fine metal in oil

I recently rebuilt a 283 chevy it runs great, starts good, good oil pressure no noises in motor. I just changed the break in oil after about 300 miles , noticed some fine metal particles in the oil. I cut the oil filter open and found a little more metal , not big pieces, but very fine, almost dust. should i be concerned?

 

I'd say what you have there is normal. As long as the particles are fine and uniform everything is okay. Check it again at the next oil change and it should be greatly diminished.

Bob

 

Yeah! And just go easy with it for the next 3000 miles or so... Give the motor time to break in during "normal driving"...

 

Run a magnet through the oil and the particles and report back.

 

Times Two

 

If you had some machine work done then it MIGHT be leftovers. If you didn't then you may have an issue. Run it a few hundred miles more and check oil again. A magnet on the filter would catch more of it.

 

As stated above, test with a magnet. If you are using a flat tappet camshaft, either solid or hydraulic, check valve lash adjustment. If one or more get loose it's possible the cam was damaged during initial start up. In all probability it's just residual metal particles from machining if proper break in and oil additives were used.

 

ANY metal particles in oil is not a good sign. A properly built engine should have been scrubbed clean before ***embly. The rule I was bought up on in engine rebuilds is cleanliness is next to godliness. Metal particles destroy bearings, bores, rings and rockers, tappets and a whole pile more. IF its only some junk left over from the rebuild and your filter system is good the filter may have done its job and caught all the bad stuff. I wish you well

 

fyi motor was spotless before ***embly , i tapped and plugged byp*** in oil filter adapter and im running a filter with no byp*** until the metal clears up. hoping for the best

 

oh and particles are magnetic

 

If you have the same amount of metal at the next oil change, Id look at the cam and lifters, as you may have lost a lobe...problem is that you may have already damaged some bearings, depending on how good your oil filter is.
I lost a couple rod bearings in a 427 this way...and yes it was a Fram filter!