Spring and casting found in sump

[KURLE132]

Hi all,
I'm new here so bare with me please.
2011 mk7 transit 2.2 fwd euro 4. 5 speed.
Recently I dropped my oil pan to replace the gasket/seal and had come across a small spring along with what looks like pieces of cast material..
The engine started and drove fine just before dropping the oil and the oil pan. However I thought I heard some knocking at some point which soon disappeared. No oil light on the dash.
I have removed the oil pump and all seems good (not long ago replaced). Oil filter has no fragments trapped. Oil strainer has no blockage. I have removed the timing cover and all looks good there as well.
The engine shows no sign of any fragments being flung around and I also question how the spring has remained in tact.
New oil cooler was fitted a few weeks back.
The 2p is for size reference and wasn't in the pan lol.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Scratching my head with this now but I'm no expert

[tranmx2]

Maybe someone put them in there. Could have fallen from the top of the engine or from the timing cover area.

The oil system has a relief valve. The image spring is a small one. I'd expect the oil relief vale spring to be larger.
None of the bits look like a ball bearing or chain components or sprocket bits.

The bits look like they've been chewed - likely place is within the timing cover - chain.
Could be part of the oil pump also chain driven.

Have a look for parts that have such a spring.

[metalworker0]

Had a look last night at all possible sources ..
looked at timing chain kits ..could see no little springs unless the tensioner destroyed itself in the past and the spring was inside it ....tensioner is made from aluminium .
pcv system ....no
brake vacuum pump ........possible ..because the pictures of the unit ..it looks quite intricate don't know if its possible when unit fails and breaks up ..that the parts would end up in the sump though.

BTW looks like a biro spring.

all the best..mark

[KURLE132]

Where does the relief valve sit to on these vans?
I always thought they were part of the oil pump but I couldn't see it if I'm honest. Oil pump gears are all good too. I can't imagine it's part of the oil pump or oil cooler housing as it wouldn't be in the sump I don't think.

The material looks as though the inner part has been machined out or looks like a shaft or pin of some sort ran through the middle of it?

I've got the timing cover off and all looks good there. Tension on both chains. Nothing looks out of place and all sprockets are in tact with no sign of damage at all.

I've had a look through an online parts catalogue on every page and I can't find what it could be from unless it's from something that is only supplied as a whole and not separately.
The only spring I found that was similar, was on the counter shaft in the gearbox but then that wouldn't end up in the sump and gearbox is fine

[metalworker0]

Oil pressure relief valve has a spring the size of your little finger .
There are other small non return (one way) valves in the system for brake booster pipes ..that may have such a spring. that's the only thing i can think of.

also look at the little oil jets that spray oil under the piston ..again don't know how they are constructed

all the best..mark

[metalworker0]

heres a picture of ford 2.2 oil spray jet

followed by a picture of whats inside of a typical one (not ford) ...note the spring.

its possible one has come undone and got hit by the con rod

[tranmx2]

Well found. There's some more bits to find if that is the source of the bits.

[metalworker0]

if it is that they are probably lying on top of the crankshaft carrier casting /ladder frame. or gone out of the sump with the last oil change

all the best.mark

[KURLE132]

Thank you for all of your inputs.
Definitely going to need to do some more digging about and I will get to that this weekend hopefully.
I'll be sure to update you all in the process!

[metalworker0]

Dont think you are going to e able to see these oil jets with just the sump removed ...and you can only remove that ladder whatever its called once the gearbox is removed.

There are holes in the ladder ..you may need a mirror or borescope camera to look through them.

see here at 5:48 mins in ..if im showing you the right engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89EWyyp1sR0

You can just about see them, make them out, at the bottom of the picture

Then when he puts the ladder casting back on .......looks very hard to be able to see them at all !
anyway if there is one missing .......the engine has to be stripped right down to get at it.
if there was one missing, you'd probably have oil pressure problems ..and a knock from start up ..as the balls and springs stop the oil gallery draining ....and you be starting the engine with drained galleries !

stills from video

First picture..arrows show jets
Second picture.. Then the ladder is put in place ..and you'll struggle to see through the holes.

[Automods]

did you ever find what this was ??

I've just removed the sump from a 2019 2.2 155PS thats had a catastrophic Turbo failure (ran away with it's own oil) but was but driver realised what was happening and was quick enough to stall it before it ran too fast or ran out of oil.

I've got the samer spring, and a small rubber seal, similar to what you'd find in a breather PCV, lots of metal debris, but no big identifiable lumps but I did find a small rectangle sponge about the same size as the spring, i've seen these sponges used as filters in vacuum actuator solenoids such as turbo and air flaps on some other brands of car.

I'm going to pull the oil pump and wash it out and wash out the sump out and collect all the bits and take a picture when get back into work in about an hour.

is there an oil strainer on this, does it have a one way valve ??