A member just avoided an expensive engine replacement after it appeared, she had metal in the engine oil, and an (incorrect) assumption of low oil pressure by the A&P. Kudos to the owner for keeping her cool, and to the Northeast support team (Zach Grant and Eric Kenyon). The low oil pressure was checked with a calibrated gauge and found to be normal, and the Lycoming service letter and knowledge base guidelines were presented and are now being followed by the A&P. As Lycoming said, “The lack of printed matter on this subject may be due to the difficulty in adequately describing types and amounts of metal. It’s like asking for a precise measurement and getting the answer, “why it’s 25-thousandths plus a little bit.” As this is the second engine this month that almost has a premature condemnation, we link to the two documents above. While metal in the filter is never to be ignored or taken lightly, it is not a death knell and, in some circumstances, it is expected. There are also things that will closely resemble metal, such as carbon deposits. In both cases, a second opinion was warranted and saved many $$$ and time.. —- Hopefully we can publish a long article so that other owners will benefit should a mechanic similarly jump to conclusions without an investigation of the facts
