I believe it's timig chain guide? It looks like timing chain guide. Smooth, flat, 2 grooves.but how would it get in my oil pan...

 

Thats just normal wear and tear dude.

 

Well then.. Don't think its the end, still got many miles on ur ride left to go.

 

i've never in 272,843 miles ever seen any shizz like that, eva. surprised your motor is actually running with that crap in the oil.

 

Yep, thats part of a chain guide. I suggest replacing the guides and tensioners as they are likely to follow suit.

The last thing you want is those pieces of plastic sucked up through the oil pickup and clogging an oil passage. Missing guide material will also put more wear and tear on the timing chain.

 

I'll probably go ahead and replace guides, Chain, and 2 cam tensioner, replaced the lower one about 120 miles ago. I actually need to change oil pan too, as mine has a pretty nasty dent in it. I imagine it broke due to timing being off.

 

That was a nightmare.. Finally got timing cover off. And all my guides are in good condition and accounted for... The one on top, the one above water pump, the one by crank toward front of car and the long one by the tensioner. After comparing what was in oil pan to what I have the one in oil pan was from the long one. So I'm guessing that was from a previous repair? Doesn't make sence... Is there other timing guides anywhere? Anyway. Crank was off 1 tooth. I resat the time. I gotta replace timing cover.

 

That's odd.

When you saw the crank was 'off', was the engine set at TDC per the FSM? Once timing is set, it can take many rotations before all 3 timing marks line up again.

 

I can't recall how fsm said to do it, I had a long extension sitting in cyl 1 and put it to the top point, I had to rotate engine I think 5 time about before it lined up, 2 arrows pointing to dark links, and the notch on crank was pointing in-between a gold/silver link and a normal link, I took off tensioner and alighned bottom to point at gold link. A little history is probably necessary, I changed water pump, when I took tensioner out I heard the timing chain slip but I didn't see where, I didn't have cover off. I cranked engine a few rotations, nothing connected so I assumed it was fine driving the car it would jump and skip. I don't xed everything else so figured it had to be timing.

 

These pics conclude my timing is set properly right?



Front cam





Rear cam





Crank

 

Looks good to me.

 

Props on user name.

Ok when I opened it, it was pointed in-between links counter clockwise

 

Could you elaborate a bit on the process to set timing?

I started with a water pump replacement, ended up on a fishing expedition for the tensioner spring and plunger, and didn't have confidence that timing hadn't jumped once I had the timing case off and the new pump in. I removed the main chain completely, which released some tension on both camshafts (assuming valve spring pressure?) and they each turned about 1/4 turn.

Do I just force them back into the correct position? It's taking a lot of torque...

I am at TDC per the FSM method, but the timing chain removal/installation in EM21-EM32 seems to assume you have correct timing and can just mark it. Valve covers are not off. Picture shows the current state of things.