Read the second sentence in my post here:
Unfortunately I’m not sure we know what those particles are, their cause, the mechanism of their formation/appearance, or what their presence means…
Maybe Dave @High Performance Lubricants can provide us contact info for a lab that can properly test & quantify the particles, or at least tell us what test would be optimal to identify them? Not sure if WearChek does this or…?
In my instance, having got them before, they were carbonaceous, and not completely solid; you could break them up rubbing them between your fingers. Having seen similar material in the oil control ring area on a few teardowns, that has always been my suspicion as to where it was being liberated from.
So it’s a polymerizing sludge, or at least aggregating fine particles?
So you’re saying it’s essentially sheared, charred VIIs? Making sure I understand this right…
I wouldn't use the word sludge, which implies there is moisture present. The ring land area, particularly the oil control rings, seems to be an area where the production of this material is more inclined to happen, I assume due to the very low level of oil flow in this area coupled with the conditions. I would consider this some form of resin-coated soot particles:
I didn’t say that at all. Why would you read that into what I said?
I was asking. Just thinking about the little I know about polymerization… figured the most likely culprit would be the VII polymers is all. Sorry, was trying to think this out.
Yep, and most likely a factor why engines that don't use good cleaning oils, and lack getting proper OCI maintenance often get stuck rings in the piston grooves which causea oil consumption to increase.
Bingo.
Wonder if this is related to some of the hygroscopic compounds in oils that Dave was telling me about today. Could be something to see if he can add more color to this mystery…
I got it in my Expedition filter when I started running M1 0W-40 in it, which was marketed as actually being able to clean, likely due to the AN's. It was year-round and eventually tapered off after many OCI's.
Although there is not much love for this BG EPR around here, I would run HP EC first, then when time to drain, follow with a treatment of BG EPR .
It may act like a penetrating oil does, and with enough soak time makes its way to all the rings.
A few carbon particles are the only thing I normally find in filters, although smaller ones than your chunks.
One thing I forgot to add, Last year prior to running the HP EC, I resealed the oil pan on this vehicle, replaced the timing and balance chains, cam phaser, oil pump solenoid, timing chain guides, oil pump, and valve cover gaskets.
