Metal particles in oil inside oil filter. Normal?

[friendly_jacek]

OK, this is only the second time I opened an oil filter. I did it to see carbon deposits following MMO soaks. There were carbon deposits alright, but the oil drained from inside of oil filter had a lot of very tiny silvery metallic specs (silver paint like, but not as bad of course).

There were only visible when I dumped the oil into an empty milk gallon with a cutoff (this is my favorite disposable oil collection device) and observed a thin layer of oil in DIRECT sunlight. You would not see them in shop light conditions.

I don't remember seeing them first time I opened a filter, but maybe I didn't pay attention.

BTW, there were very few deposits on the magnetic oil drain and in the oil from the oil pan. The filtering media looked OK with nothing visible in them.

So, is it normal in the first place?

If so, UOA will miss them entirely!

 

[friendly_jacek]

Weird that no one responded so far.

According to http://www.cancutter.com/how_to_inspect.htm

Quote:
Take some of the residue engine oil out into the sun and look at it with the sun shining on the oil. Look for any sparkles in the oil. Your inspection has be-gone!

This seems kind of a strange request but I have found that a bushing failure can result in many microscopic sized particles suspended in the oil. Sunlight brings out the sparkles. Under artificial light you don't see the sparkles.


Quote:
Very small metallic particles found in the oil are best seen in bright sunlight. Take a oil sample out into the sunlight. Any small metallic particles such as microscopic particles of brass will reflect sunlight. Indoors the same particles may be invisible.


So, it looks like abnormal finding.

 

[OVERKILL]

Perhaps you maintained it to death?

 

[CaspianM]

It is normal if it is a new engine.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Perhaps you maintained it to death?

 

[friendly_jacek]

I guess it's the BITOG disease.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I guess it's the BITOG disease.


Indeed it is. Were you running anything besides oil in the crankcase?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Caspian,
Are you referring to metal particles in oil or specifically in oil filter?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Only the 0.6L of MMO that drained from the soaks. The car idled for ~20 minutes and was driven for 2 miles before the change. Maybe the carbon bits were abrasive?
BTW, the metal was likely aluminium as almost nothing registered on the magnetic drain plug.

 

[OVERKILL]

Aluminum could be from the pistons or bearings if the bearings are bi-metal.

Pistons make sense if you were doing a piston soak. If carbon was freed up, and the lubricity on the cylinder walls compromised, scoring of the pistons and skirts would indeed be possible.

 

[NateDN10]

They could come from the canister itself. Did you use a hacksaw on it?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
They could come from the canister itself. Did you use a hacksaw on it?


Not if they aren't magnetic......

 

[friendly_jacek]

LOL, my "mistake" was opening the filter. If I didn't do it, I would be thinking everything was fine!

 

[friendly_jacek]

I don't know if you read my initial post, the particles were microscopic, way smaller that a hack saw would produce. I used a can opener, it broke in mid way and I finished with heavy duty scissors.

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

you mean

or

or

 

[friendly_jacek]

I meant like this:

Quote:
Very small metallic particles found in the oil are best seen in bright sunlight. Take a oil sample out into the sunlight. Any small metallic particles such as microscopic particles of brass will reflect sunlight. Indoors the same particles may be invisible.


But, since you mentioned this, I will dig the filter from trash and make a picture using my optical microscope.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
OK, this is only the second time I opened an oil filter. I did it to see carbon deposits following MMO soaks. There were carbon deposits alright, but the oil drained from inside of oil filter had a lot of very tiny silvery metallic specs (silver paint like, but not as bad of course).


I didn't see where it was said how many miles were on this vehicle. If you are trying to clean up carbon deposits then it must have some miles on it.

Like someone said above, only a new engine will show "aluminum dust" sparkles in the oil. If there is metal particles in the oil on a well broken in engine, then something is going wrong.

 

[CaspianM]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Caspian,
Are you referring to metal particles in oil or specifically in oil filter?


In filter metal particles are larger ones that you can see. They are captured from the oil. My guess is that you have increased metal particles in oil but rather small and hard to see.
You would need to look into this if the car is not new.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Here are pictures of oil from filter taken under microscope.

10x magnification on glass slide:

60X transluminated:

and epiluminated (same field):

200X transluminated:

and epiluminated (same field):

 

[friendly_jacek]

Here are pictures of the oil filter media. Here the glistening is mainly from oil on fibers.

10X magnification:

600X magnification: