Unexpected items in the sump area..

Street

Senior member
 Newcastle
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I found these broken black strips in the oil sump and pickup screen while changing the gasket. It’s a 2.5l M54 engine. They seem to be hardened rubber from an old gasket. I wondered if anyone knew where from?

I’ll be doing the oil housing gasket next but they seem too chunky to be that. I didn’t really want to take the lid off as it’s got no rocker cover leaks but will if it could be old gasket from up top??

IMG_8462.jpeg
 
Can't believe bits that big would be missed and then make their way from the top cover to the sump without sticking somewhere.
Drive belt is a good suggestion, if they are obviously thin strips from a wider piece, but that is more material-based than just rubber. Look a bit like square section seal?
 
I had to google fan belt ingestion. I couldn’t figure out how that happened! :D it’s too thin and uniform. Appreciate the pic isn’t the greatest. It’s like a vanos seal thickness bu too bendy for that.
I’m wondering if the rocker cover seal was done in the past and some fell down the timing chain return ??
 
For a minute I thought you were saying you'd found the pliers in the sump :rolleyes:

...but that would only happen if you'd taken it to BMW for a service :ROFLMAO:
 
Looks like parts from the centre plug well gaskets from the curvature of the bits, can only think they dropped down to the sump when top cover was off and careless cleaning old gaskets allowed bits to fall down into the sump.
 
Looks like parts from the centre plug well gaskets from the curvature of the bits, can only think they dropped down to the sump when top cover was off and careless cleaning old gaskets allowed bits to fall down into the sump.
Agree this
 
Looks like parts from the centre plug well gaskets from the curvature of the bits, can only think they dropped down to the sump when top cover was off and careless cleaning old gaskets allowed bits to fall down into the sump.
Good call. Explains why they are square section.
 
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