Ball Bearing In My Engine

[Drg racr]

Last fall while changing my oil, I found a small stainless steel ball bearing in the old oil. Where could this have come from? Could this have played a part in my motor ticking? It didn't start ticking until quite a while afterwards.
Do the rocker shafts have bearings in them?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

there are no ball bearings inside your motor. its either part of something else...or it was already in the drain pan when you let your old oil out

 

[MAKG]

Yes, there are ball bearings in the engine. Or something very near it.

In the hydraulic lifters. They all have check valves in them (which is a ball bearing and spring), and some of them have roller tips (including all 4.0L lifters). And if one fell apart, yes, it would probably make a ticking sound.

Though to be honest, I haven't heard of one failing in this way.

Just how big was this ball bearing?

 

[Drg racr]

The bearing was quite small, smaller than a bb.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

touche

but, to get the ball bearing valve out of a lifter, you have to take the spring clip out of its groove and take the piston out of its bore in the lifter. if this had happened inside his motor...he would have much more then a ticking sound

didnt think about the roller on the lifter though. those are BB? must be real tiny.

 

[MAKG]

No, AFAIK the rollers are quite a bit bigger than that.

But the check valves aren't.

Are there any other check valves or regulators that might fit? What does the oil pump bypass look like? I've never taken one of those apart.

 

[MAKG]

Yeah, but they are quite a bit bigger than a BB, aren't they?

 

[F150hybred]

Maybe it's part of the PCV valve??? Whatever it's from, we all know that it's not supposed to be rattling around in there.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Maybe it's part of the PCV valve??? Whatever it's from, we all know that it's not supposed to be rattling around in there.

I wondered about that, but I have never opened one up.

 

[Drg racr]

I did compare it to a bb, and this is smaller. There is a possibility that it could have fallen in the drain pan before I changed the oil. Lot likely, since I clean the pan out after every oil change.

 

[Rocky Ranger]

Do you have enemies?
As a ball bearing that small won't hold much of a load in an engine, it would have to be something like the TPS sensor/throttle shaft would ride on.
But if someone put them in there they could cause great damage.

 

[BobR]

oil pressure relief valve?



Bob

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

it would have to be something like the TPS sensor/throttle shaft would ride on.

no way for something that large injested into the intake to get into the oil short from a large hole in the piston.

 

[Rocky Ranger]

no way for something that large injested into the intake to get into the oil short from a large hole in the piston.

I agree with you, I Just thought it would be an obvious conclusion and left it out of my text.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

ahh, sorry i thought you were implying it was a possible cause.