Hello,
I had one of the messiest oil changes today. I raised the car up about 15 inches off the ground and just as I loosen the oil screen fastener the wind picks up and starts to blow the oil past my collection container! OK I reposition the container with oil still dripping down the sides!
The mess aside, my concern is what I found in the oil screen, a good number of carbon bits, some big 1/8 inch diameter most small, a bit larger than grains of sand.

I cleaned the screen and removed all of the carbon and changed the oil using Brad Penn high performance oil (the green oil). I had been using Castol GTX, I had a couple of cases of the old stuff in the garage, ran out about a year ago and bought the new stuff and started reading about the changes in formulation.
Could this be the cause of the carbon or is something else happening inside my engine?

Oh, and more of the mess, I put some fresh oil in the filter, as I was installing it, I was distracted and yea, I tilled the filter and spilled a few ounces of oil down my sleeve.

I am lucky I keep a big bag of cat litter around and we don't have a cat!
Thanks for looking.
Mike

So.. Did these deposits show up after swapping from GTX to Brad Penn? Or have you ran the Brad Penn yet?
I think I may know whats happened and its not carbon.

Hello Jake,
No this is the first oil change using the Brad Penn, the deposits showed up with the GTX new formulation.
Mike

Oh, ok.. I have no idea then.

Run a magnet over them to see if any metal chunks are picked up. Did u add any fuel or oil treatment lately that might have broken up some carbon?

Hello Bill,
I did see a small number of metal slivers, but no more than I have seen it the past, as for the carbon it can easily be broken between my fingers.

I add 4 oz. of Marvel Mystery Oil, at each change, have been doing this for years.

I am about 350 miles into the first Brad Penn oil change, I did a TSD road rally last Friday night, racked up about 200 miles, and a side note, I am getting much better gas mileage, I believe do the fact my intake manifold fastening nuts were loose, I tightened them up and she went from 21 mpg to near 30!

I did burn or lose 1/2 pint of oil, this does concern me as I have never lost more than 2 pints of oil between an oil change.

I usually go 2 oil changes between cleaning the oil screen, next change I will be doing a valve adjustment.

I will update as soon as I can.
Thanks for your help,
Mike

I've seen pieces of dried up sealant, and pieces of valve cover gasket material too.

I did finally figure it out, it's not carbon but shellac gasket compound from the valve cover gaskets, I applied it much to liberally the last time I did a valve adjustment.
I am going to try a set of Gasket Innovations silicone gaskets instead of the regular cork type.
Thanks to Perry and everyone for your help.
Mike