Hello, Im new to the forum not sure if this is the right place to post it.
Anyway, long story short I recently embarked on a journey to replace a burnt head gasket on a 2008 Mini Cooper Base. so far so good, found that there are a couple of burnt valves and I am taking the head to a shop. I took the oil pan off this morning and found a piece of metal in the sludge. Does anybody know where it is from? I can't seem to find where it came from here is a picture, thanks everyone in advanced for any info!

 

It s a dowel pin from the cylinder block. It more than likely fell out into the engine when you pulled the head.

 

No, the block dowels are still in place, this piece is smaller than that, and actually I should have mentioned I found this piece in the oil pan BEFORE taking the head off. Thanks for the response though

 

Only place I've seen something that resembled that was a wrist pin. But if it was a wrist pin the pistons and rod would have came apart. And you would have surely known that by some seriously loud noises and bangs.

 

Could it have been left over from the original engine assembly at the factory. If that part would have come from the engine after it was sold something bad would have happend or it would have been noisy. Looks like a dowle of a pin of some kind. I would check the enging carefully before reassembly.

Tom

 

Ive got two photos of a factory wrist pin just to show ya what one looks like.



Wrist pin

 

Another view

 

That part you have looks very familiar. Now im curious as hell.

 

Was the timing chain intact? Looks lie it could be one of the chain links?

Not a wrist pin. Too tiny. Other ideal is some sort of dowel. Missed at assembly

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Thats way to big to be a chain link

 

OP. what are the dimensions of that piece?

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ever find out where that piece came from ?

 

You should look on realoem.com. It looks like it might be dowel pin part number 11227542759, 8x15. Goes on the end of the crankshaft and crank gear? Or maybe dowel pin 11117581549, 14x20 that looks to go between engine and transmission, but I don't think this could end up in the oil pan.

PS: The part in the OP's photo looks like it has some wear/use so I doubt it was left in there during manufacture.

 

Can't judge how small it is but the first thing I thought of was a roller from a bearing.

 

I was think timing chain link also. If its really that small, Cant judge by the pic , no reference.

 

that looks like dowel that holds lower crank case to block factory drop off

 

OP hasn't been in here in a couple of weeks. Might be bad news. I'd think if it was part of the timing chain, in order for that to happen wouldn't the pin be in the oil pan as well? and at that point the chain has separated. Based on his pic of it sitting on his laptop looks to be about 1'' tall.

 

It looks like the set pin/end stop for the valvetronic motor, did you by any chance just pull the motor out without spinning the Allen key loose on it. If so it more than likely broke off the cylinder head.

 

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SFfY_12q86o/maxresdefault.jpg
It looks like the valvetronic endstop

 

Hopefully OP comes back.

 

Holy crap, well the other day I dropped a lash adjuster down the block on my 2007 Mini Cooper non s. While I had my oil pan off this exact pin dropped right next to my head, it fell as soon as I was moving the oil pump around to remove the windage tray. This is to large to be from a timing chain.

 

Maybe a locator pin for the oil pump or pickup tube? Never had a MINI engine apart (thankfully), but IIRC, there is a locating pin for the oil pump on a small block Chevy V8. WAAAY different animal, I know. Just throwing it out there......

 

I went to a mini dealer the other day and spoke to the lead tech, he told me to check the vvt mechanism. aside from that he had no clue what it was..

 

Doing a pan gasket and found not one, but 2 of these pins. Now i really want to know.

 

In the middle of a complete rebuild --- pretty sure the OP found one of the two dowel pins that guides the two block halves together. Can't tell for sure without knowing OD and length, then OEM can be researched. Mine's already back together, so no way is it coming apart to verify.