I need to know if anyone knows about a 1991 Chevy Lumina Z34 3.4 DOHC I took off the oil pan and found plastic pieces in the pan stuck to the bottom of the oil pump pickup What is plastic inside the motor? Please help thank you

I need to know if anyone knows about a 1991 Chevy Lumina Z34 3.4 DOHC I took off the oil pan and found plastic pieces in the pan stuck to the bottom of the oil pump pickup What is plastic inside the motor? Please help thank you

Since no one answered
The only thing i ever saw plastic in a engine was on GM V8's (dont know about a V6) the oil pump drive had a plastic collar on it to hold and align the oil pump drive shaft that goes to the distrubutor.
And... on some older engines, you could sometimes find hardened up and broken pieces of valve stem seals in the oil pan. they were once pliable but when in oil pan, usually feel like hard plastic.

Hello The pieces where fairly big and alot of small ones I dont have a distrubutor I know there not valve steam seals What about the oil pump drive gear is it metel or plastic




Since no one answered
The only thing i ever saw plastic in a engine was on GM V8's (dont know about a V6) the oil pump drive had a plastic collar on it to hold and align the oil pump drive shaft that goes to the distrubutor.
And... on some older engines, you could sometimes find hardened up and broken pieces of valve stem seals in the oil pan. they were once pliable but when in oil pan, usually feel like hard plastic.

Hello The pieces where fairly big and alot of small ones I dont have a distrubutor I know there not valve steam seals What about the oil pump drive gear is it metel or plastic

Never saw a plastic pump drive gear. besides if it were that bad, you would have zero oil presure or a guage light on now.
Is there any shape to the pieces? round,curved, flat,black, clear, white? etc that may give a hint?

Also with a oil pump drive, they are usually driven by a cam shaft gear that rotates a small shaft that goes between the two (cam and pump) i dont know about a 3.4 but even without a dist. it could still be driven this way.
Someone who knows the internals of a 3.4 needs to answer this question.

It seem to have ridges and a litle roundness its a brown color from the oil I assum it used to be white How can I send u a picture of the pieces ?
Thank you for all your help


Never saw a plastic pump drive gear. besides if it were that bad, you would have zero oil presure or a guage light on now.
Is there any shape to the pieces? round,curved, flat,black, clear, white? etc that may give a hint?

Also with a oil pump drive, they are usually driven by a cam shaft gear that rotates a small shaft that goes between the two (cam and pump) i dont know about a 3.4 but even without a dist. it could still be driven this way.
Someone who knows the internals of a 3.4 needs to answer this question.

It seem to have ridges and a litle roundness its a brown color from the oil I assum it used to be white How can I send u a picture of the pieces ?
Thank you for all your help

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Only other thing I can think of would be the teeth are becoming brittle and are coming off the timing gear sprocket. Its a nylon material. I found this out for myself many years back on a 1987 lesabre that I own. Wasnt very long after changing the oil and noticing the pieces that it jumped timing while I was driving it one day. When I broke it all down to replace it, that stuff was everywhere behind the timing cover and in the oil pan.

Im a Tony Stewat also Thanks for the help
Keep in Touch if u like


Only other thing I can think of would be the teeth are becoming brittle and are coming off the timing gear sprocket. Its a nylon material. I found this out for myself many years back on a 1987 lesabre that I own. Wasnt very long after changing the oil and noticing the pieces that it jumped timing while I was driving it one day. When I broke it all down to replace it, that stuff was everywhere behind the timing cover and in the oil pan.

Im a Tony Stewat fan also Thanks for the help
Keep in Touch if u like


Only other thing I can think of would be the teeth are becoming brittle and are coming off the timing gear sprocket. Its a nylon material. I found this out for myself many years back on a 1987 lesabre that I own. Wasnt very long after changing the oil and noticing the pieces that it jumped timing while I was driving it one day. When I broke it all down to replace it, that stuff was everywhere behind the timing cover and in the oil pan.