Metallic dust in oil... how to remove?

[Jon K]

Ok long story short...

I swapped oil pans on my car for a turbo installation and something went wrong the crank hit the oil windage tray. It sort of ground the tray a little (about 1/8" wide, 1/16" deep if that) and there was metallic dust in the oil. I dropped the pan again, washed it out, drained the oil twice, replaced the oil filter. I drove the car a couple hundred miles and tested the oil coming out of the oil filter housing post-filter, and it looks like it might have some of this VERY fine dust in it. What do I do to get this **** out of the engine? I'd like to avoid having to rebuild the motor right now, though I have another complete motor just not built.

This is a BMW 525i, 1992, M50 24v DOHC motor.

 

[JAG]

Welcome!
If the oil pan is steel and not aluminum you can buy a FilterMag magnet that sticks to the outside of your oil filter and it will pull out a lot of ferrous debris (in your situation). I use one and have verified that it works by cutting open the filter. http://www.filtermag.com/

Other than that, just keep changing the oil every couple hundred miles (or whatever) with the cheapest oil you can find until you don't see the metal dust anymore. Use a really good filtering oil filter like Purolator Plus. I bet your new turbo isn't too happy about the metal dust flowing past its bearings!

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

I'd also add a magnetic drain plug. Every little bit helps.

 

[Jon K]

Thanks for the input regarding magnets, but the oil pan and metal dust is aluminum and as such is not magnetic

Also, I am used to Mahle, Bosch, and Mann filters since I am a bmw person. What kind of damage can very fine dust cause? Is it catastrophic for a couple hundred miles of oil changes? I confirmed its aluminum or at least not magnetic. I removed the turbo until I can alleviate this issue.

 

[TurboJim]

FG has stated on more than one occasion that the European filter manufacturer's are more interested in dirt holding capacity and long life than they are with filter efficiency. The US manufacturers are, leading me to believe that even the least expensive Fram filter is more efficient than the Mahle, Bosch, or Mann filters you have been using.

Now no one here would recommend you go out and buy a Fram filter for your engine.

If you can see mental flakes in your oil with the naked eye your filter should be efficient enough to trap them. If it isn't you need a better filter.

 

[rmattingley]

motorguard tp filter

 

[Jon K]

So is there a drop in filter for a 1992 BMW M50 2.5L DOHC that may filter BETTER for a short time period to help me get this **** out of my oil?

I need to get this beast going...

 

[Steelhead]

one of the best sub 20 micron micron filters avail to general public is Puro. Pure One but they do not make a cartridge for your beemer in that line

add a bypass oil filtration system that filters below 5 micron
see Amsoil or the diesel sites
that turboized screamer beemer will love and appreciate the extra oil capacity and cooling of an add on bypass filter

a bypass filter is 1/10 the price of an expensive cam replacement or turbo replacement after the bearings go south at 30k rpm

 

[Filter guy]

Use most any US made filter and the media has higher efficiency than European made filters.

STP and NAPA (Wix) Gold or similar for price.

Mobil 1, Pure One, K& N, Amsoil EAO all would be top drawer efficiency filters.

 

[427Z06]

See if the Wix 51160 or the Purolator PremiumPLUS L28812 is correct for your application. They may be less expensive than what your using thus making those few short OCIs more palatable.

 

[gtx510]

For BMW's Purolators are reboxed Mann filters? Pretty cheap when they go on sale.

www.germanflters.com and AutohausAZ also have good deals.


And a filter mag wouldn't work b/c it's a canister filter with an aluminum housing...
maybe you could duct tape it to the housing?

Jon K, did you come over from bimmerforums.com?

 

[another Todd]

Keep doing frequent oil changes with cheap, in spec. oil, flushing it will be faster than filtering it.

 

[badnews]

You only need a magnet for the first 10,000
15,000 miles after that they really serve no real purpose exccept to make you feel good.