Tartilla

Opened up my B&M 420. 25hr Hr and sat for 30 yrs.

Pulled off the front snout cover to see the top oil plug hole had the center drill bit shaving left behind. This would have been a factory issue. I suspect it was attached to the casting post drilling/tapping and eventually came off while in use.

Never got into the gearing etc, as there's a gasket that covers this opening with weep holes for fluid drain when filling.

Never assume the factory is assembling 100% clean.

Brad Christy

Tartilla,

As a long-time toolmaker/machinist, I can verify your suspicions. That chip is all too familiar. They are a VERY regular occurrence when drilling through holes. For us, it's just a matter of a quick twist with a chamfering tool in a hand-held pin chuck or hand drill. It's really hard to imagine that was missed throughout the MFG process, machining and assembly, but, you're right: It happens all to often. With our model boats, it was SOP to fully disassemble new engines, inducing the bearings, cleaning everything and reassembling, often with new bearings. You wouldn't believe the machining swarf we'd find in them.

Similarly, I can tell you firsthand, when you buy a vehicle from the dealership, and they tell you, "We even changed the oil for you!"..... Change your farqing oil. After we bought the new-to-me Silverado, and the oil life indicator was nearing time to change the oil, I bought all the stuff, drove it up onto the ramps and crawled under it. As I was putting the filter socket on the filter, it turned loose. It wasn't even HAND TIGHT. I don't even want to think how close we came to smoking that engine before even the FIRST oil change. Pretty sad.

Thanks. Brad.

f_inscreenname

Bought a Jasper motor a couple decades ago that came with a cleaning rag and a set of feeler gauges under the intake. Still have the feeler gauge.

Wally

LOL i think we can start a whole new thread on "Tools you have found working on other people stuff"
lets see...i found a Bluepoint scratch awl inside a door once replacing a speaker
there was a 3' crow bar on top of the radiator under the hood of an s-10 i found once.
I have found NUMEROUS sockets and extensions sitting in the radiator cross member people have dropped and not bothered getting.
I think the best one i have found was a snapon test light that fell between the seat and the console on a tahoe i was checking out.... that was a nice score