SMT HAS ENG OIL PROBLEM. DIVERTS; PLANS PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. HAS TO FEATHER ENG WHEN OVER ARPT. EMER LNDG.

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I LOST AN ENG IN AN SMT ENRTE FROM WILLOW RUN; MI; (YIP) TO DUPAGE; IL; (DPA). THE ACFT WAS VFR AT 2500 FT ON FLT FOLLOWING. WHILE 15 MI E OF PULLMAN VOR; THE OIL PRESSURE WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN USUAL AND THE THROTTLE WAS SLIGHTLY MORE FORWARD THAN USUAL; TO KEEP THE SAME MANIFOLD PRESSURE I DECIDED TO GAR LAKE MICHIGAN TO THE S. I ASKED FOR A VECTOR DIRECT BENTON HARBOR ARPT. I WAS THE CLRED OFF FREQ TO TALK TO MY BOSS VIA BENTON HARBOR UNICOM. HE SAID LAND AT BENTON HARBOR. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING SMOOTH; NO OIL WAS VISIBLE ON THE ENG (DAYLIGHT); CHT AND OIL TEMP WERE NORMAL. I SWITCHED BACK TO APCH TO FIND OUT THAT I WAS PAST BENTON HARBOR; AND THE CLOSEST ARPT WAS S BEND. WHEN THE NEEDLE REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN ARC ON THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE; PWR WAS SET TO ZERO THRUST (15 INCHES). 2 TO 3 MI NE OF S BEND AT 2500 FT; THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. I FEATHERED IT. OVER THE ARPT AT 2500; I ENTERED THE PATTERN; LOWERED THE GEAR; AND LANDED. HAVING ALT; NO CARGO; 1/2 TANKS OF FUEL; AND GOOD WX MADE THE EMER GO VERY WELL. I NOW BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN THE ENG WHEN IT REACHED THE LOWER LIMIT ON THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED SOME DAMAGE TO THE ENG. A GASKET ON THE OIL PUMP HAD BLOW; BLOWING OIL OUT AND UNDER THE ENG. I LANDED WITH 2 QUARTS OF OIL WITH METAL IN IT. A GOOD SAFE LNDG WITH BAD RESULTS TO THE ENG. BELIEVE THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE; VERY RELIABLE.