Rattle on upper oil pan?

[Jackal301]

Tried searching and couldn't come up with anything, so apologies if this has already been covered.

I just started noticing a rattle sound that seems to be coming from the upper oil pan. It's not super loud, the sound is similar to the sound of my finger nail tapping on the oil pan. I can feel the sound vibration near where my finger is pointing in the image. My question is, is there any components attached to the upper oil pan (oil level sensor, oil strainer, etc) that could come loose and begin rattling onto the oil pan? It seems to come and go. The video makes it sound louder than it is.

 

[Jackal301]

More data points:
- Sound is louder when parked at a decline.
- Sound is muffled when putting hand on oil pan, sounds and feels like oil being slinged onto the pan with force
- Zero sound when parked at an incline.

After digging for a while I Found a couple of threads on the same exact sound, but without a solution.

I did just add some Lucas oil stop leak (super thick), I'm guessing the sound will go away when I change the oil. Unless someone has any input?

 

[slow95z]

pull the pan and see? i am sure it could use a reseal anyway

 

[maxamillion2345]

Maybe a windage tray came loose, maybe the oil level float?

Think the only way to know for sure is pull the pan.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Hold on there, sparky. Not sure how to find any prior discussion on this but you young whippersnappers are talking about the same thing we wise mature guys did 20 years ago here. Back then we decided it was a sound of turbulence in the oil or the big ends hitting the oil when the nose is pointed down hill. Some thought the rods were sliding n making a rattling sound, etc. We never truly resolved it but both of my 80s do it with full oil and have for 235k and 287k respectively. So it's nothing to worry about.

One thing I meant to do was drain a couple quarts out of my oil pan when I was going to do an oil change anyhow and jack up the rear end and start the engine to see if it went away. Never did it. Perhaps one of you youngsters could try it?

But don't go disassembling stuff.

 

[Jason Gallant]

funny I just started to notice this sound last year (first year with the rig) and came to a similar conclusion to @IdahoDoug , as i listen to it more and more I agree sounds like rods hitting the oil in the pan. that said I did need to pull off the pan for a reseal checked everything out and so nothing to worry about.

 

[Jackal301]

Hold on there, sparky. Not sure how to find any prior discussion on this but you young whippersnappers are talking about the same thing we wise mature guys did 20 years ago here. Back then we decided it was a sound of turbulence in the oil or the big ends hitting the oil when the nose is pointed down hill. Some thought the rods were sliding n making a rattling sound, etc. We never truly resolved it but both of my 80s do it with full oil and have for 235k and 287k respectively. So it's nothing to worry about.

One thing I meant to do was drain a couple quarts out of my oil pan when I was going to do an oil change anyhow and jack up the rear end and start the engine to see if it went away. Never did it. Perhaps one of you youngsters could try it?

But don't go disassembling stuff.

funny I just started to notice this sound last year (first year with the rig) and came to a similar conclusion to @IdahoDoug , as i listen to it more and more I agree sounds like rods hitting the oil in the pan. that said I did need to pull off the pan for a reseal checked everything out and so nothing to worry about.

Thanks fellas, I figured it was nothing to worry about since I found a few very old threads about this same exact sound coming from the front of the oil pan. Didn't see an explanation or resolution so I thought I'd ask!

 

[All hail megatron]

Did you ever dig deeper into this mate ? I'm experiencing the exact same thing and im petrified because I just got this thing haha

 

[Kernal]

The topic has been discussed in the past and the consensus was that it did not appear to be a defect and/or harmful.

If you wanted some reassurance that it wasn't something coming apart you could collect a sample of used engine oil, say with at least a few thousand miles on it, then send it off to a lubricant testing company for an Engine Oil Analysis. That will tell you if you have unusually high wear metals in the oil and from the type and amount of wear metals (if elevated) they can often can suggest a few possible sources.

IME it's good idea to check an EOA every year or so just to keep an eye on the "health" of your engine at the time the sample was collected but also it allows you to compare results to previous years/mileage.

USA:

Oil Analysis | Blackstone Laboratories

Learn what's going on in your engine with oil analysis. Our free kits are easy to use and we explain the results in plain English! Since 1985.

www.blackstone-labs.com

Australia:

Engine Oil Analysis & Diagnosis Kits - All Engine Types

Avoid engine failures and reduce oil change frequencies. What you get: Oil sample container, quantity as ordered Reply-paid mailing canister (via Australia Post) Analysis of oil sample as per analysis description, per sample container Digital oil condition report per sample Trend of oil...

ocm-au-sgs.com