Found metal in my filter

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

So I had what I thought was a seized motor after a weird turbo squealing and rough idle...there is oil all over the back of the drivers side motor..from start up to seize I drove a total of 2 maybe 3 miles...truck was slowly running out of power and I kept giving it more until it shut down and then when I went to re start it barley turned over and gave dead battery clicks.

It turned on later that day but ran terribly..I’ve changed the thermostat (unrelated) and changed the seemed to be failed lift pump. No air in the lines and it will idle steady but some shaking. There is no excess smoke. I cut the filter open and found a lot of specs of brass? Gold dust waves in the oil.. I was going to test compression but I’m not sure it’s worth it now..


What do you guys think?

 

[Nero]

Time a new engine bud. Sounds like your bearings pooped the bed, and you're probably going to have crank/cam damage, let alone possibly scored holes.
You could teardown to overhaul, but you'll be quicker/cheaper to just get a replacement motor.

 

[TNBrett]

Sure doesn’t sound good. Maybe do some close inspection with a flashlight. The oil had to come from somewhere. Maybe through an emergency exit created by some internal parts with an identity crisis.

 

[Jesus Freak]

I agree with Nero, sorry dude. My thoughts kinda hearken back to a thread about a "squealing noise coming from engine" though, I believe in my equipment "paying the piper". It sounds like you're truck has probably paid you a good bit, if you figure how long it's lasted you reasonably trouble free. The thing about a new motor is.......where do you get another turbo IDI?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I cut the filter open and found a lot of specs of brass? Gold dust waves in the oil..

Sounds like your bearings pooped the bed,

I was thinking bearings too, but, to be picky, the bearings won't give you a brass or gold color. The color will be more of a copper color. I can't think of anything that would give you a brass/gold color. Due to your other symptoms, I'll agree with the others and say that it's engine time. I still recommend trying to find a reasonably priced, running engine to swap into your truck. That will give you time to decide where to go with it from that point on. Even a N/A engine will hold up fine to ANY stock turbo output plus more. As far as that goes, you can use a 6.9 in place of your 7.3 to be able to use the truck while you're deciding what to do.

 

[Steven Sochalski]

The turbo bearings are a brass bearing, possibly the gold/brass you see. Lack of oil could cause the noise and turbo to sieze. I'd pull the intake and see if you can spin the turbo shaft.

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

Turbo spins freely and doesn’t have to much play.

 

[Big Bart]

The compression test can tell you if it should run (All the cylinders have good compression) but it won’t tell you why you have all the metal in the oil. It cannot hurt to do it, at least then you will confirm the engine needs to be pulled due to a major failure.

But even if the engine has decent compression, the all those metal partials in the oil is telling you it needs to be opened up and inspected to learn why. I am not sure if our filters can pull fine particulate like that out of the oil. Guessing they can But if not your crank and cam bearings and piston pins are likely scored now.

Since you mentioned a weird turbo squeal as Steve mentioned the turbo (I am not sure about yours) may ride on a brass or copper sleeve/bearing. That is cooled and lubricated by the oil system. It’s possible your turbo squeal was the bearing going out, driving it more caused it to shed particles into the oil. Often when the bearings go the seal does too, perhaps why you have oil down the back of the engine. (Its blowing/leaking out somewhere.) However if you do a engine swap I suggest inspect or rebuild the turbo just in case. But perhaps a cylinder went for some other reason.

So for your curiosity perhaps do the compression test. I think you will have a better answer about which way you want to go. Dead cylinder it’s game over and time for plan B.

 

[Nero]

Keep in mind even with good compression you may still have bad leak down. Had an engine with a scored hole that had good compression still. Failed a leak down through the rings though. Just food for thought.

 

[94turbocrewcab-lb]

I’m really leaning towards just finding the right replacement motor. I’ll rebuild the turbo before hand.

This being said I’ve kind of out grown the truck and it’s purpose. I may sell the truck with a replacement engine or replace it and sell it to my folks. A dump truck would be pretty handy at this point in life