HeLeven

Hi guys.

Sorry for looking for advice on a first post but I heard this is the place to ask for technical Porsche advice.

My 964 is in being serviced and my mechanic called me with a problem. While he was draining the oil he noticed something blocking the hole. After a little battle, he extracted the metal pin you see below. I haven't seen it but he told me it is c.5cm long with bevelled ends and is very sturdy.

He is a Porsche specialist but this is not a part he recognises. He suspects it is a timing chain guide pin but we are looking for either confirmation or an alternative suggestion before we go any further and open it up. He is doing his own enquiries and I thought I would try and move the process along with my own.

I have no idea how long this pin has been loose inside my engine and I am obviously lucky that no damage has been done. However, what was meant to be a minor service is undoubtedly going to end up being something bigger.

Any help appreciated.

(sorry for the poor picture quality)

Vandit

Retake the pic w/ a common item such as a coin next to the pin. Gives a sense of scale.

Mr.Spacely

About 2 inches, just a little less than the width of an iPhone. That's pretty long to be loose inside the engine, wow.

HeLeven

I know. Scary.

The below is actually the same photo but slightly less cropped to show some text on a page. Unfortunately I don't have the pin and haven't seen it first hand so can't take another photo.

I can only think of two ways it got there.
1: It somehow was dropped in the last time the engine was open (unlikely)
2: Something came loose inside the engine and I'm just lucky it didn't get caught in any moving parts.



Either way, I have to figure out where it has come from and either reinstate it or replace it.

Rocket Rob

Sorry, I don't recognize it. Hope that you can isolate where it came from and its not an expensive/drastic thing to fix.

Vandit

Did this come out of the crank case or oil tank?

I can't see how that would come loose in the engine and end up in the tank. Think of all the bends and lines and the friggin' filter housing and filter.

Hopefully it's part of the thermostat or float assembly.

Hopefully someone w/ expertise can ID the part.

HeLeven

It came from the crank case.

I think it is going to be expensive but thankfully not as expensive as a replacement engine might have been.

I'm doing my best to see the bright side.

Makmov

It's got to part of an assembly or completely foriegn. Does not look like any standard part you'd find floating around inside a 3.6 engine. It almost looks like a locating pin. Tensioner sprocket pin. It's 3X22mm?

Indycam

Or you could just be thankful that it is out of the crankcase and drive it if everything is working well .
I'm guessing that that part was dropped into the case when the pistons / cylinders were last off .

crg53

Did your mechanic by any chance drain the oil on APRIL 1st.

JasonAndreas

There are two pins on the oil pump that kinda look like that. Have your mechanic stick a boroscope in the oil drain hole to take a look. A piece of the timing chain mechanism would never make it that far and remain in that condition.

Indycam

It might be less work to take the pin to an oil pump that is out and try and match up the pin to it ?

993James993

+1

Does the engine run? Have you driven it since this was discovered?

How long have you owned the car? Has any engine work done?

If it were me I would let it idle and see what happens. If all good then I would drive it. It could have been there for ages.

Years ago my mechanic found a similar pin stuck to the gear oil plug. After considerable concern I just drove the car.

Cosmos99

Looks like the pin for the distributor ring gear..

HeLeven

Thanks for the responses guys. You have given me some good stuff to think about.

I have owned the car for 2.5 years. A previous owner had the engine rebuilt c. 4 years ago. I dropped the car off on Monday for a service and to have some other small jobs taken car of. The part was found Monday afternoon when the oil was being drained. I haven't collected the car as we haven't decided what to do but it has been (and always was) running beautifully.

It is possible that this piece was loose for the entire time I have been driving the car with no adverse consequences. Part of me is telling me that I should be grateful that the pin is out and just drive it. Another part of me is telling me that this might only have come loose recently and there is something in there just waiting to fall apart.

I will be talking to my mechanic on Tuesday and will pass on the above suggestions. If anyone else has ideas about what this might be, please post your thoughts.