Just got back from 1000 mile retrieval of my new (to me) '99 Silverado 5.3 4WD now at 40K orig miles. Went to change the oil and on the oil drain plug magnet found attached a trail of fourteen tiny (but perfect condition) needle bearings 1/4" long???

Truck runs perfectly and crossed the Rocky Mountains at 75 miles per. no odd noises. Obviously these loose bits didn't effect anything that I can tell (yet).

I've had several early 5.7L engines apart in the past and can't remember any sort of bearing of this size in the these older engines that might wind up in the pan. Any ideas?

Ron C

 

Distributor?

 

Check the valve rocker arms. One or more might have lost their bearing's needles.

 

I'll check em out.

 

Wherever they came from, I'd run a flexible magnetic snake down the oil drain hole and get all of those items out of the engine, as they could cause damage, until you can investigate as to where exactly they came from.

 

Hey Henry,

Yep that is the first thing I did—a nice flat-strip flex magnet that let me get into all the corners. There were no other needle bearings in there. Of course they could have come to rest somewhere else. Also cut the filter apart and nothing in there. The thing that gets me is the engine runs absolutely quiet, no noise whatsoever, even on a cold start. I would be curious to know if there are fourteen needles in a stock rocker arm (grin).

This leaves the possibility that a bad rocker bearing came loose some time in the past and was already replaced. Talked to a guy at the dealer and he said the times they've had this problem (not uncommon early on, apparently) they would replace all of the rockers and just leave the needles in the pan where they are found attached to the drain magnet at the next oil change, (as in my case). He says there's nothing they can hurt on the way down or in the pan. So, there you have it... The engine runs perfectly at speed or idle... I hate to get into it with no reason.. yet know it will be on my mind if I don't... and there you have it.

 

That would have me worrying too. Not enough to drop the oil pan as the oil will keep them down, but still a mystery to me.