Oil Change today and.......

Oil Change today and.......

Author
Discussion

Ron V

Original Poster:

85 posts

150 months

Sunday 9th September 2012
quotequote all
I found 2 pretty small flecks of metal on the drain plug magnet. Flatish with a small curvature on the larger piece. The big piece was about 1 mm across and the smaller one about a half mil. The are dark metalish color. The larger piece has a slightly jagged edge.

Any ideas? Should I be concerned?

I am going to get the tool to cut apart the oil filter tomorrow and see if I am dealing with something more then a couple flecks.

If there is a engine/trans guru out there that can help please do..... smile

I will post when I cut the oil filter open.

Ron

Edited by Ron V on Sunday 9th September 22:35

paulmj

80 posts

228 months

Monday 10th September 2012
quotequote all
As always, it depends....

It is not unknown for the gearbox output bearing to spin in the engine case. This usually occurs due to a failure (or partial failure) of that bearing. This obviously wears the casing. The only way to correct this 'properly' is to replace the engine casings which is a rather expensive option and, most would argue, unnecessary. The alternative it to put some packing around the bearing when the engine/box is rebuilt and, as long as this is done correctly (that is, the correct metal is used and it is bonded in place by someone who knows what they are doing), the repair is as good as replacing the casings. If, however, the metal packing isn’t bonded in correctly it can come loose and end up in the sump.

It sounds a bit like that is what you have as you describe the particles as dark and jagged. That said, I would probably have expected them to be slightly larger.

If they aren’t from there then you have to wonder if they are a bit of a main/big end etc bearing. If so, a much larger problem.

The only way to be certain is to……….. take it all apart for a look.

Not the answer you wanted. Good luck!

paulmj

80 posts

228 months

Monday 10th September 2012
quotequote all
They could, of course, be crud that has got in during an oil top up/change or during engibe build if it has been done recently.

And, is this the first time it has happened and how long is it since the engine has been looked at?

paulmj

80 posts

228 months

Monday 10th September 2012
quotequote all
I once had a small set screw fall out of the rocker shaft on a Triumph race engine which sat in the sump for about half a race season (until it washed out during an oil change) without doing any harm at all. Clearly, not the same as a close tolerance bike engine, but all could be fine.

(Just trying to give you some positives after the crashing negative!!!)

Ron V

Original Poster:

85 posts

150 months

Monday 10th September 2012
quotequote all
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the replies.

The engine has about 4 hours on it since the full rebuild. This is the first time I have seen anything on the drain plug magnet.

Again, they are both very small pieces.

I am going to cut the oil filter open today, I should have a better idea of how bad it is.

I will post my findings.

Thanks again,
Ron

Ron V

Original Poster:

85 posts

150 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
Hi Guys,

ok, I cut the oil filter open today and did not find anything comparable to the pieces I found on the magnet of the drain plug. Spoke with my engine builder and he seems to think if was dark in color it could be a bit from one of the gears......no biggie.

I did however find quite a few aluminum pieces in there. Mostly looking like flakes of it.

I am going to run a magnet into the oil pan tomorrow and see if it pulls out anything bigger or similar to what I found there yesterday.

Given my engine is still probably breaking in a little (only a few hours since a full rebuild) would it be normal to find some aluminum in the oil filter? Have any of you guys ever opened one up to see what its catching?

It was running strong without a hiccup last time out so I am not so sure there is something really wrong with it.

I am going to bring my oil filter element to my engine builder tomorrow and let him have a look.

Stay tuned for more.......

Ron V

Original Poster:

85 posts

150 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
quotequote all
ok, for information purposes......

Went to my engine builders today. I had him look at the oil filter from the very first run after the full engine rebuild. It had quite a bit of aluminum in it.

The oil filter from the last 4 Days out had some but much much less. It had 4 times the runtime of the first oil filter.

We have determined it was something rubbing such as the clutch basket and it seems to have found its happy place since I am not finding the aluminum in any kind of large quantity any more.

The small chunk of dark metal was determined to be a piece of a gear in the tranny. Given my first couple time out I wasn't shifting the car as smoothly as I am now, I can see this as being a reasonable explanation.

He told me that if at any time I am finding a bronze or brass color in the oil filter then we have a problem.

I get to go to the track this Friday!!!! Looks like my season isn't over quite yet.