Metal in oil - now what?

[blykins]

Just go ahead and cut the oil filter open.

I've had two bearing failures on the dyno. One was a BBC that had a main bearing delaminate and the other was a Pontiac that cracked a rod journal and spun a rod bearing.

Both had perfect oil pressure and oil temperature and the only way I knew something was up was the power was falling off and we couldn't get it back.

Cut the filter open and put your mind at ease.

My guess is that everything is perfectly fine. If this is the first oil change since the engine was built, you will see a fine sheen in the oil that's normal. Every single part of the engine is trying to get to know its neighbor.

To compound that, you had MULTIPLE broken valve springs. They would have absolutely shaken off fine particles from where the broken ends were rubbing against each other.

Cut the filter apart, change the oil, and go have some fun.

[Gaz64]

Agree with all of the other lads input above.

Remember a magnetic plug will only have piston ring/bore material, crankshaft, cam lobe/lifter material etc, in other words ferrous material, so no copper, aluminium, brass, tin, babbit, etc.

Also, some oil filters will open the bypass early with cold oil, which then has unfiltered oil circulating.

Gary