Found this in my oil pan
 

I have one of the Kirkham oil pans where the trap doors around the pickup work so well you have to drop the bottom of the pan to get all the oil out. Anyway, when I did that today, I found these little pieces in the pan. They are not magnetic and are pliable, not brittle. I'm not sure how long they've been in there as it's possible I missed them when I changed the oil last year.

There were no metal bits stuck to the magnetic drain plug. Any idea what they are and how worried I should be?

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/pict...ictureid=16626

Are you positive they are not metallic, looks like copper in photo's?

One magnet won't pick them up at all and a different magnet will pick them up with a very light bond, so could be copper.

Pickup by a magnet is not a general test for metal. A magnet will only pick up steel - not copper, aluminum, or good stainless. Your bits sure look like some sort of metal.

It's definitely metal, just not magnetic. (I just realized I wrote "metallic" instead of "magnetic" above and fixed that.) Feels like copper.

Are these bearing parts?

Check your distributor gear

Will do. Hope it's that....

Distributor gear is fine. The collar seems to be missing a chunk out of it, so I will replace it, but that's not the source of the metal strips.

It kind of looks like the edge of a main bearing, but the radius does not look like the right diameter. I would expect an oil pressure drop if it was from a rod bearing. I'm not sure a main bearing would cause an oil pressure drop, if the thrust end wore off. I don't know if you could measure the crankshaft axial play, while the engine is in a car. The transmission may limit movement and give a better reading than what it actually is.

Hopefully it is something else. You want someone, who knows more than me, advising you, either way.

Car was running fine, oil pressure was good, no issues of any kind when I last drove it in October. I have access to the bottom end - any way to check bearing play? There is a bit of side to side play (I guess that's axial play) but that's it.

There should be front to back play with the rods, but very little. Should not be any side to side. R to L.

I would have bet money on a bronze dist gear, but I guess I would have lost.

Well the length and the fact the big lengths look round , could be valve guide remnants.

Sorry I guess my language isn't very precise, I was looking up at the crankshaft when I made my comments. There is a little front to back play but no side to side play.

I would say that is a main bearing thrust, since it looks like copper and magnet picks it up.

Time for engine out, if you want to save it.

Gary

Usually one main bearing (Typically the center or the rear main) has a thrust surface that limits how far the Crankshaft can slide front to back in the block. There is a spec for this. I have no idea what it is for an FE. I always used a dial indicator on the front of the crank and slid if front to back. It's been too long to remember, but 0.010" seems to be in the ball park. How far is your crank sliding? The picture is not enough for me to say anything for certain. I am just pointing you to check the front to back play in the crank, and compare that to the specs. I do not want to tell you something wrong.

I found this:
Paul From South Orange, New Jersey Asks
http://www.4secondsflat.com/Thrust_b..._failures.html

If you do have a bronze distributor gear, certainly pull the distributor and check it. It would also be worth pulling the valve covers and looking at the guides. Do your rocker arms have brass bushings? Look at any part that is made from the metal that you found.

I found this article written by Barry:
http://diyford.com/ultimate-ford-fe-...nkshaft-guide/

This paragraph states the thrust is on the 3rd main. I didn't find and axial play spec, but it may be in the article, as I skimmed through.
"The thrust bearing in an FE is on the number-3 main. Folding a bearing into the proper shape during the manufacturing process forms the thrust bearings. If the bearing is folded too far, or not far enough, it will not have proper thrust contact. This is the reason for working the crankshaft back and forth a few times during assembly; it helps to form the bearing and correct variances in thrust-face angles."

I think I have a cast iron distributor gear, but regardless it looks fine (I checked yesterday). I'll pull the valve covers later today and see if there is anything there. I'm also cutting open the oil filter to see if there are other signs of bearing destruction. I'll check around the 3rd main and see if I can see anything and what the crank play is. I think the spec is 0.008.

Regardless I think the engine's gotta come out and be checked out (but someone better than me).

cam gear
 

Looks like pieces of a gear to me. You said you checked the distributor gear, and a piece was missing from the collar. What collar?

Maybe you lost a chunk from the distributor gear on the camshaft, and a piece took out a chunk from the collar.

Also check your valve springs and retainers. I ran titanium retainers for a while, and the springs dug into the retainers. I didn't find chunks in the pan, but I could see how that might happen.

The collar right above the distributor gear.

I pulled the covers and everything looks good and there is no metal anywhere.

Doug,
For the most part, I know nothing about anything... Except for when this man Gaz talks, I best be listening. ;)

Sounds like a $hitty proposition, but I'd pull the engine and check out the main bearing thrust. If for nothing else other than piece of mind.

Fingers crossed for you for the best possible outcome.