My oil filter does not look good.

Checked every clearance with the plasti gauge and everything was dead on. I used a very reputable machine shop in Cincinnati and assembled it with a friend who has built more engines than he can literally count. The only thing I could think of it possibly being is from the cam. It is about 8 years old as well as the lifters.
Hate to say this but I'd yank the cam and lifters STAT