The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support STM Tuned
Please Support ExtremePSI

1G Ferrous metal particles in oil?

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

blujeans

Proven Member
78
13
Dec 15, 2018
Calgary, AB_Canada
Here's the story... I recently bought a 1992 Eagle Talon TSi AWD with about 204,600 KM on the odometer. I was changing the oil today and found that there were fine metallic particles in the old oil, which were able to be picked up with a magnet. However, the engine runs without making any noise that sounds like rod knock. The cylinder head was rebuilt a little while ago according to the previous owner (looked inside the head, it looks pretty clean), but the turbo is also pretty worn out and making a death whine. Could either of these be the cause for the particles in the oil?
 

Attachments

  • 147673561_516850319304990_7762492327346991281_n.jpg
    147673561_516850319304990_7762492327346991281_n.jpg
    216.6 KB · Views: 48
  • IMG-7114.jpg
    IMG-7114.jpg
    410.4 KB · Views: 44
Not a direct answer to your question but, if you have an oil filter that has been on the car for a while, it would be interesting to cut it open and see what is inside.
Which raises the question how do you cut open an oil filter without getting metal dust from a saw inside.
Well one way is with a chain style exhaust pipe cutter and a vise. Like in this video.

A compression check would be a good idea too.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Last edited:
Here's a list of things it could be starting with what I'd think would be the most common:

1. Iron oxides from the block from the car sitting for a long time
2. Abnormal Cam wear (pop your cam caps off and take a peek for anything weird)
3. Abnormal piston ring/ cylinder wall wear (do a leak down test or pop your head off if youre a masochist like some of us)
4. Foreign material

Hope this helps.
 
It's been -35 consistently up here cause of the polar vortex, but it'll be clearing up soon so I'm gonna wait til then to warm up the engine and do a compression/leak down test. I took my intake pipe off and it was pretty filthy with dirt and crud inside, which may be contributing too
 
It's been -35 consistently up here cause of the polar vortex, but it'll be clearing up soon so I'm gonna wait til then to warm up the engine and do a compression/leak down test. I took my intake pipe off and it was pretty filthy with dirt and crud inside, which may be contributing too

Sounds pretty severe up there. The weather I mean.
Your mileage on the car is about the same mine was when I first bought it, about 125,000 miles.
The first time I took off the intake pipe, I was pretty disappointed how dirty it was inside. The air filter was an aftermarket foam thing. The foam was rotting and falling out in chunks. Sheesh.
Anyway the engine was still pretty good, and it was still good years later when we took it out of the car.
So I wouldn't give up on the engine too quick, unless you have one cylinder waaaay down in a compression check.

The turbo I don't know. If it is tearing itself apart you would want to get it out of there. Probably a video with the best quality sound you can do would help, to show what kind of noise the turbo makes. The bearings in the turbo should be non-ferrous, but there might be some other way it could be putting magnetic particles into the oil. You could, with the intake pipe off of the turbo inlet, try wiggling the end of the turbo shaft around to see if it is sloppy in there, clearance-wise in the bearings.
 
Drained the oil I put in about 2 days ago, and upon further inspection I believe thee "metal particles" are actually just a bunch of small bubbles from the oil dropping into my drain bucket. The oil analysis I sent will confirm it though, but as far as I'm concerned I was just being paranoid or something LOL
 
Well good!
But we should probably look into that magnetic air you got up there haha!
Seriously nah I mean when you have little bubbles in the oil and then you coat something with that oil, like a magnet, the little bubbles will still be there and could look like they were magnetic. LOL
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top