Metal flakes in oil...where to start?
Metal flakes in oil...where to start? Changed my oil about a month ago and found a few flakes on the drain plug magnet. Put about 1k miles on the car, and decided to change it again to see if it had gotten worse or those were just some random flakes...not the case 
.
Found lots of metal flakes, small little specs that all looked silver, on the drain plug, and you can even see them in the oil as it was sitting on top of the drain pan. The oil itself was also a lot darker than usual, especially for changing it only after 1k miles.
Planning on doing a tear down, and see if I can spot the problem. If there are that many flakes, and there are no recognizable pieces, where does it sound like they are coming from? I took a couple quick snap shots on my phone of the pieces on the drain plug, but they looking like little 1/8 inch or less long flakes, which I'll upload later. Also saved the filter to cut open later in the week.
I figure there's not much I can do but tear everything apart and see whats going on, but just wondering if anyone has any input?
Thanks in advance!
Edit: It's also really hard to hear if the motor is making any out of the ordinary sounds. I have the sewing machine effect going on which is really loud anyways. It does seem to be making a slight tapping sound randomly, but its really hard to hear, so I was thinking possibly a collapsed lifter? If that was the case, would the car be running right? Everything actually runs great, so not sure what could be causing it.
.Found lots of metal flakes, small little specs that all looked silver, on the drain plug, and you can even see them in the oil as it was sitting on top of the drain pan. The oil itself was also a lot darker than usual, especially for changing it only after 1k miles.
Planning on doing a tear down, and see if I can spot the problem. If there are that many flakes, and there are no recognizable pieces, where does it sound like they are coming from? I took a couple quick snap shots on my phone of the pieces on the drain plug, but they looking like little 1/8 inch or less long flakes, which I'll upload later. Also saved the filter to cut open later in the week.
I figure there's not much I can do but tear everything apart and see whats going on, but just wondering if anyone has any input?
Thanks in advance!
Edit: It's also really hard to hear if the motor is making any out of the ordinary sounds. I have the sewing machine effect going on which is really loud anyways. It does seem to be making a slight tapping sound randomly, but its really hard to hear, so I was thinking possibly a collapsed lifter? If that was the case, would the car be running right? Everything actually runs great, so not sure what could be causing it.
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,481
Likes: 5
From: PA/MD
I had the roller blow apart on one of my lifter and it sent shrapnel all through the motor. A week and a case of Brakekleen later I have my motor back together with new lifters, new mains and rod bearings and new cam..... well atleast I got to put a big cam in it this time
I had metal flakes in my oil. Lost oil pressure and never made a single noise motor ran perfectly normal. Pulled the motor and tore it down and had a cam bearing destroyed. All happened real quickly within a couple miles.
My bet is on one of the bearings (cam, rod or main). Unless of course you got one of the weird/odd situtations going on that seem to pop up on here now and then.
How many miles on engine?
How many miles on engine?
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I have the sewing machine sound going pretty loud and it does sound like there is a slight random tapping or knock sound, but it's really hard to hear over the rest of the noise the car makes.
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TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,481
Likes: 5
From: PA/MD
When my roller came off my lifter a lot of the peices were flakes from where they got chopped up and ground down by the cam, then I guess from the heat I lost the temper on one of the lobes and the cam ate itself
