What the heck!!!!?? Anyone else experience this?

[SeaEsta-12]

​Ok, so this weekend I went to clean out and wash my bilge area, and while doing so, I found a bolt at the bottom of the bilge.
after inspecting what it could be, I determined that it was an oil pan bolt. I took a few photos in those hard to reach areas, and notice that a bolt was missing and another was almost on the way out! Are oil pan bolts not torqued down tight?
Thankfully, I will be able to re install the bolt with some yoga moves and a few bends and twists, but now Im concerned that more could be coming lose as well.
My oil pressure is fine when running, but im sure i cant let this go for too long.

The engine is a VP 5.7L GXi. its only a 2002 with 120 hours.

 

[GA_Boater]

Twisted your pic.

Not as serious as you think - Not an oil pan bolt. It's a bolt for the flywheel cover. Just snug it up. The oil pan bolts are at the top of the oil pan, some are visible below the blue gasket material behind the filter.

 

[SeaEsta-12]

Thanks for flipping that photo around for me.
So, let me see if I have this correct. What you are saying is that the oil pan bolts in installed from the top side and NOT from the bottom?
Arent they just like a regular Chevy block oil pan where they are bolted from the bottom?
Also, the flywheel cover seems to be missing (2) bolts. Now im getting a bit nervous. How can bolts just be coming out?

 

[fhhuber]

Vibration... Gasket shrinkage... Bolt stretch

Way back when... we used to re-torque engine head bolts periodically on our car engines. In the process the valve covers came off and thus the valve cover bolts got re-tightened.

I wouldn't be overly concerned... just check tighten the other associated bolts.

 

[GA_Boater]

Of course the oil pan bolts are the same and install the same way as a car or truck. I've circled a couple of them below. The arrow is pointing to one of the flywheel cover plate bolts. The cover isn't going anywhere and there are others holding the plate. The motor was pulled at some point in time and the cover plate bolts weren't snugged down. But nothing is going to cause problems, even if the plate came off. It's really to keep fingers and other stuff from hitting the flywheel.

Take the bolt to an auto parts store and buy one to match and put them in with some thread lock. Stop worrying - It isn't the end of the world or even close to the edge.

 

[SeaEsta-12]

Awesome! Thank you for advice!
Puts me a little more at ease.
When I feel a little limber, Ill crawl down in there and reinstall the bolt and re tighten the others.
Back to boating............!

 

[Lawnpro979]

Kind of hard to see. But are you sure that's not a ***. to line up the cover ?

 

[fhhuber]

Might be an alignment pin...

Really only need 2 bolts to hold the cover on. More is just to keep it from making noise.