Took oil pan off my 68 cougar to 1 replace beat oil pan n 2 replace rear main seal n found this in the bottom of oil pan
I got car running prior and ran great no noise so idk
Looks like it could be a beat up cam bearing. Not sure if the cam bearings have that type of puzzle piece fit. The main and rod bearings do not. Cam bearing would be very unusual to walk out and unwrap.
How is your oil pressure?
Oil psi was 45-60psi
Yep looks like a cam bearing.
Kind of thin for a cam bearing.
Any previous major engine work you are aware of?
Not that I’m aware of car was sitting in desert since 1986 engine looked all stock I changed timing chain and it still had original chain and gear with nylon gears
I rebuilt carb and fired up and ran smooth would a wiped out cam bearing make any chatter or noise?
Btw guys n gals I appreciate all your feedback and time for replying back
It doesn’t look like it has markings of spinning or high heat and melting. Edges are relatively sharp. How ever it left the journal, it then hoola-wooped untill it exploded. Some evidence of bits cratered into itself from kissing lobes.( I’m the straight man)
Might be the reason it was parked
That said:
Any oil filter that comes off this engine after running I would chop apart and look at what’s inside.
Depending what cam journal it is from it may never make noise again untill ALL the bearings are worn from the bearing grit. Then you will hear a rod knock mst likely.
If the cam bearing is missing from position #1 or 5, the camshaft may start to wobble and wear the rest of the bearings, then catastrophe.
Is it possible it got pushed out from the timing chain installation? Or touched then got loose. I’m not aware of the type of block this is. Big, small or med.
The sitting in the desert that long can certainly dry up the insides. Bearing may have spun with the first revolution. Did you prime the oiling system before any crank movement?
Lots to investigate. Best of luck.
It’s the original 302 and I did prime engine before I started with drill and attachment for oil psi on gauge then started it and had great oil psi up to 60
It’s really soft metal almost like soft lead?? isn’t bearing material well hard like metal just has softer metal on the inside??? And like u mentioned there’s no markings of wear on it
Idk I really wanted to run this motor before spring now I’m at a set back I guess Ill cut oil filter open n see
I agree there’s evidence it’s not a cam bearing. Unless it was someone’s attempt. Cam bearings typically are steel with an alloy coating. Not that thick as I see there. And as mentioned, One piece.
With the pan off can you see the 3 middle camshaft mains?
I’ll keep thinking.
What is the width of that thing taken with a dial caliper?
Given the rounded symmetrical tip, I looks to me like the delaminated end of the dipstick. I mean…check out the shape when u put the pieces together. Would fit with why the car was running fine. Measure the width of those pieces and then the dipstick. If they match- Viola!
Would not expect normal oil pressure and smooth operation if those were bearing parts.
Had the dipstick thought too but the picture with mysterious pieces layed parallel to your finger suggests width is nearer 1/2 inch.
Also possible, I have bought cars with tools and extra parts left inside the engine…
Jim
The obvious tabs (male and female) look like how cam bearings are assembled. The bearing material may have delaminated from the steel backing which may still be in place. Possible for an engine that sat for 40 years. Also the perfect width and softness of material. The shear strength of old original steel/babbit bearing was low because the babbit layer was relatively thick. Modern cam bearings use aluminum bearing material and are more resistant to shearing and have higher load carrying capability
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What if the oil passage to that cam bearing was plugged? That might explain why the bearing delaminated without resulting in lower oil pressure.
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Not sure if the why matters, but I would stop driving it. Another potential why is oil acids breaking down the bond between babbit and base steel of cam bearing. Hopefully there was a fresh oil change before starting on 40 year old oil…
It’s a cam bearing for sure. I bought a 69 XR-7 with a 351W in it that had been sitting for 20 years. It ran great and sounded good, not even a lifter tick. I decided to fix some oil leaks and just run it the way it was and see what happened. I pulled the oil pan off to replace the gasket and found the same thing you did plus nylon timing gear teeth in the pick up screen for the oil pump. It had the timing chain and gears replaced at some point, but I guess they just pulled the cover and not the pan. I could look up and see the center cam bearing had a piece of it sticking out. I pulled the motor and that is what it was from. I guess the previous owner just dry started it and did not prime the oil system first. Even if the cam bearing was good in mine it would not have lasted long as it had 5 of the 6 freeze plugs were the rubber expansion type and the block had what looked like black concrete in the bottom of the water jacket from sitting all those years.
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Thank you all for the responses well I’ll be pulling motor out and figure out my next course of action it will at least give me the opportunity to detail engine bay (got to be optimistic here no sense pouting lol) maybe I’ll try my luck at a home refresh
Again thank you all for your time and responses
Anthony
1968 cougar xr7 (that one day I’ll have on road lol)
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My 70 ran and sounded great too after mostly sitting for a decade, and I was also planning to just drive it and see what happened. But leaky freeze plugs caused me to pull the motor for a refresh. I’m very glad that I did because just like yours, the block was full of coolant sludge, the freeze plugs had corroded away, and the varnish in the old fuel had caused sticky valves which had cracked a couple of rocker arms. The refresh allowed me to clean everything up, gave me alot more comfort in driving it, and no doubt saved me alot of grief down the road. Good luck Anthony - your patience will pay off in the long run!
I’m in the cam bearing camp too. I’d be worried about the missing pieces as well.
Looks like a piece of tin