oldsatheart

I think I have done approximately 4 oil changes on my car but havnt put any miles on it because the tranny went and blew up but that's another issue. I am still.getting shinny extremely small pieces of metal in the oil. The motor is bran new from the machine shop but I don't think I should still be getting metallic pieces in the oil after changing the oil this many times. Could it be possible that I am loosing a bearing because there is also.a loud ticking noise comming from the top end. Sounds like an exhaust leak but I just replaced the header gasket. And it could be possible that it needs a new head gasket on the drivers side because it is overheating. Arg. So I am currently checking compression on all the cylinders and so far on the drivers side I have a high on 125 and a low of 101.

66ninetyeightls

If the motor is brand new I would be contacting them about the issue. Its noise and has metal fillings in the oil. Sounds like an issue they should be dealing with not you.

Also what engine is it? For most engines 125psi compression is very low.

henryk8398

x2

The metal could be for a number of reasons, but my gut instinct tells me that it's due to lack of cleanliness on their part. An engine block should be pretty much sterile before putting it back together. Every surface,oil passage,etc needs to be cleaned. I think you need to take it back to them.

As far as the compression, it sounds low, but the cylinder that's at 101 tells me they didn't do their job right. That's more than 10% lower than the others.

I hate to tell you this, but you need to pull that motor and have them do it again, the right way.

oldsatheart

I have already had an issue with the head gasket with this.motor. I replacement the passengers side because it was leaking while I was filling the block with anti freeze. So I might do that first and the machine shop is already aware of these issues. They have paid me for the parts and what not.

oldsatheart

I tested the rest of the cylinders and the highest I got was 125. I also have an aftermarket Cam in there so I think that is affecting the compression. There is also that loud ticking noise comming from the passengers side top end. Before I tear it apart I am going to try and find someone that can I.d the noise and.see where that is comming from. Anyone in the Boston area? LOL

oldsatheart

I am pushing off pulling the motor as much as possible. Because if it comes out it wont get back in until the spring due to new England.weather and no where to keep it.

D. Yaros

Henry is correct, "The metal could be for a number of reasons." To that comment I would add, none of them good!

Let's see: Metal in oil, strange engine noises, head gasket failures, widely variable compression readings in a brand new engine? It may be time to go back to square 1 and start over?

rustyroger

Maybe you could have the oil spectroscopically analysed to find out what the metal parts are.
I agree you shouldn't be having these issues on a rebuilt motor after 4 oil changes.

Roger

chrisneu68olds

I am certainly not an expert on this, but it would seem to me regardless of the cause, little bits of metal floating around the engine cannot be a good thing. Wouldn't it mean that if (and it likely did) get into the bearings that it would have...well reduced the life of the bearing by a huge factor? Grit like that would like hitting a smooth metal surface with course sand paper under pressure and heat.

Sounds to me like start over to me...but it does bring up a question;
If for some reason, you got a block from a machine shop, and there is some grit int it, is there a good way to flush and clear out the galleries at home or is this better to have a machine shop do it?

MDchanic

Long bottle brushes, a strong detergent (Fantastik, Formula 409, Oil Eater, Purple colored "Simple Green," etc.), and a garden hose.

Scrub and flush 'till clean.

- Eric

Fakser

This thread makes me wanna cry. I'm not sure what shop you had your motor done at but I see it time and time again old crusty metal building "insert name of small American town name here Auto Repair". "Sure we can do that" they say, tools scattered, cars everywhere tooken apart, parts out of boxes all over the place. And one guy in cover alls with the top off and the sleeves tied around his waist, that guy yup he's the one working on your engine. You know him he's the guy that drinks a tall can of Pabst on the way to work and wouldn't dare read a manual because he knows it all. That guy that says "meh all that dust will blow out the exhaust when they start this thing up". That guy that has one torque spec "German torque spec" "Gudentight". Be careful guys because that guy could have his filthy meat slappers all over your beloved vehicle right now.

oldsatheart

The machine shop was Marshall machine shop in skowhegan Maine. Took them over 4 months to finish the job. I have not had very much luck with them how ever they did warranty it for 4 years 40k. So I think I will sending the motor back to get looked at. PS this is my first motor swap paid 1700 for a long block they are suppose to put new crank rods and rockers arnt they?

MDchanic

Here is their website - a nice-looking page with almost no links.
Here is their price list - standard prices, no fancy stuff.

They are a production rebuild shop, and they say this about themselves:
"we build and ship 40-45 passenger car, light truck, and marine engines a week. our engines ship nationwide and carry a 4 year warranty.we have been at this location since 1988."

An environmental inspector's report says this:
"I received a complaint from James Crowley of DEP Land and Water via the Commissioner's Office staff. Someone had observed stained soil at Marshall's Machine Shop in Skowhegan. I visited the shop and met with the owner, Fred Marshall. Fred is a nervous fellow, who talks a mile a minute. He admitted that yes, some oil may have leaked onto the ground as a result of his operations. This was an honest answer as we walked the grounds and observed the stains firsthand. The shop rebuilds car and truck motors, perhaps as many as 100 were in various stages of disrepair strewn inside and outside of the building. Perhaps 75 of these V-8's had been stripped to the block and were laying outside on the ground. It did not appear to me as though any care had been taken to completely drain the crankcase oil. Many of the engines had small stains beneath them. Master's Machine had been so successful at minimizing overhead and waste disposal costs that they were engaging in a building expansion. In fact, the excavator was on site (Gilbert) and leveling an area adjacent to the main building to pour a slab. Fred agreed to have Gilbert excavate the stained soil for off site disposal. The original plan was to take the soil to Waste Management in Norridgewock. It ended up that the soil was spread back on the ground and covered with pavement for the new parking lot. A disappointing finish to this remediation effort. Being in downtown Skowhegan with few receptors, I decided to accept defeat and move on to the next spill."

Pretty much exactly what Fakser says.

Sounds like a bad place to get a rebuild. Good luck.

- Eric

allyolds68

Take it back if it's still in the warranty period. $1700 is cheap for a long block. I can't even imagine they bored it & put new pistons in it for that price much less a valve job. They should have polished the crank at a minimum if it was mint and any reputable place will insist on boring it at least .030 over & putting new pistons in. A complete job should run you $2500 to $3000 or more the closer to a major city that you get.
My motor was done by Dana Hurd at Custom Automotive in Weymouth MA (just south of Boston). Dana does everything from everyday drivers to all out race engines. He's done a lot of Olds motors. When mine was being done he have two others in the shop at the time. I've got over 2,000 miles on it since I got the car on the road in June. No problems so far. I had a little more than a stock rebuild & I was into it for $3600. He also did my 350 SBC in my 83 Sea Ray boat, again, no problems after 4 years.

oldsatheart

It was bored .30 over and has new pistons when I took the head off I had a mechanic take a look at it and said there was machine work done. But I don't know about the bearings and push rods though. But I just got the new radiator hopefully that will help cool it down. But before I do ship it off I want to replace the drivers.side head gasket. And if that doesn't solve a few problems it still is gunna need new.bearing I just have that feeling. I think my uncle and his buddy who are mechanics are gunna try and come down and listen to try and pin point that noise problem. But all this still doesn't solve my metal shavings in the oil issue.

MDchanic

With all the different things wrong with it, and the warranty, I really don't understand why you don't bring it back to them and tell them to fix it.

To sort this out, you're going to have to completely disassemble it and essentially rebuild it anyway.

- Eric

Run to Rund

Top end noise and metal in the oil suggest wiped cam lobes. The shop should take care of you, but that doesn't mean they know how to do it. Did you use high-ZDDP oil and/or additive when breaking in the new camshaft?

66ninetyeightls

Stop messing with the engine!!!!!

The more you mess with it the more the machine shop can say it was something you caused and deny the warranty. The second you take something apart on the engine they can deny the warranty.

oldsatheart

LOL I'm sorry I get ideas some times and just want it to run already. Well I did a little science experiment last night. I took some of the oil that came out of it and put it in a small cup not very deep maybe a inch deep. Then placed a magnet over the top to draw the metal out. I left it over night and only a very small amount of metal came out. Which leaves me to believe there isn't much left. However I will be pulling the oil out of it in the near future. And checking it again.

Stattiolds69

X2 on this
Looks like dejavu to me anyway, had a 455 that I didn't break in the cam properly and kept getting metal in oil, i had a magnetic drain plug and was always having to remove shards of steel. I also had top end noise and over time had to keep readjusting the rockers and lost power over time as well, probably the lobes were wiping out. This was about 10 years back though but it's becoming more and more an issue with the zinc additives not being in oil any more. If it wasn't for the big difference in price Id build every motor with a roller cam/lifters from now on.