The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Broken Piece in Oil Pan

Good day everyone, I pulled down my oil pan on my Chevy 235 to work on the timing cover and to fix a leak. I found these metal pieces in my oil pan, can anyone tell me what they are? I think they may go to the oil pump, but I am not sure. See attached photo.

The engine was running prior to removing the pan?

Mike - They actually look like fuel pump actuating arm plates and arm spring. The arms are usual 3 side by side steel plates sandwiched together to make the pump arm that rides on the cam fuel pump lobe. Can't say for sure on the long pin.

Have to agree. Looks like most of the junk is from a catastrophic fuel pump failure.

Is voting still open? I vote fuel pump. If the engine was running, maybe it was a previous fuel pump.

The truck was running great before I dropped the oil pan, but if it is the fuel pump, it was still running because I also have an electric fuel pump on just in case something like this happens.

That's funny. Do you know if the pieces of the pump in the pan came from the mechanical pump that's on there now? Maybe it was the prior owner and he just installed a ne pump and left the pieces in the pan.

If you decide to install a new mechanical pump, don't buy a new one. Find an original pump or a replacement pump made prior to 1995 and rebuild it or have it done. The new mechanical pumps are ALL Chinese garbage right out of the box.

I remember a similar report a few years ago; someone found parts from several fuel pumps in their oil pan. I guess it's a common occurrence!

It's confirmed it was the fuel pump, thanks everyone.

But which fuel pump was it? Was it the one that's installed right now?

Yes, the one that was installed, I took it off the block and the arm that rides against the cam was broken. I am glad I choose to also put an electric pump on it, or I would have been left on the side of the road when it broke.

Find an original style pump on ebay for $30 or so and rebuild it. It'll last forever. Was the one that broke a "new" pump?

Mike - Before you get too much further you should take a look at the fuel pump cam lobe to make sure it didn't get chewed up or damaged when that arm self-destructed. That and checking for any other random contact with other internals to be sure nothing else got banged up or a piece got lodged somewhere to later fall out or get stuck in the rotating assembly and cause further damage.

Have you tried to puzzle piece assemble all the bits and pieces together to be sure you found everything that was once one piece? It might give you better peace of mind when you start putting things back together.