I just dropped the pan on my 97 f150 4.6L 4x4. In the pan I found a small plastic piece. It's beveled at one end with an O ring and the other end is a small shaft. My problem is I don't know what it is or where it goes. Can someone help me identify it?

 

here is a picture of the piece

 

Just the factory plug that gets pushed into the pan when the dipstick is installed. Just trash now. No worries.

 

Your truck will now explode with a small nuke reaction...


Seriously though, it's just an assembly line bit. Been about a month since someone asked about it, so I guess this thread was due.

Adrianspeeder

 

I wonder how many pictures of that thing have been uploaded to the internet.
Alan

 

It's the "This truck's never had it's pan dropped" indicator.

Andy

...and prolly eleventy-billion times or so, give or take. Would have been one more if I had found that piece rattling around in my pan and hadn't seen a thread before!