When I removed my oil pan I found several pieces of metal. Most of them where like those in the image. Does anyone have any idea what they are and where they might have come from?

Those were your thrust bearings. Likely cause: http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/pulley.htm

I had the front cover and oil pan gaskets replaced about 1 year ago. About 8 months ago a compression test showed that the rear rotor was low. Then it died. Could this be a result of replacing the gaskets?

Who changed out your front cover gasket?

The Mazda dealership.

Most likely the bearing dropped from its perch on the spacer when the gaskets were replaced. It's a major pain to work on stuff under the front cover with the engine installed in the car.

As for this ultimately causing compression loss on the rear rotor - it doesn't seem likely. How many miles are on it, and is it a turbo or NA?

About 50,000 miles. Its a 13B in an FD. I was just curious if this was another reason to go back to the dealership and bitch about their incompetence again.

Jester with no thrust left the end float will allow the rotor to touch the side plate. Often the corner seal gets smacked in and stays in, causing compression loss

If you are lucky the side plate will just have a 'hotspot' from the rubbing, at worst the plate will be gouged & need replacing. Nasty.

Interesting...I hadn't thought of that one.



Check out the oil pump too - it's been passing shrapnel.

pick up tube wouldn't let those pieces pass.



unless you're refering to something else https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif

the mazda guys prob put the dime in there too.











ok ok just kidding

Yup, its screened over.

There could still be little shavings and crumbs and stuff.

There were shavings stuck to the screen. I guess some of the smaller pieces could have gotten through. Since it was small shavings that possibly made it through, should I replace the pump?

The mazda dealership huh?...lol...there's your problem.



I can guarantee you that you have bad bearings and possibly a bad e-shaft now, especially if you've found metal shavings in the pickup.

I know, I know. I learned my lesson. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png I've decided that either I'm going to get it running again or it will be furniture in my garage.

Completely and totally the mazda dealerships fault. I'm with Robbomaz on this, seen it more than once.

There should be a warning sticker at all mazda dealerships saying. We dont know **** about these engines if we work on them it's at your own risk!

Aint that the truth! Left to the specialists here in Oz too

Disassemble the pump and look for gouges, cracking, etc. A little

scuffing is tolerable.

Any crud that went through the pump (thus making more shavings in the

process) will also go through the oil cooler(s) before getting to the

filter. The metering pump is fed unfiltered oil straight from the

main oil pump, so some cleaning is probably in order.

You will of course need new thrust bearings, thrust plate, and thrust

washer.



Completely true what they're saying about dealaerships. The local one

here actually had a guy who knew what he was doing but he left to work

elsewhere.