I changed the oil on my 383 Lt4 today and I inspected the oil in the filter. It looks like there is very fine specks of copper in it. This motor has 2500 miles on it and runs perfect. It has awesome oil pressure and shows no signs of going south at all...Or I thought...... I made a video. What do you guys think? You can really see the stuff after the 1:30 mark in the video.

 

I wouldn't think an engine, a new engine, should have oil that black after only 2,800 miles. It should look like its still in decent shape but well used. no idea about the shaving.. cam gear/ dist gear? ring landing or rings themselves? bearing? good luck

 

Yeah... That looks bad.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it's starts knocking soon.

 

Well the last 1000 miles was alot of hard driving. Lots of tuning on the road and a dozen or more dyno pulls.. I also had a problem finding the right heat range plugs and fouled a set out so im sure some gasoline got in the oil. Im not sure exactly what the sparkles are from but Im guessing bearings. There is no blow by so I think the rings are ok.

Also its mobil one synthetic oil

I agree. Crap.

 

Idk. the oil pressure is awesome and has not dropped a bit. 30 psi hot at idle. 80 psi WOT

 

You get a professional oil analysis and your remove the pan and check some bearings for starters.

Whose engine? Brand and weight of oil? The rest of the oil is where? I'd think it customary with your findings you send the content of the filter and maybe oil from the pan also.

 

Ive never had Oil professionally inspected. Who do I take it to? what ddoes it cost?

The engine was originally put together by a shop locally. I use mobil one 5w30 full synthetic after the break in oil was changed.

 

You mentioned 2500 miles - what oil is it that you removed. Engine oil analysis isn't expensive and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't find someone maybe quite local that can accommodate. Google should help: engine oil analysis XXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXXXX) is your city state.

That oil isn't 5W30 Mobil 1? I see where you mention it is. I wouldn't have thought.

AMSOIL offers the services but I don't use their products so I certainly wouldn't use theirs but it is quite reasonable.

 

Yup it's mobil one 5w 30 synthetic.

I'll look into an analysis.

 

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/
I've heard about them on the Cummins Forum.

 

Thanks I'll have to check into that.

I checked with a magnet. Whatever it is- it's not magnetic.

 

Cut the filter open and examine the pleats. It may give you a better clue as to the source of the metal; possibly larger pieces that can be identified.

 

I'm going to do that tomorrow.

Funny thing- car runs perfect with great oil pressure. I wonder if the bearing clearances were to tight when assembled

 

well, you're chewing up bushings from something....could be a rod, could be dist bushing.
I'd drain it, SAVE IT, and find someone to do the testing and wait till you get some answers before taking it back to who built it, armed with some FACTS. Its hard to dispute an oil analysis from a lab.

Look online or call the local speed shops. Any high performance shop will know who and how to get it done. They may even offer the service.

In my business before I retired, we did these test on every one of our machines every oil change. The test detail whats wearing. The WHY is up to you to figure out. The report tells you whats normal and how far out of spec yours is. It tells you what the metals are and then you can tell where or what is coming apart. oil analysis is the early warning system for engines. You can catch something before it grenades and destroys the whole engine. In this case, you can get to that rod bushing before it breaks and beats a cylinder to death...or the metal destroys every other bearing in the engine, which is already questionable, sorry.

 

You need to RE-CHECK the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge.... those numbers are TOO good...

80 psi is almost impossible. 80 happens to be the default for the high end....it'll show 80 when there is a break or some fault in the op system with pressure. It also shows 80 when the sender is d/c. Faulty senders do this......and with chips circulating in the oil...they plug up and ruin senders. Once they get IN the sender, you can't get 'em out.

 

I did check it with a mechanical gauge. 30 hot 75-80 wot is the correct pressure.

 

Thanks. I think I'm just going to pull the engine and inspect from there. It's obvious at this point that it needs to come apart.

 

I wouldn't be freaking out. IMO That isn't anything to be Alarmed about if you have already pulled the oil pump drive gear and checked it and it looks new. Sure any half way large Semi-Truck outfit will and does oil analysis and if you can't find one close just go on the net and pick one and send a sample out.
IMO, Its the thrust bearing surface edge and #2 & #4 main bearings that you are seeing. #2 & #4 take most of the beating and the Crank is always trying to go south and through the radiator every time a motor is gunned and with boost and with a new motor with boost, I bet ya your having fun and going for blasts and are always in it.
Wing the throttle and watch the harmonic balancer, once you can see it moving forward when you wing the throttle, hard at Idle. Time to freshen up the bearing, otherwise your O.K..
I think it's to be expected in any motor with higher than 12 psi of boost to get that kind of wear and a little to show up in the oil. Man that thrust bearing is taking a lot under Boost. Your going to get wear and it's going to show up in the oil.
Change the oil by hrs of run time, not miles. **** I'd be changing it out every weekend or 20 or 30hrs of run time and already of had a powerful magnetic drain plug in there.
I use light colored oils. Castol as a matter of fact. When it's new, you can't even see it on the dipstick and when I start to see it a little dark, I dump it and it's still clean. Boost Murder's thrust bearings and I'd be putting new ones in every winter.

 

Any idea if it's possible to pull a canton road race pan off with the engine in the car?

I need to check all the bearings at the very least. I definitely don't want to throw a rod and wreck my block, heads, crank, rods, Pan and who knows what else