Metal Flake in Oil - Low Oil Pressure - Next Steps?

zisfor_nizmo

I ran out to check the heads: 3 valve spring retainers were broken each from the middle cylinder’s intake side (2 in one bank 1 in the other, the 1 only has about 20% of it left….ready to drop)

I’m not entirely sure what caused this, googling said an over rev could have caused it. I think I’d remember if I money shifted the car…. Also coinciding with the gallery gasket failure seems bit too coincidental.

I think some combination of no oil in the heads, a build up of heat, and some stress lead to the the retainers snapping off. Those fragments sheared and shredded on their way to the oil pan where they sat all polished and shiny until we found them.

I also haven’t read anything about something like this before. I don’t believe this is a common failure point. My mechanic works on a ton of 300zxs, 350 and 370zs, he’d hadn’t seen anything like this either. At least now we know, if you see pieces shaped like that, it’s you retainers