HELP!! Mystery pins in oil pan

carcrafter22

carcrafter22

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I'm starting the 12v swap into my dads F250 and while inspecting the lower end I found 3 small nylon/plastic brown pins. The pins are roughly 1" long and hollow.

I can't imagine where they would have come from then again I've never rebuilt a cummins.

Any ideas?

Yes I know my pic is terrible, sorry.

 
Yup. Piston cooling nozzles. For those that know I must ask, is it common for these to come out?
 
they have that shoulder on them that is what keeps them from falling out. If you don't watch when you put them in the shoulder will break off. You should make sure The nozzles are in there, that's the only thing that oils the piston pin.
 
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It is impossible for them to fall out with the crank installed. They go into the block and are covered by the main bearings. There is a jounal that supplies oil to then under the main bearings. The only way they could end up in your oil pan is if someone did not install them or removed the old ones and left them in the pan. The oil pan could not be on the engine while the cooling nozzels are installed and the rod caps put in place. If you do not have cooling nozzels in place you will not get far before you melt a piston.
 
The green things are piston cooling nozzles as you can see when the main bearings are installed there is no way they can fall out. However the tips can break off. But it looks like you have a complete nozzle there.
DSC06818.jpg

Here is a closeup of one installed
DSC06822.jpg
 
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Thank you very much guys!

I will be back to the house this evening and check to make sure each cylinder has one. I'm hoping these were somehow left in the pan after a proper rebuild at some point otherwise I guess it's all gotta come apart.
 
i've seen them in the pan at work on high mileage engines. they get brittle & break off & you can't replace them without pulling the crank
 
Question do you have to run them? This isn't my engine so it's up to dad and he'd rather not tear the engine down at this point. It looks like the 3 in the pan are missing from the block.

Will it cause oil pressure issues? The engine will have a pretty laid back life rarely ever towing and only has an he351 turbo with minimal pump mods. It will probably get rebuilt an a year or 2 anyway when he gets the cash together for compounds, pump and built trans.
 
If you leave them out, you will be rebuilding sooner than later.
 
it depends on if you want to get away with a re-ring/bearing job or want to bore/possibly sleeve a cylinder or few :eek:
 
He would most likely build a second engine over time and just swap engines. So I take it it would be very bad even for a 300hp rig.
 
bad idea like stated before they are there to cool the pistons and help lubricate. if you leave them out you will not get proper lubrication and either melt pistons or burn up a wrist pin.
 
Take note that the #1 squirter is flush with the block, doesn't stick out like the other 5.
 
pinky49 said:
i've seen them in the pan at work on high mileage engines. they get brittle & break off & you can't replace them without pulling the crank
Click to expand...

teddybear said:
I have seen them in the oil pan of high mileage engines also
Click to expand...

You guys are talking about the exposed ends of them breaking off. If you look at the picture he has a complete nozzle. The shoulder of it that would still be in the block if it broke is there. There is no way for a complete nozzle to fall out of a assembled block.
 
Tate said:
Take note that the #1 squirter is flush with the block, doesn't stick out like the other 5.
Click to expand...

Tate is right if you look at the picture I posted you cannot see a nozzle on one of the mains and that is #1
 
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