jloby18

The IMS I pulled out of the car looked fine, no play in it at all. I did find some hard plastic in the oil pan such as you described above. Im going to pull the engine and install new timing chain guides, tensioners, solenoids and the IMS solution from LN Engineering. I replaced rear main when i did the clutch and IMS bearing. I want to make this car as worry free as possible. Anything else i should take care of while i have the engine pulled?

Macster

The hard plastic in the pan could be from when the engine was first started after it was built. It is finding hard plastic bits in the oil filter housing and filter element that indicate the plastic material shedding has happened within the last oil change or is on going and could be cause for concern.

If you have the engine out you could go a bit crazy and replace the AOS, water pump, plugs. You might consider renewing the o-rings/seals of the oil cooler too.

While I'm a believer in not fixing something if it is not broke with the engine out you have unfettered access to these items and can do a good job very easily. You are out the parts costs but the labor is pretty much free. Particularly the AOS job with the engine in the car can have the installer inadvertently disturb something collateral to the AOS which can require further diagnosis and work to address.

If there are any signs of spark plug tube leaks then new tube o-rings or whatever is required to make the tubes oil tight again.

Same goes for the camshaft covers. Any leak sign from these should be dealt with properly.

Once done then then barring a premature failure of one of the new items -- rare but not unheard of -- the engine is good for many more years/miles of use.