Metal flakes in oil....normal or doomed? (Pics)

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I would not worry too much this time since the pan was contaminated to begin with. However, for the next oil change I would make sure the pan is fully cleaned and dry. UOA is probably a good idea as well, but I would send out two samples to two different labs. I would also spring for the more comprehensive one, not the $20 basic one.
 
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Oh, I see you cut open the filter with a hacksaw. That's exactly where the flakes came from. Probably a combo of paint and cuttings.

On your next oil change, perform a UOA. If it shows no abnormal wear, and your carefully cut open filter (not with a saw) is not full of metal, you are likely good to go.
 
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
You still haven’t told us if the flakes are magnetic or not?

Is this the car with the noisy chain tensioner?

Cutting a filter that you are looking for metal in with a hacksaw is dubious at best, still hacksaw detritus should be smaller than the other flakes seem to be.

Even if you do have a clean sample from the drain stream I think a UOA would be a waste of money. It won’t pick up large particles and you have no information on what this particular engine makes historically for wear metals. So best you can do is compare to universal averages


It has had 2 UOA in the past. I also did collect the sample from the stream of oil, not from the drain pan so I'll be sending the sample off soon to be analyzed.
 
Originally Posted By: OPR4H
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: OPR4H
The culprit: In your signature the Accord gets 0w20 ...
27.gif

I'd go to 15w50 asap.


Check (maybe an SJ 15w40, more available)


M1 15W50EP isn't readly available anymore?


Not to me.

Sorry, I forgot for a moment how restricted the choice is here.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
You still haven’t told us if the flakes are magnetic or not?

Is this the car with the noisy chain tensioner?

Cutting a filter that you are looking for metal in with a hacksaw is dubious at best, still hacksaw detritus should be smaller than the other flakes seem to be.

Even if you do have a clean sample from the drain stream I think a UOA would be a waste of money. It won’t pick up large particles and you have no information on what this particular engine makes historically for wear metals. So best you can do is compare to universal averages


It has had 2 UOA in the past. I also did collect the sample from the stream of oil, not from the drain pan so I'll be sending the sample off soon to be analyzed.


Smart move, I bet you have nothing to worry about!
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
You still haven’t told us if the flakes are magnetic or not?

Is this the car with the noisy chain tensioner?

Cutting a filter that you are looking for metal in with a hacksaw is dubious at best, still hacksaw detritus should be smaller than the other flakes seem to be.

Even if you do have a clean sample from the drain stream I think a UOA would be a waste of money. It won’t pick up large particles and you have no information on what this particular engine makes historically for wear metals. So best you can do is compare to universal averages


It has had 2 UOA in the past. I also did collect the sample from the stream of oil, not from the drain pan so I'll be sending the sample off soon to be analyzed.


Smart move, I bet you have nothing to worry about!


Hoping thats the case! I may do a short OCI this run to examine the oil to see if it has any flecks in it. Then go from there. I want to keep this baby as long as I can!
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
You still haven’t told us if the flakes are magnetic or not?

Is this the car with the noisy chain tensioner?

Cutting a filter that you are looking for metal in with a hacksaw is dubious at best, still hacksaw detritus should be smaller than the other flakes seem to be.

Even if you do have a clean sample from the drain stream I think a UOA would be a waste of money. It won’t pick up large particles and you have no information on what this particular engine makes historically for wear metals. So best you can do is compare to universal averages


It has had 2 UOA in the past. I also did collect the sample from the stream of oil, not from the drain pan so I'll be sending the sample off soon to be analyzed.


Smart move, I bet you have nothing to worry about!


Hoping thats the case! I may do a short OCI this run to examine the oil to see if it has any flecks in it. Then go from there. I want to keep this baby as long as I can!


And you still haven’t told us if the flakes are magnetic...

Maybe you have nothing to worry about or maybe you have lots to worry about, UOA won’t tell you that because *again* it won’t pick up large particles. More than one UOA here that looks OK on an engine with major issues...
 
I had some major glitter when I had my 97' Camry. I'll post the link below. There's another link inside my post from the first time I posted about it.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3369531/UPDATE:_Metal_shavings_in_oil#Post3369531
 
My 05 Accord 2.4 has 251 K miles on it. I see a similar issue with mine---however we are talking about 2 or 3 metal pieces, no where near the amount you have. But I will tell you the shape, size, and look is exactly the same as your larger pieces. It has been doing this for years---if I saved all the pieces, and put them together, I could tell you what the puzzle turned out to be
Steve
 
Sorry Duck, I don't have a magnet to check. Also most of the oil has already been disposed of. I check the filter off the Tundra again today and I do see more flakes in that than I do in the Accords filter, in fact the Accords filter had very few flecks in the pleats. And what flecks it did have could have been from the filter cutting as far as I know. I am not too concerned at this point. I will do the UOA and see what comes back. I'll probably end up running a short 1000 mile OCI and drain the oil into a completely clean pan to see if any flakes show up.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Being that you're running 0W-20, metal flakes don't surprise me. No car in the world actually needs 0W-20.


Again, bumping up to a Xw30 (only a few CST higher) should have no impact whatsoever. Adding a few CST would have zero impact on metal touching metal.
 
My Buick throws flakes if I drive it hard, been doing it for years and it's still running fine. Mine are copper usually, as indicated by a couple uoas with high copper.

The large flakes are too heavy to get into the oil pickup which is why they end up in the pan. The smaller ones get filtered by any decent filter.

You will still have sub micron wear metals going round and round the oil system visible in a UOA.

Here's my uoas for reference


https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4137811/1
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Sorry Duck, I don't have a magnet to check......I will do the UOA and see what comes back. I'll probably end up running a short 1000 mile OCI and drain the oil into a completely clean pan to see if any flakes show up.


Get one. Cheaper than a UOA, more likely to be informative, has other uses, and its a one-off cost.

If there's ferrous involvement and you get a magnetic pick-up tool that'll fit down your dipstick hole (which is possible on my engine but may not be on yours) you can monitor status continuously, rather than just at OCI's.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
My Buick throws flakes if I drive it hard, been doing it for years and it's still running fine. Mine are copper usually, as indicated by a couple uoas with high copper.

The large flakes are too heavy to get into the oil pickup which is why they end up in the pan. The smaller ones get filtered by any decent filter.

You will still have sub micron wear metals going round and round the oil system visible in a UOA.

Here's my uoas for reference


https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4137811/1


I only read the Blackstone comments on the first analysis, but they say your metals look OK. If you had chunks of copper in your sump, this isn't vindication of a UOA in this kind of situation.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Again, bumping up to a Xw30 (only a few CST higher) should have no impact whatsoever. Adding a few CST would have zero impact on metal touching metal.


You don't go by cSt. You go by the percentage of how much thicker 5W-30 is than 0W-20 at operating temperature. You'd be surprised by how much of a difference it is. Garak taught be that.
 
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