Strange debris found in oil drain change pan

[LeakySeals]

Yesterday I performed the first scheduled oil change (5k) after converting from dino to M1 HMO on a 2000 corolla (130k). Needless to say, it was pretty black from years of dino. While disposing of the waste oil I noticed strange shiny particles at the bottom of my plastic oil drain change pan. Never seen that before with this car during prior changes (5k). Car burns 1/2 quart during a 5k OCI. At first glance I thought "[censored], its metal shavings". There were maybe 200 of them. I grabbed a few, rolled them around on my fingers to determine if they were metal, and to my amazement they seemed to dissolve or fall apart. They were clear or light in color, as a metal shaving would look, heavier than the oil as they were at the bottom, but they dissolved (seemed to) when I picked them up...

What could it be?

 

[simple_gifts]

oil cooties!

 

[friendly_jacek]

???????????

 

[Spector]

I have seen those many times, not sure what they are but just fall apart when rubbed. My engines have never had any problems from them.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Any pics?

 

[hooligan24]

paint chips off the oil filter during removal? I haveseen that before in the bottom of my oil change pans. little chips of paint come off the filter when using plier style filter wrenches

 

[electrolover]

could it be flakes from the bearings??

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: electrolover
could it be flakes from the bearings??


No.

 

[electrolover]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: electrolover
could it be flakes from the bearings??


No.


where else would shiny metal flakes that break apart come from?
really sounds like the top layer of the bearings are wearing off to me.

 

[LeakySeals]

I tightened the filter by hand..used a gold $9 Fram Xtended Guard with that black grip stuff on the end. Its possible those debris fell in but I've changed oil so many times and never seen that ...these were light in color, almost gel like, small beads, like hard bubbles..

Wondering if thats the initial reaction going from dino to synth after so many miles, dare I say something came off the filter? was on the pan side so the filter media is ruled out? I like that filter. worked well other times.

I left them in the drain pan. I have no way to upload a pic from my phone to here easily.

 

[Eddie]

metal bearing pieces do not come apart and deslove by rubbing them. I also suspect paint or coating from a valve cover or ?

 

[vintageant]

Do you have one of those telescopic magnets? Always interesting to swill through the drained oil to see what (hopefully nothing!) it picks up.

 

[nepadriver]

Particles from your air filter if they were white? Could be time to swap it out.

 

[bk111]

coagulated old oil which came out of the drain plug would be my guess especially if the oil was drained cold.

 

[zyxelenator]

Hg?

 

[Skid]

I'd agree. Probably coolant.

 

[LeakySeals]

Sorry for the blurry images. Its like panning for gold....

Red Coolant doesn't move at all. Air filter new (NAPA)

 

[electrolover]

beats me

 

[aquariuscsm]

Sludge beginning to form maybe?

 

[friendly_jacek]

Long shot, but do those Fram XG filters contain Teflon? Did you add anything to the oil that would coagulate? Is there a HG leak?