Small pebbles in small engine from factory?

[HeritageHighRoof]

I did an initial oil change on Rainier 2200w Inverter Generator I purchased a couple years ago. Probably 15 or fewer hours since new.
When draining the oil, I heard some objects fall into the oil pan and they appear to be small pebbles or minerals. They don’t seem to be quite as dense as actual rocks. Does anyone know what these might be?

 

[Zaedock]

Jeebus, they look like teeth.

 

[HankHill]

Yeah that's not creepy? Never have I ever seen that before. Have you tried crushing one? It won't tell you anything but how hard the center might be.

 

[gman2304]

Ch onda…?

 

[Vercingetorix]

Kidney stones?

 

[MParr]

Chinese rat teeth

 

[gregk24]

Manufacturer puts those in there to reduce engine life, bringing you back for a new one in short order!



kidding.

 

[Nick1994]

Maybe super cheapo oil or assembly lube that for some reason solidified?

 

[HeritageHighRoof]

The generator came with a bottle of 10W-30 oil that I used for initial fill, and I would have seen them go in during the pour, so the objects must have been in engine itself.
I have 2nd identical generator I got at the same time. Just drained that one with no signs of pebbles.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The equivanent of GM auto workers in the 70s putting empty beer cans in the doors, lol.

 

[brianl703]

The equivanent of GM auto workers in the 70s putting empty beer cans in the doors, lol.

Or 1990s construction workers putting empty beer cans in the walls.

 

[Warwagon]

Maybe came off a plastic/nylon camshaft or other internal engine parts about to completely fail. This is literally reading "part numbers" in the oil.

Run it for "fun" but I wouldn't want to depend on this to generate electric power in an emergency. Remaining debris (if it was just that) can go between the timing gears and it's game over.

If you need to know tear the engine down and see where it came from and that all the debris are gone. Good luck obtaining parts.

 

[vavavroom]

Presuming they are not teeth, you never know, they look like bits of plastic that have broken off and been tumbled. Try and see if you can melt or burn a piece. Then you know it's plastic. If they are teeth, where is the rest of the head?

 

[Lubener]

If you rub them it will bring good luck.

 

[dlundblad]

very odd. Smash one with some pliers so we can see the consistency. I’d be curious if it’s an actual rock or a mineral sort of thing as said above.

 

[Kira]

Like swishing sand in a canteen to clean it, maybe the pebbles roll around the crankcase to clean it?

 

[DriveHard]

It could be media from a vibratory finish or de-burr process. Very common in manufacturing. If they are a ceramic type compound that would be my guess. If that is the case, they probably sat benign in the bottom of the crank case until you drained them out.

 

[Trav]

I did an initial oil change on Rainier 2200w Inverter Generator I purchased a couple years ago. Probably 15 or fewer hours since new.
When draining the oil, I heard some objects fall into the oil pan and they appear to be small pebbles or minerals. They don’t seem to be quite as dense as actual rocks. Does anyone know what these might be?
View attachment 93889

Quite possibly harmless plastic tumbling media used on aluminum parts.

Plastic Media - Inovatec Machinery

Inovatec Plastic Media for Preplating Finishing & Metal Smoothing. Suitable for Aluminum and Brass Finishing. Contact Now for the Quote!

www.inovatecmachinery.com

Edit: DriveHard had the same thought at the same time.

 

[Skippy722]

I’m thinking vibratory media as well.

 

[Freischneider]

Jeebus, they look like teeth.

That's what I thought too man.