I changed my oil and found what appears to be my set screw for my oil pump attached to it.

Its amazing the things i find attached to this little magnet!

What are the implications of continued use of the car without the oil pump set screw in place?

Just so that were clear, the screw has a flat head, is threaded all the way up to the top edge, has a slotted tip and tapers a bit at the other end, with a tiny flat surface on that end. (like a needle screw with **** tip ground flat.)

The FSM shows that this is the only device matching this description that has access to the oil in the oil pan.

Nothing else seems to resemble this that would have access to the oil.

So, if i don't tear off the front cover of this 3rd gen engine, (which i hear only takes about 14 hours!!!)....

what is the danger?
what is the likely hood of such dangerous event actually happening?

 

How is your oil pressure?

 

Oil pressure is fine, as far as i can tell, but the gauge is "jumpy" doesnt register at idle, etc.

But thats another problem, yes....?

(Its always been this way)

 

Well, it may be an electrical/pressure switch problem, but I am not sure that I would ignore it. It may be that the pump is not maintaining even pressure and the screw that fell out is why. You may need to talk to a mechanic to get a better understanding, unless someone on here knows what is going on for sure. I just don't think I would ignore the jumpy guage.

 

I am a mechanic, specifically specializing in rotaries. However, you asked what the gauge is doing, so i mentioned it. I know its an electrical problem becuase these gauges have this problem routinely, and the fact that it leaps around from 0 to pegged INSTANTLY, tells me that i have this typical problem. Sorry if i was vauge abou tmy knowledge there... however, i'm looking for advice about running the oil pump without the set screw.

What can i reasonably expect? will it make pressure "okay" but with a chance of failure or what?
if so waht is the likelyhood that the failure is to happen, and the result..

I guess i'll have to go get an oil pump from the shop and remove the set scerw and see how I can make it fail or if its just there to help hold things together for assembly and proper clearances, etc..

If anyone has a theory to suggest on waht will happen without the set screw, i'm all ears.

I dont want to have to tear out the front end of this engine and the oil pan.

not yet anyway.

 

for peice of mind, never mind your engines saftysake, id pull that frontcover and replace said setscew

 

Sure sounds like the oil pump set screw to me. If the center plate starts spinning you are like likely loose oil pressure and the plate will start digging into the oil pump housing. I'd pull the front cover.

 

Yes the oil pump center plate is aluminum and will (probably already is) start spinning, and will get chewed up, then you will have a loss of pressure as well as metal shavings floating around.

Change that pump immediately.

 

Whoops, i did find metal shavings.

damn.

I knew i knew better than to persist with it like this, i just thought that maybe it wouldnt start spinning....

drat.

 

change it out dude. you could just put the screw back in if the damage isnt too bad already, save you some $$. Make sure you thread lock it though, and whack it with a screwdriver so it cant come out again (i.e dent the housing of the oil pump over the screw to hold it in place using a punch)