Well, I had am oil line (feed) not do it's job, and starved a Shovel. As soon as I remedied the line, I was blowing smoke out the front pipe like crazy.
Basically, the top end end was starved for oil for about 10 miles. Bottom had a little oil, and stayed intact.

Ok, time to pull the top end. Front piston rings were completely fused into the piston body with a lot of cylinder scoring. Had the jugs punched, and went to the next size piston. Rebuilt the motor, and she fired right up again.

She's idling, and I start to get paranoid. Rocker boxes are hot, maybe the normal heat, but I start thinking maybe it's starving again.
I get into the cam chest and find 3 little chunks (steel) in the breather gear. Tappet screen was clear. I figure that it's ring parts even though the rings weren't broken. Too big, not the usual pixie dust. I then rebuilt the top end.

Thought about it last night and the hard truth settled in. I have to bust the whole motor apart again now. Just ordered another set of top end gaskets, even though the old ones have 5 minutes on them. Ordered all new bottom gaskets too.

Luckily, cam and everything are still perfect, and oil pump is still perfect (pulled it apart too). The thing is, I don't know what's lurking in the cases.

Got to do the right thing. Found some chunks, no choice but to start from scratch. It's all good, part of owning a Shovel!

 

two things - 1 the bottom fitting going to the rear head is special its .155 hole in it

2 - your oil pump does it have a seal in it ???????? if not the pump is garbage don't care what it looks like

even if it does how much up and down movement of the drive pump shaft does it have in your hand with no gears ???????? show in pictures

I don't see a year and they are not all the same

 

I'm confused - did you rebuild the top end - then run it - and now you found new pieces of metal? the metal bits may be the spiral lock for the piston pin - I don't think I would split the cases if there is no up-down rod play

 

I rebuilt the top end only, and didn't get into the cam chest. Bottom had oil, only top end starved. Piston was intact, just heavy scoring and fused rings.
I crossed my fingers, and assumed it was only localized to the jugs, crank felt fine.
I ran it again, realized that I should pull the cam chest apart just to be sure, and found 3 little chunks. Couldn't identify the source. Cam bearing good etc.
I can pull and rebuild a Shovel in one day, why take the chance?
Wrist pin cir-clips were good on first tear down, no broken rings that I could see.

 

if you have a piston that was hurt in this then you do not have the correct amount of oil going to the lower unit as it only get spray oil from the flywheels <<<< it was oil lean

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okay - thinking the chunks may have been left from the last damage - a complete bottom end up rebuild (including truing and balancing wheels) is a lot of work but if you can do it in a day - WOW - you are way ahead of the crowd - I'd like to hear what JZ has to say about things that cause poor oiling to the bottom end - clearly bad pinion bushing - but it sounds like the pinion bushing was okay in this case

 

ferg its all a guess as a few different pumps were installed over the years and he never answered the question about what year and type pump so