Metal in oil

[bullet18]

I just drained the oil because my fuel pump dumped a bunch if gas into it and i found metal flakes, a lot of them. The engine runs great and theres no knock whatsoever so i dont think its rod bearing material. Im thinking cam bearing. Its a 78 440 i got out of a running motorhome with only 40k miles on it. I dont know how much more of this i can take. I cant get the filter element out of the oil filter but i can only assume its also full of metal. Does anyone think it could be anything else? Im hoping its a lobe because im already changing the cam this summer but i doubt it. Ill take the intake and valley pan off today and confirm it isn't a lobe.

 

[aussiemark]

Probably best to remove the sump and check the bearings and clean the oil pump, pick up and sump.

 

[Daves69]

Unfortunately we don't find fuel pump leak issues until after it's already happened.​

If you've run the engine with fuel thinned oil you may well have wiped bearing overlays and/or the thrust bearing face. I wouldn't rule the possibility out without inspecting the bottom end.
Do you run a mechanical oil pressure gauge?

 

[bullet18]

Unfortunately we don't find fuel pump leak issues until after it's already happened.​

If you've run the engine with fuel thinned oil you may well have wiped bearing overlays and/or the thrust bearing face. I wouldn't rule the possibility out without inspecting the bottom end.
Do you run a mechanical oil pressure gauge?

I have an electronic oil pressure gauge. It had plenty of oil pressure, 60 psi at 1500 rpm. Ive driven it less than 2 miles and idled it for probably less than 10 minutes total since it was pulled.

 

[budascuda]

Do what aussiemark said!

 

[bullet18]

Ill pull the pan when i pull the engine. I just pulled the intake and valley pan. Theres gray paste in the bottom of the lifter valley. The paste seems to get deeper closer to the 3rd cam bearing.

 

[bullet18]

Also theres this green moss like stuff in one of the pools.

 

[budascuda]

Do you have solid rockers of adjustables?
I once, by mistake used a single push rod that was not shortened to the right length after the head was
re surfaced, I did hear a bit of ticking but discounted it as lifter noise. Nothing too drastic came of it, after changing the push rod it sounded right again.

 

[Rich G.]

Metal is definitely no good. Eventually it will wipe out the bearings. My buddies chevelle big block did the same thing. Never really found what caused it but when I took it apart all the main bearings were pretty bad. You’re probably going to have to tear the engine apart and get it boiled out to get all the metal out that’s floating around.

 

[bullet18]

Do you have solid rockers of adjustables?
I once, by mistake used a single push rod that was not shortened to the right length after the head was
re surfaced, I did hear a bit of ticking but discounted it as lifter noise. Nothing too drastic came of it, after changing the push rod it sounded right again.

I have stock rockers and stock pushrods.

 

[budascuda]

Also, did you have a chance to thoroughly clean the engine when the cam was replaced? Maybe the gasoline that leaked into the engine diluted and released old sediments and the oil pump just pumped it up everywhere.

 

[bullet18]

Also, did you have a chance to thoroughly clean the engine when the cam was replaced? Maybe the gasoline that leaked into the engine diluted and released old sediments and the oil pump just pumped it up everywhere.

The cam was never replaced. I literally just took the engine out of a running motor home, changed the intake, oil and filter, painted it, and threw it in the car. When i changed the oil the first time around it had no metal in it.

 

[bullet18]

Metal is definitely no good. Eventually it will wipe out the bearings. My buddies chevelle big block did the same thing. Never really found what caused it but when I took it apart all the main bearings were pretty bad. You’re probably going to have to tear the engine apart and get it boiled out to get all the metal out that’s floating around.

If i have to take it to a machine shop im just gonna save up and pay a machine shop to build the low deck 500 stroker i was gonna build next summer.

 

[bullet18]

I think the silver sludge is actually zinc additive that settled In the lifter valley. That would explain the green stuff.

 

[Daves69]

IMO, the goo/paste collected in the valley low points is typical of an engine that hasn't been rebuilt. Seen it many times before.

 

[AUSTA]

Looks like it come from the top what is the rocker gear steel or aly
Could be dried green coolant cut the oil filter open see how much is in the filter ,the particles look too big to be an additive.

 

[bullet18]

Looks like it come from the top what is the rocker gear steel or aly
Could be dried green coolant cut the oil filter open see how much is in the filter ,the particles look too big to be an additive.

Steel rockers. I think the bigger chunks are carbon deposits from the exhaust gas cross over

 

[bullet18]

This doesn't look great...

 

[Daves69]

IMO, It's sediment buildup over time. Particles of cast iron, hardened umbrella seals, gasket material, separated oil additives, condensation, blow by deposits, etc., collecting in the low spots of the engine.
Find out where your shiny stuff is coming from.

 

[71droptop]

Once I had a Repro fuel pump push rod wipe out. ( Fuel starvation)
Metal in filter.
Used large pipe cutter close to threaded end to open oil filter.
Don't worry about any metal there. The rest of the element will tell the tale.