Interesting Observation...Metal Particles in Oil

[C4Dave]

I changed the oil in my 3.0 Taurus the other day when the engine was cold. After draining the oil in the pan, I pulled the pan out and set it aside. I turned the oil filter upside down so it could drain in the pan, and I noticed what looked like metal-flake in the oil draining from the filter. The sun was hitting the pan just right to see this.

I next changed the oil in the Grand Marquis the same way. When I put it in the sun and drained the oil filter, I could once again see metal-flake in the filter oil. The oil from the sump looked clean and normal.

Anyone notice this in your oil?

 

[Roy Gutfinski]

Yes, these metal flakes are falling back out of the intake side of your oil filter when you remove it. They are too large to actually get caught in the filter medium. However, the filter is effective in not allowing them to continue to circulate in you oil system.

 

[Titan]

Normal observation in every engine I've ever had. It's generally worse the first oil change...sometimes the first two. Then, it settles down to just tiny amounts until, well, until something begins to break!

 

[PT1]

Drain oil on any new GM V8 engine at 100-200 miles through a coffee filter and watch the metal appear. One big reason I always dump factory fill on ANY new engine at no more than 1000 miles. I run my Harley engines 100 miles and dump the factory fill. Tons of garbage on those vtwins.

 

[Syntec-Man]

GM V8s need a oil change after 200miles very crudely built engines

 

[C4Dave]

These are not new engines. The Taurus just turned 100,000 miles, and the Grand Marquis turned 134,000.

 

[miked2]

Same thing in all my vehicles;99 Saturn (105K),2003 Focus (39K) & 2004 Sable (102K). I honestly never noticed it until I used Auto-Rx in the Saturn. I was looking for something unusual during the rinse phase & found these shiny particles in the bottom of my drain pan while dumping the excess oil from the filter. The next time I changed the oil (the Sable this time), I noticed similiar shiny specs.

I was wondering if it is just normal engine crud that appears shiny due to the extreme engine heat?

In any event, both cars run perfectly & I am not the least bit worried.

 

[C4Dave]

I wonder if maybe we should be analyzing the oil in the filter instead of the oil in the sump? If the filter is doing its job, all the metal particles will be in the filter. If the engine was wearing excessively, how would we know?

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:

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I wonder if maybe we should be analyzing the oil in the filter instead of the oil in the sump? If the filter is doing its job, all the metal particles will be in the filter. If the engine was wearing excessively, how would we know?

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I would imagine that for every big chunk that there would be a decent amount of stuff that would show up in a used oil analysis. The stuff just can't be magically all coming from a non-contact/flow surfaces. Maybe if it was all valve train material. That would go from the exit point in the engine directly to the sump/pickup/filter without playing bumper cars with the vitals beyond. The oil pump would take the hammering.

OTOH, this may not be metal (as was suggested). All that glitters is not doom