadster build: Gen 2 Coyote, IRS, TKO600. Ordered 10/24/18. Delivered 1/29/19. Engine installed 8/8/21. First start 9/12/21. First go-kart 9/17/21. Off to paint 4/11/22. Back from paint 12/30/22.
Build thread here.
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 1 Likes
-
Originally Posted by
JohnK
Daniel - I have one of those cheap Amazon wifi endoscope gizmos that you can shove down the hole and have a look around (or into the oil pan if you drain the oil) if you want to see if you can spot it. You're welcome to swing by and borrow it.
Thanks John, will take you up on that ASAP.
-
Originally Posted by
Papa
If it were my car, I'd pull the cover. If it isn't there, drain the oil and if it doesn't turn up, drop the pan. You might also be able scope the pan rather than removing it.
Is replacing the valve-cover gasket a must? The engine is new and has never been run. AFAIK the coyote uses a push-in gasket instead of the liquid goop gaskets.
-
I don't know, but it may depend on what the gaskets are made of and if the cover comes off without damaging the gasket.
-
It’s an O-ring style gasket. No need to replace. You can have the cover off in 5 minutes.
Mike
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 0 Likes
WIS89 thanked for this post
-
I borrowed JohnK's endoscope and stuck it down the hole. The little plastic piece was no where to be seen, and as far as I can tell the little piece of plastic probably fell down the timing chain cover, meaning there wasn't much I could do even if I removed the valve cover.
Here's to hoping either gets ground up eventually or drops into the oil pan sometime in the future.
-
Seasoned Citizen
I suggest you drain the oil and see if the part comes out with the oil -- that would be the best case as then there would be no concern of FOD once that foreign debris is removed.
However, if the part that you lost in the engine is really 2mm x 4mm then I probably wouldn't sweat it. That part (.079" x .157") should be too big to make it past the oil pump pick up screen. I don't know the actual opening size of your particular screen but referencing the industry's most prolific P/U screen, a typical Melling P/U screen opening size is .040" nominal which would catch the part you lost. And the part is not big enough to blind off the P/U screen.
Consider yourself lucky and this a learning experience.
Dart Little M 406" SBC 800 HP N/A & 1,100 HP on nitrous, 2-spd Powerglide with trans brake, 6,000 RPM stall converter, narrowed Moser 88 3.90:1 spool with 35-spline gun-drilled axles & Torino bearings, custom parallel four-link, custom tube chassis & roll cage NHRA certified for 8.5-sec (only two FFR Hot Rods have this cert).
33 Hot Rod Super Pro Drag Racer Build:
33 HR NHRA Cert Roll Cage Build
-
I would pull the valve cover. Aren't you going to swap the oil pan? THEN, button it up and run it.
20th Anniversary Mk IV, A50XS Coyote, TKO 600, Trunk Drop Box, Trunk Battery Box, Cubby Hole, Seat Heaters, Radiator hanger and shroud.
-
The oil pan is already swapped. I think I'll take the pan off again after I drop the engine in and before I fill it with oil. Would be easier to do from the bottom with the engine in the car.
-
Originally Posted by
facultyofmusic
The oil pan is already swapped. I think I'll take the pan off again after I drop the engine in and before I fill it with oil. Would be easier to do from the bottom with the engine in the car.
Did you ever find the piece of plastic? This exact same thing happened to me recently and I changed the oil twice with no luck. Used borescope down timing cover and oil pan, no luck.
Thanks: 
Likes: 
Reply With Quote
