[Jake Raby]

Were the cylinder heads, block and other components cleaned ultrasonically after the failure while disassembled? This method is the only method proven effective in removing wear metals from inside the capillaries and passages within the block, heads, camshafts and other confines.

Keep in mind that this material is being delivered into your new triple row bearing and that 1% of debris contamination increases wear by 83%. Residual foreign object debris stemming from prior failures is a key problem with the repair of these engines.

Call your builder, they built it, they should answer your questions and perhaps this is normal wear debris from one of their engines. If they've never worked with an M96 before, then they probably won't have any comparatives.

Just because they build "race engines" doesn't mean they understand the dynamics associated with the M96 engine specifically. The M96 has its own idiosyncrasies and its hard to work with these engines internally if you don't know them passionately.

Which "journal had turned"?? That could be an interesting dynamic.