Advice Please

[Jamesp]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

If you are seeing ferrous bits in hand there are almost assuredly ferrous bits in the tight spaces that will not come out, constrict oil flow and kaboom. It will take a few thousand miles if your lucky but there's no cheating the reaper who will claim the entire engine instead of sparing you with just the cost of the rebuild.
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Not likely (the grim reaper / kaboom part). There will certainly be metal bits in the oil. I had the nefarious ferrous bits in my oil after my rebuild and no kaboom, no grim reaper, no drama, just an oil filter (and a sealed bearing). That's what the oil filter is for. If the metal bits get past the oil filter en masse, they can certainly cause problems by clogging small oil passages. The same mechanism that moves chips towards our engines destruction moves them into the oil filter where they get trapped in the oil filter pleats, almost like it was designed to do that. Again, that's what its there for, and don't even start with low temp cold start bypass. Certainly a possibility under very specific conditions that can be easily avoided.

Just saying there can be a possible way to fix this without breaking the bank if it's caught very early. Unlikely due to collateral damage, but possible. After having been around the block a few times I'd do it if the opportunity presented itself.

And as previously stated, any non sealed bearing installation in this situation would likely fail very quickly.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

Not likely (the grim reaper / kaboom part). There will certainly be metal bits in the oil. I had the nefarious ferrous bits in my oil after my rebuild and no kaboom, no grim reaper, no drama, just an oil filter (and a sealed bearing). That's what the oil filter is for. If the metal bits get past the oil filter en masse, they can certainly cause problems by clogging small oil passages. The same mechanism that moves chips towards our engines destruction moves them into the oil filter where they get trapped in the oil filter pleats, almost like it was designed to do that. Again, that's what its there for, and don't even start with low temp cold start bypass. Certainly a possibility under very specific conditions that can be easily avoided.

Just saying there can be a possible way to fix this without breaking the bank if it's caught very early. Unlikely due to collateral damage, but possible. After having been around the block a few times I'd do it if the opportunity presented itself.

And as previously stated, any non sealed bearing installation in this situation would likely fail very quickly.

Doesn't the fact that the OPs engine is running like crap indicate we are past the "if you catch it early" stage of this game?
In other words that typical spotting of metal in oil while the engine was still running is usually when the cross your fingers oil flushing and IMS swap is attempted.

[Jamesp]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Doesn't the fact that the OPs engine is running like crap indicate we are past the "if you catch it early" stage of this game?
In other words that typical spotting of metal in oil while the engine was still running is usually when the cross your fingers oil flushing and IMS swap is attempted.

There really is no catching it early. You've got to beat it to the punch. After there is metal in the oil it is too late to use the go to methods of mitigating IMS failures.

Once there is metal in the oil most would say the engine is toast/needs major overhaul or replacement and they might always be right.

The thought is that on the off chance the failure is caught with the snap ring in the IMS shaft still intact (talking single row) there may be a repair option available that is relatively painless.