Bossman

So it's a long story, but a very long day of business meetings today followed by the decision to drive home instead of stay the night. It's a 2.5 hour trip home, 100 degrees out, and when I stop for gas the oil level light is on. I know the car has been running a half quart low, it's about due for an oil change, and with the heat today, I decide to stop by an auto parts store and grab a quart of oil.

I'm tired as hell, pierce the foil on the top of the quart container, and start to put oil in the filler tube. As soon as I start I see a piece of the foil, about the size of a quarter, go down the tube. After buying a flash light, holding the tube downward, tapping it, etc. there is no foil coming back out. So now I have a piece of foil in the oil pan.

After much deliberation, I decided to drive it home (80 miles) while watching the pressure gauge in case the foil blocked something up. It ran fine and nothing out of the ordinary during the drive. Now I need to get the foil out of the pan.

I know it was probably a bad decision to drive it. Is there a screen on the oil sump to prevent the foil from being picked up? How about the oil filter? I'm not educated on how an oil system functions and at what point in the flow it runs though the filter.

I'm thinking I need a good indy in the Northeast PA or Northern NJ region to take the car to. Please give me your thoughts.

Here's what I'm going to do now while you more knowledgeable guys tell me what to do next:

Dharn55

Yes there is a screen, but the opening is pretty close the the size of a quarter, so that piece of foil could easily block it. You need to drop the oil pan and get the piece of foil out before this happens or you could loose oil pressure and damage the engine. The only problem is if the foil has worked its way to the pan yet.

ivangene

+1

or worse
(left the pan and headed "somewhere else")

redridge

it can possibly block the intake.... not good.

but... it might not of made it down that far....

Tom M

Actually, I think the first thing to do is to drop the filter and see if you got lucky - which is doubtful. If it's not there then you can begin the exploratory surgery.

Van

If the shop has a good bore scope, will they be able to see the pickup tube/screen from the oil drain hole?

Dharn55

In order to the to the filter it has to get to the pan and through the oil pick up tube, then through the oil pump, not much of a chance of that.

The path of the oil is from the pan into the oil pick up tube, then to the oil pump, then to the oil filter, then through the oil cooler, and them finally to the engine for lubrication.

Bossman

Thanks for the info, that makes me feel better. It was probably a good thing that it was a big piece of foil. That probably makes it much harder to get through the system you noted above causing internal engine damage. I was on the pressure gauge like a hawk all the way home with a hand ready to shut off the ignition if I saw it drop/anything funky.

I can deal with dropping the pan, it's most likely there. If not, I don't think there's much of a chance it reached the filter, so at least the location is pretty isolated. I plan on getting it to the indy on a flatbed, so the fact that I got home without an issue is probably a good sign.

Ahmet

I don't think you have to worry quite that much. It will NOT go through that screen, and if it did partially block the oil pick up, running the engine with lower oil pressure for a few seconds won't damage anything either. These cars run much lower oil pressure on track during extended right turns (MK1 cars, and not uncommon to other makes/models), not to mention virtually every post oil change start up, and to a lesser extent, cold starts which is the case on the vast majority of cars/engines.

bkjwhipple

sounds like the perfect opportunity to add a deep sump oil kit! :-)

ivangene

or some baffles

Macster

Foil probably still in filler tube.

It won't block anything. Likely if it made it down far enough it will either get lodged somewhere in engine or be ingested by the oil scavage pump which will pulverize it and next time you change the oil you'll see a bit of aluminum foil debris -- tiny tiny flakes -- in the oil filter housing oil and in the filter element.

I'd not mess with the oil sump unless you feel you must. Remember you have to reseal this very critical piece of hardware.

If I were to remove the oil sump I'd be tempted -- even if I don't track the car -- I'd be tempted to add a quality deep sump kit.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Mother

Magnet with extension (auto parts store) might pick it up if still in filler tube, just tie it around your wrist as to not drop it down there also. GL

Van

Foil on cans/jugs is usually aluminum...

Mother

Most are and likely your right, but it's one of those "ya never know" shots.