Look what I found.....

[79Mercy]

in my oil pan. I replaced the pan seal this weekend and found these two items in it. A piece of timimg chain and a little spring. I guess when the chain was replaced in 1984 the dealer dropped it down in the pan when they had to grind the old one off. I was worried about it so I pulled all the plugs and the valve cover and turned the motor over to make sure I wasn't misssing a piece of chain, as expected there wasn't anything missing. As for the spring I don't know where it could have come from, what do ya'll think?

[Wodnek]

I wouldnt worry about it. If there is another piece hidden somewhere, you will never find it.

[Lexxani]

WTF is that spring to??? Im really curious as to what Im going to find in my iol pan when I drop it. . .im sure theres some guide rail pieces in there, but what else. Your fortunate that neither of thoes parts ended up as a "wrench in the works" and derailed your timing chain.

How did the pan seal job go? She'll be at the GTG right?

[JMela]

Part of chain tensioner, maybe?

[79Mercy]

Alex, the seal job was great, just takes alot of time taking out all the little bolts. Now I have a leak free pan. I still have a leak in the rear seal, but atleast the pan doesn't leak. While I was pulling the pan I was really afraid that I would find some plastic guide rail pieces inside, im glad I didn't. I don't know what the spring could have been from, i'll bring it to the GTG and let Pete look at it. Yes she'll be at the GTG, im workng on the paint right now.

JMela, I was thinking about that, but I would have thought the tensioner spring would be alittle bigger.

[79Mercy]

So ya'll can really see the size of the spring.

[vipercrazy]

you never know what people will pour in your oil cap by accident, at a oil change shop they dont pour by the quart, they take the 6 quart jug that has never been washed with the thousands of oil changes its been used for. not that you ever go there...

[Mike D]

Front crank seal?

[79Mercy]

^^huh?

[Mike D]

Some of the front crank/timing cover seals have a small circular spring to apply tension between the "wiper" edge of the seal and the harmonic dampener pulley. Just taking a S.W.A.G.!

[Gurunutkins]

I would have to agree with Mike D, that looks just like the little circular spring that goes inside the crank end seals. its certainly the right sort of size.
cheers
barri

[79Mercy]

My front seal doesn't leak, but my rear seal does. Does the rear seal have one of these springs in it? Im going to look on EPC and see if I can find the spring.

[Gurunutkins]

yes the rear seal is a bigger version of the front seal. easy to replace (once the engine is out and the transmission off ) unless it has worn a groove in the back end of the crank (that spring keeps the lip in quite tight contact). then you can buy an offset plate so the seal sits in a slightly different position on the crank.
cheers Barri

[Mike D]

I believe the rear seal on the '79 is a "rope" type seal.

[Lexxani]

that spring definately is smaller then I originally thought. The seal explanation seems plausable.