Noticed this after the dealer

2 days ago i got my timing cover gasket replaced along with other gaskets and resealing of oil pan etc. noticed a small leak on the timing cover all under warranty. was checking in the same spot it leaked and everything looks good. but noticed these plastic tabs where i believe metal ones used to be. any reason on the purpose of these plastic ones? why they removed the metal ones? i’m not upset about it since those metal tabs were always in the way for my jackstands

 

OEM plastic tabs in the frame. Consensus here is that they allow water to drain from the frame while keeping water out. They often get crushed when the truck is put on a lift. I believe they are usually black, could be wrong on that, but they are plastic from the factory