Years ago I had a 289 that sucked up a piece of nylon that broke off the stock camshaft timing gear, it twisted the shaft up like a licorice stick and snapped in half. When I took evrything apart and discovered the problen I altered the screen in the stock pickup and it never happened again. I did find more pieces in the pan after the next
oil change. Finally change the timing gears. They make the stronger shafts to prevent any spark scatter in the distributor not to prevent them from breaking. I you are building and decent motor I would hope you would not be using a stock pick up in it. Go buy an aftermarket on that was a strong screen on it that nothing can get through to the
oil pump.