Help needed please... metal found in my Cerbera's oil... :-(

[cerbera nick]

Hi There,

i would really appreciate a little help..... i have owned my Cerbera for over 3 years now and it has been fairly well behaved and very reliable.

its a late 96 4.2 in sage green with black interior. This car was, as I'm sure many others are as a result of standing in front of one of these as a 17 year old and thinking.... one day....

the car has been serviced every year and upon the last one a fairly sizeable amount of metal was found on the magnet on the sump plug.

the car has always run fantastically with high oil pressure and never over heats.

i am hoping someone on here may be able to identify these items....... so far its been a case of guessing or being told 'a full engine rebuild is normally the case in situations like these'

all help and advice greatly appreciated

many thanks Nick

[cerbera nick]

[cerbera nick]

[cerbera nick]

[Gazzab]

Surely that's head gasket ring?
But just two inches wide....? Maybe it's jut part of the ring?

Edited by Gazzab on Friday 20th September 22:04

[Gazzab]

And I would think the servicing garage should know exactly what's happened. If it needs a rebuild then go APM.

[cerbera nick]

Hi, thanks.

That's a new diagnosis.....

So far I've had an:

oil control ring / piston ring

Bearing casing

Servicing garage recommended engine rebuild to be on the safe side....

APM?

[Gazzab]

I'm probably wrong as doubt a head gasket ring would make it down. Anyway Apm is the best ajp expert on earth. Apmautomotive

[cerbera nick]

Thanks will give them a call......

[Gazzab]

http://www.apmtvrservicing.co.uk/

[Vee8ight]

Looks like oil control rings to me

[Defcon5]

I was expecting little specs of metal, not actual engine parts ha!

[Snake278]

Hello, have you check Compression Ratio of each cylinder ?
Look like some kind of Piston Ring...

[cerbera nick]

I haven't had a compression test done yet. I think the plan is to get compression test and bottom end inspection.......

[ridds]

If the bits are all evenly kinked like the zoomed in shot then it is the spacer for the oil control ring.

I'd that it has snapped like that as they are usually quite flexible.

The cast top compression and oil scraper rings usually snap like that.

I'd do a compression test and monitor oil consumption. If both are good leave it as it is.

Don't bother with a bottom end inspection. If it's running Ok leave it, if not it's heads off and pistons out anyway so you might as well have a full rebuild at that point.

[cerbera nick]

Ok, thanks for the reply, I will book in a compression test. The car has never used much oil if any and no smoke at all noticed.

[Snake278]

Remove your Spark plugs first and see if there is some oil on one.

[GT6k]

If the engine is still running I think you should get a prize. Its always amazing that one thing will run with scrap metal in the bottom and another will explode due to a grain of dust in the wrong place.

It reminds me of a gearbox that I drained only to get a collection of bearings, cages, several teeth, the locking pin from the layshaft, lots of teeth and some synchro ring bits. Mind you the gearbox was making a noise like a cutlery set in a washing machine.

[cerbera nick]

Engine running perfectly, no noises or visible issues....

[350Matt]

another vote for oil scraper ring

don't be surprised if its using a lot of oil

I'd get a bore scope in there to see if the bores are scored or not

and be prepared to have to rebuild it I'd say