So running this dirty oil could be decreasing my overall mileage I’ll get out of this motor?
As long as you changed the oil within the mileage limits set by your warranty you should
still be covered
if this level of a fix is necessary. For my own engines where I'm spending
my own money/my friend's money, normally after the first fire I'll run the engine for an hour
or two, including a 90 minute ring-seating/break in session on the open road, followed immediately
by draining the oil, looking for trouble, removing the filter and cutting it open, again looking
for trouble and hoping to not find any, etc.
Then the 2nd batch of fresh oil goes in, and we repeat the drill at ~500 miles, then stretching
the change interval to 1,000 miles, until the metallic glitter tapers off, and then reverting to
the 'normal' 3K oil change intervals. While all this is going on, IF the metallic glitter is steadily
decreasing, change after change, then the situation is under control.
On the other hand, if I get a lot of glitter on the initial oil change, followed by
even more glitter
on 2nd and subsequent changes, then I've lost control of the situation, the engine has to
come out, and the root cause of where all this metallic debris is coming from has to be figured out.
And of course, the decision has to be made whether a full do-over is to be started or if the
project is abandoned. (!)
****
By the way, for future readers, if you have a high mileage engine that starts to shed a lot of
metallic debris into the oil, and one or more lifters have become noisy due to a failed cam lobe
and associated lifter failure, then
this is the reason why you can't just swap in a new cam and
lifters & expect a long-term fix.
For the failing cam & lifters has contaminated the interior of the engine with extremely hard metallic
debris, and not if but when this contamination ends up trapped in the tightest clearances inside
the motor, this is where you find out that the soft bearing materials can only embed so much FOD
before excess wear occurs, the oil pressure drops, and finally the engine starts to audibly rap/knock.
(Audible death spiral.)
This new engine is still running and is quiet, oil pressure at cold start is 80psi, then drops between 40-80 depending on idle or is accelerating/regular driving speed. The gauge itself is stock, as for the sensor I don’t know if it’s been replaced. This change was done after 500-1,000 miles. I’ve saved the filter and used oil, receipt and time stamp of the mileage and day of change, and will be ordering two oil test kits and changing the oil in another 1-2k miles.
Sounds like you have covered your bases. If this was mine, I'd continue to listen carefully to
your new engine for any signs of emerging noise. And I would change the oil at 1,000 miles, and if you
could, take the sharpest pictures possible of the drain pan in plenty of light. I like the fact that you are
employing a couple of diagnostic test kits to cover the next couple of changes.
NOTE: I'm not as yet advocating for an engine swap, because who's to say that the replacement
engine will be any better? Or possibly worse? But if the dealership needs to replace the oil and
then 'seal' the motor in order to protect the warranty, then you have to follow their rules of
engagement. (Schurkey had some good guidance on all this crate motor warranty stuff
elsewhere in the forum. Recommended reading.)
Stay vigilant. Best of luck --