SeanR

Tie wrap end that was cut off.

Odd, this is a 55k car that has had nothing done to it aside from a WP/TB job a few years back. Top end has never been apart, valve covers never off of it.



I've found nuts, washers, RTV goop before and you can usually tell how they got in there due to what work has been done to it in the past. This one stumps me. Had to have been done during an oil change or from the factory. Don't see any white zip ties anywhere on the the engine though.

Mrmerlin

maybe it fell into the oil pan when the Tb was done as the dipstick tube would have been removed, maybe it was being used to remove the O ring from the block and then went in through the hole Good to know it wont go through the oil pickup

fraggle

I would expected a cam chain tensioner had been replaced at some point, but if it's never been apart???

dr bob

First time for the oil pan off? I use wire ties to hold the gasket in place during installation, one every few holes. Cut and pull the pigtails after the other pan bolts are in. Maybe the piece you found is a relic of someone's similar technique.

As much as I'd like to say that it would impossibe to accidentally drop a wire tie tail through the dipstick hole in the girdle/sump... When doing the intake refresh a few weeks ago, we managed to launch a paper clip down an injector hole in the intake while pulling the wire connector clips. Managed to snake a magnet down the hole right away and pull it out, but still we were amazed that it found its way in there.