stuff in OIL PAN???? need some help

So i had my oil pan pulled off and was told it had metal shavings inside....Im very new when it comes to engines so I am in the learning process....

Any idea based on the picture below what the issue could be? Truck drives fine... its a 223 inline 6 manual tranny in a 1959 ford f100 and only gringing is when i put into reverse not sure if that could cause this over time?

 

If it is metal shavings it's bad!!!

I'd just clean it all out and keep driving that engine till it fails!!

 

because its at fab shop....we had to section oil pan to not hit cross member and rack....he took off oil pan and sent me the pic.....then it went and got steam cleaned and completley cleaned out.....then he sectioned it and then sent it back to have it pressure tested for leaks.....now it is completley clean as of this point.....i dont know how long thats been there. i have had truck since feb and who knows before that.......

But any idea what could cause that?

 

Pretty hard to guess from a picture what it is, could be bits of babbit or just crap from the original assembly of the engine. if it isn't rattling and is still holding oil pressure and you are not ready to rebuild it then run it.

 

That is a LOT of shavings. Something is eating itself up. It may go for a while longer, but IMO you have something serious going on there. Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure.

Don

 

check the thrust bearing end play !!! >>>>.

 

What does the rest of the engine (bottom end) look like?? It looks like the chips one gets when a cyl is bored out or decked and not fine enuff as if somthing was rubbing or going away, It would have to make alot of noise for that much material.

 

Can you clean off some of the "stuff" and take a good look at it? doesn't look like what I expected to see when I read the subject line

 

I'm betting you will know what it is soon. By the looks of what was in the pan it will rear it's ugly head pretty soon if left as is.

 

Are you certain that isn't some old rust that had formed on the inside of the valve cover and now modern detergent oil had freed it up and dropped it into the pan? That is what it appears to be to me. Pull the valve cover and the covers off the side of the lifter gallery to see if there is old sludge or rust.

 

I'm guessing rust, or carbon deposits that got loose. Does not look anything like metal shavings

 

Sectioning of oil pan to clear the front x member?
I thought he was working with no limit or whom ever to fix your ride right?
I've never heard a manufacture as you need to section an oil pan to clear their kit.
Just thinking out loud here. I've sectioned a few myself,but that was all custom shit and tring to make a hood fit also.

Not tring to start anything, but damn that's alot of work to make it right.

That also looks like alot of metal chips for an engine to produce.

 

doesn't look like metal shavings to me.

 

100% Seriously, looks like the build up behind the wheel on my chop-saw.

 

Might be rust.....i just recieved a picture and was not there to see in person....i was told it was metal shavings....i would assume rust as well.....yes when we called guy from no limit he said kit was not made for a front sump oil pan....so they sectioned oil pan but section did not work it was still hitting and he was afraid any more would starve the engine so they are having an oil pan made and changing it to rear sump.....

 

Does, what ever it is, stick to a magnet?

 

Get a magnet and it'll tell you if it's steel. If it's metal that is. If it's aluminum, you'll be able to tell by it's shiny-ness and it's lack of sticking to a magnet.

Looks like it might be loose sludge though. Just my thoughts.

Mike

 

too late for me to test its already cleaned......


it will not let me edit my previous post......so its actually hitting the rack.....if you see pics from precious suspension that i filed law suit over....you will notice my rack is really far forward with tierods aiming back and up to the wheel....this is because they ran into the same issue with the oil pan and decided to build around it.....which is the reason the entire steering was off and terrible

 

Pull the valve covers and see if any is up top. Then if you know someone who can cut open the oil filter, see what's in there. Between the two, you should find something you can pull a magnet through.

 

How is your oil pressure? Are there any knocks, bangs, thumps or other bad noises from the engine?

On an engine that old it could mean something, or nothing. Especially if you don't know if it was metal or not. I've seen engines sludged up a lot worse than that. In fact for an engine that old, what you see is nothing.

If the oil pressure is good and the engine isn't too noisy keep driving. You will find out soon enough if something is wrong.

 

#4,...If it had that much metal trash from original assembly, I don't believe it would have survived initial fire-up. I'd be doing some serious looking,.... The pan is already off,...so take the time.....

4TTRUK

 

Looks to me like the fine gravel from asphalt shingles. You need to question the oil pan man to see what he did to determine that it was indeed metal. For an engine to shed that much metal, and shaped like those, it would have to be showing some other symptoms like low oil pressure, knocking, etc. Is oil pan man someone you know well, or just a shop looking to make an easy buck?

It's definitely not caused by grinding gears going into reverse.

 

you never mentioned a Law Suit !!! And as mentioned earlier It looks like the shavings my boring machine makes when boring cylinders !!! HHMMM !!!! >>>>.

 

Are the Chips magnetic? Pull a handful out and spray them off with degreaser and look at them, it their babbit, its a main, if they are magnetic and steel, you got gear rubbing or something wearing out somewhere. Could be anything, Look at the chips, do they look curled like the were cut or abrasive like a grinder makes.

 

Years ago I found shavings like that in the pan of a freshly rebuilt Corvair engine. The spring in the main seal had come loose and got chewed up in the cam gears. I replaced the seal and installed a magnetic drain plug. That engine's still going, although in another car.

 

sorry lawsuit over faulty suspension....previous post......pretty gnarly situation

here is link http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=702809&highlight=freshly



im going to open up and check more when I go to the shop....i am 1 hour away from vehicle and plan on going tomorrow to check out the truck......im sure its mixture of rust and sludge......its probably been in there for a long time.....i bought on a farm in dinuba CA and know nothing except i have been running it since February this year....The engine runs great and makes no unusual noise......I have never broke down and have used it to make long drives.....

 

Ooooo, that's Fugly!

 

"The engine runs great and makes no unusual noise......I have never broke down and have used it to make long drives...."

Check oil pressure, if it is up to spec don't worry about it. Probably some old hardened sludge that fell off the rocker arms.

You could take off the valve cover, if there is crusty black sludge there is your answer. Have you ever adjusted the valves? If not, it is probably due.

 

That's a lot of crap in that pan. This is the shop that did the original horrible fab work? I'd be asking myself if this guy is bending me over for a second run? Fool me once...

 

he is not getting money off of this deal.....it is the same shop but he is doing work to avoid the law suit.......hes been really apologetic and nice about the situation.....i know he wants my truck perfect and out of his shop because i am a head ache.....i highly doubt he wants to cause issues with anything and have to go through this again and deal with me. im picking up truck in next couple days.....regaurdless i do need to have the engine gone through and cleaned up....like i said I dont know how long its been since anything was done and it was sitting on a farm......

I appreciate everyones help....i will check out engine when its back in my posession