Knocking 5.9L 24 valve, 5 spd., needing help

I have not been able to find any source for steel fod in the engine. Afterburn suggested that possibly gear damage in the timing cover. Since I was way overdue on the KDP (killer dowel pin) fix I pulled the cover. I have read about the gray rtv being a sign of the eom taking care of the kdp. I have the gray rtv. My kdp was flush with the case, no retainer. Factory fix or no, I don't know, so I will fashion a retainer. Check torque on reachable bolts behind the timing gears.

Back to the steel fod. I see no source in the gears, and ran a magnet everyplace I could reach in the case. Also ran it in every nook and cranny on top of the head, I found no steel.

My planned course of action now is as follows;
Remove all mains, to include the upper bearing shell, except #1, #4, & #7 to support the crank, .
Remove rocker and support for #3 and inspect for the click that I detect in the video.
Flush the oil galley, utilizing the #3 rocker galley. It should flow down, and front to rear in the rifle galley due to the slope of the engine. I plan to follow that with compressed air. Flush through the crank oil holes.
Reinstall #2 & #6 to support the crank, and remove #1, #2, & #7, including upper shell.
Repeat the flush & compressed air process.
Attempt to check for wrist pin slop and piston slap at the bottom of the bore.
Check journals for roundness.
Inject oil down the rocker galley for future lube.
Roll in new mains.
Roll in new rod bearings.
Adjust valve lash.
Replace water pump with new.
Replace front seal and timing cover, prior to the oil pan, to avoid chance of anything falling into the pan.
Replace the pan.

Sorry for All your hard work and no real answers.
Looks like you have a pretty good plan.
We (you) cant rule anything out as there is a problem.
Make sure you use a mechanical tab or something noble to hold your KDP in there.!
I guess it is a plus it was not it, as they cause a LOT of destruction when they fall out.
You can't rule out rod small ends either,...but this is highly unlikely to be the problem.
Back in the day ..way back- we were taught in situations like this -to get a can of oil up the pump sump, and spin the pump over and see what goes where (without the pan on).
Now, I am not sure how one would do this in a Cummins being they are gear driven and a drill motor cant be substituted.
Perhaps an auxiliary primer pump is attached to where the OIL P switch lives?
Trust me, I know this becomes more than messy.
All mains and rods should drip the same amount of oil to pass this test.
I had to do this two times in my life (not on Cummins)
At the least this way it would purge your system.
The you could swap the main bearings as to who holds up the crank and do it again.
Lifters are steel....cams are steel....piston rings will not usually go everywhere.....But something in fact did
At this point ya sure you do not want to pull the head for a look?
To armchair this is EZ....you have to make it happen.

Update on my problem:
Measured all the rod journals to best of my ability, using both older micrometer and digital caliper. Found no out of round.
#1 2.716
#2 2.716
#3 2.716
#4 2.717
#5 2.717
#6 2.716
Found this fod in main #5 top shell laying in the oil groove. It wasn't there the first time I pulled this shell, maybe it was stuck to the crank and came out when I pulled the shell this time.
Found that rod #4 upper shell is wiped through the surface layer. Don't know how I missed that when pulling bearings and shooting pictures. Wondering if that rod is close enough to the #3 rocker to give me the clicking sound I hear in the video?

Pulled and inspected the oil pump, everything appears good, and no foreign matter or glitter found.
Borescoped the squirter tubes, they are all intact. Gauged the main and rod bolts for stretch, not stretched, will reuse.

Not the recommended method nor my knowing of what SHOULD be done, I am going to roll the dice and proceed since I don't have a good option for pulling the engine presently. I realize I may be doing it again, but in the mean time I will set up the garage and have the truck running to make moving it easier.

My thoughts are that where ever the material is coming from has to be after the oil filter or filter by-pass. I don't place a lot of confidence in it being from valve train/rockers drain back to rifle or crank. I am giving serious consideration to oil filter by-pass valve or pressure regulating valve shedding metal directly into the main oil galley.
I still don't know where the oil flows after lubricating the vacuum pump. Does it flow back to the pan, or is it pushed into the engine galleys?

I plan to roll bearings this weekend, possibly pull the oil cooler to inspect the regulating & by-pass valves. I also will be looking for answers about the vacuum pump oil flow.

Thanks to all for your help and input, and for enduring this long thread.

I feel for ya.
If you elect to put this together without further exploratory- Pay close attn o bearing crush.
If when pishing bearings into upper and lower halves and you feel no resistance, this indicates egg-shaped rods.
Next-
For sure something went through the engine.
I hope it does not bite you again
The photo looks like a part of a bearing shell.?
A lock washer?
Thrust-bearing part?
Like you say-how did it get picked up?
Perhaps in there from day one?

afterburn549 said:

I feel for ya.
If you elect to put this together without further exploratory- Pay close attn o bearing crush.
If when pishing bearings into upper and lower halves and you feel no resistance, this indicates egg-shaped rods.
Next-
For sure something went through the engine.
I hope it does not bite you again
The photo looks like a part of a bearing shell.?
A lock washer?
Thrust-bearing part?
Like you say-how did it get picked up?
Perhaps in there from day one?

Click to expand...

I want to explore, but w/o pulling, I haven't figured a way to find a flow directly into the rifle or crank, after the filter. That's why I thought filter by-pass, and the fod radius looks like it could be about right. However, failure of the by-pass likely is rare or never. I don't know if flow continues from vacuum pump to galleys, that would be beyond the filter. The piece looks to have a slight rolled edge. Lock washer, I don't know. I have not put pressure on it to see if it soft or strong steel. Thrust bearings look good, unless I missed something. Too large to pass through the pickup screen.
In there from day one would be a nice thought, but sure took a long time to rear its head it so. I had a new 318 Duster Twister that had some though. Lifter collapse a couple time, Plymouth fixed (not), I got pi$$ed once, wound it up to who knows what (blow or go), lucky I guess, but never failed again. haha
Thanks to you both, and others.

I do not think there is a way to ck the mains whilst the crank still installed.
At least, not the traditional way....
The only thing that comes to my mind is the dial indicator method. (I just came up with that!)
Fasten it to the block and rotate the crank just might be a utopia for your situation!
I still feel you may have had the wrong size bearings in there
The rods read loose
With a lot of FOD.
It may have been made on the "Drunk shift?" LOL

you being the original owner sure puts a curve in the blame.
Or else I just will have said "someone some where an awful mistake"