A friend on the field just cut open his filter and found perhaps half a teaspoon of small particles in it. They were all extracted with a magnet and there was nothing left in the filter after running the magnet through it. It is a lycoming first run IO-360 angle valve engine from the late 70s with about 700 hrs on it, so it must have spent a fair bit of time sitting. He resumed flying last month after a 2 year airframe refurbishment.
What would be the next steps? Can analysis be done to determine what the alloy is and hence what part of the engine to check? Borescope? Or bite the bullet and start pulling jugs and looking at the cam and lifters? He has sent in oil for analysis but expects it to simply tell him that there is high ferrus metal content (duh!).
I suspect that an overhaul is in his future, but obviously he wants to troubleshoot this in a systematic fashion and exhaust all other possibilities. Any advice appreciated.
What would be the next steps? Can analysis be done to determine what the alloy is and hence what part of the engine to check? Borescope? Or bite the bullet and start pulling jugs and looking at the cam and lifters? He has sent in oil for analysis but expects it to simply tell him that there is high ferrus metal content (duh!).
I suspect that an overhaul is in his future, but obviously he wants to troubleshoot this in a systematic fashion and exhaust all other possibilities. Any advice appreciated.