Jeff--

Good question. Re-fill it, and drive it.
The motor is made of metal, and parts of the motor wear down, flake off,
etc. in normal use. If they didn't motors would never "wear out". As
long as these aren't little chunks, or the strainer didn't look like a
bowl of metallic corn flakes, drive it.

The fact that they are non-ferrous metal is normal. Your bearings are
all made of VERY soft metal so that they wear, rather than the crank,
rods, cam, etc. When you find ferrous metal, that is more of a bummer...
that's rings, cylinders, valve tips, oil pump cover, etc. and that isn't
a happy thing. Bottom line: drive it.

Bringing ideas to life,
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
www.bulley-hewlett.com
AIM = IExplain4u
+1.919.658.1278
"Fax mentis incendium gloria culpum"

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Jeff Strickrott
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 7:18 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Metal slivers found in oil strainer

Hi All:

I was performing Stan's ShapingUp procedure on my 82 Vanagon and when
cleaning out the oil strainer I found a bunch of metal shavings. They
are not magnetic, so either some type of stainless or aluminum.

Does this mean the engine is a goner? I am not sure if the metal slivers
(flakes) where in the engine and my cleaning just flushed them out, or
if they are the result of my valve adjustment. I have only idled the car
about 20 minutes since the valve adjustment. It could be from a valve
seat (though I would think that would be steel and hence magnetic) but
my engine vacuum actually improved.

Now the van sits with all the oil drained out of it. Any suggestions as
to the next course of action? Know of any good engine rebuilders within
shipping distance of South Florida?. The local VW shops I would not want
to use.

Regards,
--Jeff Strickrott
82 Westy, South Florida