Gold/Copper "dust" in oil fresh from significant engine work...?

First, I'm a first time Porsche owner and have found this Forum and it's members to be a great resource! Thanks in advance for all of those who share their experience and expertise! Car: 2001 996 C2, 3.4L with 79K I�ll apologize in advance for those that feel these topics are covered elsewhere, but I couldn�t find a discussion that had all the variables as my situation. Background: Bought used 3 months ago, felt pretty good about seller�s integrity and maintenance records/history he had and as well as Carfax info. Purchased it and drove it for a couple weeks, probably 200 miles or so, car ran well but there was the metal on metal rattle when starting it that lasted a couple seconds. During my research before purchasing I had decided I would at least do the IMS bearing so I didn�t have that in the back of my mind every time I was driving. Found what appeared to be a good Porsche Indy, good on line reviews, had a number of Porsche�s in yard (some very expensive classics, Boxsters, etc.) and seemed knowledgeable and friendly. I decided to have him do the IMS, AOS, RMS, full clutch kit and flush fluids (antifreeze, differentials, etc., gave him the deposit to cover parts and dropped it off. After a couple weeks started to get worried about his responses to questions, delays, etc. he ended up having the car for 6 weeks. He also suggested lifters on bank 1 and timing chain tensioners and guides, which I agreed to. Ok�..car is done�yippee��should drive like new and be worry free! I picked up the car and noticed 10w-30 oil listed on the slip, and only 2 gallons of antifreeze and he couldn�t tell me exactly what antifreeze he used ( I was worried about mixing based on what I have read..). Drove car home and check engine light came on and noticed oil on the garage floor immediately after parking and there is an intermittent chirp/squeal on startup and while driving. Check the codes and they were Cat. Conv efficiency, Injector circuit (all 6) and Hot MAF film. I cleared the codes, drove it and only the Cat Conv. came back. I dropped the car back off at Indy and he fixed the oil leak (spark plug O rings and cam shaft covers). Regarding chirp/squeal he said he cleaned the pulleys and serpentine belt (belt looks like new�.) but didn�t fix the chirp/squeal Pulled filter out of housing and this is what glove looked like... Drained oil in sunlight... brand new oil drain pan and oil only has about 150 miles on it.. . I decided I would change the oil after a bit of driving ( 3 days after picking it up and maybe 150 miles) and what I found has me really worried�see pics. My first thought was �gold dust�, but on the glove it looks more like a copper color. I put in M1, 0w-40 and a new filter. I drove it about 20 miles and plan on doing another oil change, dropping the pan and sending an oil sample to Blackstone. Drained oil with only 150 miles since last change in brand new oil drip pan.. My question to this forum is this: Is there any chance this is a normal result after doing this type of engine work�? So Sorry for the long post and appreciate any input from this knowledgeable group!

Nope, not normal. Not remotely normal.

Nope..that's what oil looks like when main journal and rod bearings have been eaten.

if it is the crank, this what it will look like when it fails....ask me how i know☹

Not that it matters but why did your mechanic recommend and change the bank 1 lifters?? Just curious...

Quotes source post: 15942854

This was my first question when I read the OP's post. Low chance the lifters were bad.

Quotes source post: 15942866

They probably weren't looking back on it. There was a slight ticking but I hadn't driven the car much so I really just went with his recommendation to do it "while I'm in there" and I was agreeable to any pre-emptive work while engine was out as I don't have a lift.

Quotes source posts: 15942789, 15942785

Thank you both.....felt stupid asking the question, but I guess I was holding out hope.. Is it reasonable to think a competent mechanic would have noticed a/the problem when doing the work I described? And/or could it be the result of the work that was done if not done correctly?

Quotes source post: 15942899

There are no stupid questions. I don't have an opinion on this chicken or egg question, but I would find a different mechanic just based on the lifter deal and the 10w30 oil.

Did the mechanic mention how the oil looked when he changed it? I am guessing he didn't. Where do you live?

He didn't mention it and based on the fact that it was this bad with only a couple hundred miles since he put in new oil, I feel like it would have been evident while he was inside the engine. I'm in beautiful New Hampshire! (where it's great weather to take a Porsche for a spin)

Oh man lopue......I think I can figure out how you know....bummer!!

So the "dust" is only in the oil filter, not in the oil itself? I was hoping you might be closer. I might be getting a running Boxster engine in a few weeks. Could be an option if you need a replacement engine.

NH: welcome, and you have lots of company and support on this site. Once you decide on a course of action, every day will get better than the day before! Many of us have been in the same boat. Here’s some pics of my situation when I bought mine.

Quotes source post: 15942899

Yep..no stupid questions. Now you just have to deal with the aftermath and decide if the car has enough value to you to cover the expense of doing what comes next. Personally knowing what I know I don't think someone with a clue could have been in that engine and not noticed things going pear shaped. However I wasn't there when it was being worked on so I wouldn't be willing to throw someone under the bus. If he wasn't looking specifically for the condition of the rotating assembly and nothing had been bad enough to show elevated heat levels around a journal then he may have done nothing wrong. Trying to arm chair repair work from a far is always an exercise in how to be completely wrong. Even if the seller was perfect on maintenance these are mechanical items. Things can go south at any point and be the fault of no one. A perfectly running engine is trying to tear itself apart with every rotation on the best of days. I would perhaps look for another Indy but I think once you start telling the story that someone was in it before that shop you need to be prepared for the response. Either way someone is going to have to tear it down to see what is responsible for all the cooper material in the oil.

Dust was in both oil and filter. Maryland isn't that far... drove to Virginia to buy the car! Not sure what path I'm going to take with this...

Thanks for the response and support!

Quotes source post: 15943023

If it's not too far for you, keep me in the loop. I might be able to help you out if you determine your engine is dying, even if you need a temporary solution. Good luck!

So sorry to see this. x2 on the new indy... Keep us posted and good luck.

Sorry to hear about this and I agree about finding new indy. For comparison, my car requires the engine out for IMS and AOS replacement. I get it back in 5 days at the most. At a minimum he should have examined the oil and filter before proceeding with the expensive work. As far as not knowing which coolant he used - that is very telling.

Subscribed, sorry to read about this. Keep us posted

Quotes source post: 15943023

Sorry to see this happen on a new acquisition. Any mechanical noises aren't good and that's why it's especially important to do a full PPI with changing the oil, dropping the pan, bore scope, etc. with these cars. Not that it matters at this point, but did the shop doing the work communicate if there was anything in your filter when doing the service work? The fact they recommended lifters leads me to believe it may have been diagnosed incorrectly and that you had a scored bore, as we commonly see this occur with shops that are not familiar with the M96 engine. Regardless, copper in the oil is no good and I'd stop driving the car immediately. The crank may still be salvageable but if you continue, that might not be the case.

Charles, Do you think his new IMS bearing has been compromised due to the dust?

Quotes source post: 15944767

Unless it's the Solution..... Btw, sorry for the news. If I ever by another one of these cars, the ppi has to include all that Charles suggests.

Quotes source post: 15944767

I would say yes. Anything that was lubricated by metal laden oil could be damaged. It is expected that the bypass in the filter housing was allowing the debris to be reintroduced into the engine.

Charles: Lesson learned on PPI for sure......That said seller had a PPI from Porsche dealership that he had done when he purchased it, which he shared with me, and it was only about 4k miles/ 2 years prior. It wasn't as thorough as what you described (pan, bore scope, etc.) but it did provide me with some confidence so I went for it. It was also a bit of an impulse purchase, I had been looking for months for the right combination of colors, mileage, price, etc. and found this one about 500 miles away.... drove down looked at it, looked at his records, drove it, made him an offer, he accepted.....rented a car carrier and brought it home. Seemed like an outstanding idea at the time..... I'm not a total idiot, my son and I have rebuilt/restored jeeps and BMW's and this is my first run with a Porsche...realize this isn't necessarily a "Porsche" problem, but it is the first time I have used an Indy for such significant work as I would typically do it myself.......but wanted it done quick so I could drive it and was worried I didn't have the expertise to do it right.. Appreciate you taking the time to comment and your support and expertise via this forum.

Quotes source post: 15944830

It happens. I've made many an impulse buy that turns into a project. This is just an example that it doesn't take many miles for an engine to go south and with little to no warning. We've had many father/son teams tackle their own engine rebuilds over the years, many whom have taken the hands on engine classes offered by The Knowledge Gruppe, with great success. It's no different than any other car you have worked or restored, just take your time. You have many other Rennlisters that have documented their builds, so you are in great company.