I’m doing my oil jet bolts. I took off the oil pan and I found this there. Engine looks perfect at 135k miles, so this didn’t happen during driving. Where did this come from, anyone have an idea?

 

My WAG is the thumbscrew from a feeler gauge.

 

yes you're right! must've fallen when the previous owner adjusted the valves LOL

 

Very lucky

 

I bet it was mechanic po had do the valve adjust. Who among us would drop something like that into motor and just shrug it off and put it back together and hope?

Wondering if it was a dealership...

 

Would someone explain to me how this nut could get in the oil sump from the top of the valve train? I can't get my head around the idea but I've only had my valve cover off once.

-- Chuck

 

^^^

Gravity.

 

My guess, is it made it's way down through the front timing chain cover area. I've seen things like this before --- in other engines. Like BMWs.

 

There are oil galleys that are large enough to allow the part to drop down to the pan. It may have been someone who just didn't realize that the screw fell off the feeler. I have those screws on each of my feeler gauges, and I loosen them each time that I switch gauges on the handles.

 

If this topic had been on Monday, would have been a major opportunity to mess with the OP by stating it's a critical part needing an immediate engine teardown.