Metal dust in oil pan

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

Ok so I'm dumbfounded about this deal, I just got my dsm back from a friend who installed a new HG in my motor, oil pan started to leak so I decided it was time for a new gasket. When I took the pan out I noticed on the bottom of the oil pan there was some metal dust,not flakes,dust as in when you first break in the motor. So I immediately took the baffle out, to my surprise it was clean no dust,shavings or anything. I also took my filter out and strained the oil with paper towels,still nothing. So I took the rod caps off to look at my bearings and nothing still like new,(motor has roughly 5000 miles) so no scratches or any sign of abnormal wear. So if is not the bearings, there's no flakes,no movement in any direction of the rods and crank out of the normal play then what the hell could be causing this dust?

 

[92AWDHX40]

Something in the system, you never know it could be anywhere in the engine. hard to say.

 

[Vladimir]

Check the connecting rod bearings, and the main bearings. Also it could be the rings. There is little metal shaving on the bottom of the oil pan almost every car you can see it, especialy when you did the motor couple thousand miles ago. Litttle shaving usually collect at the bottom of the oil pan overtime. Also check the oil pressure make sure its not low. And mark the dipstick with the next oil change to see if your car is consuming oil.

Some times if you put your rings the wrong way, your car will be eating up the cylinder walls and creating little shaving, until it starts knocking.

Also check the pick up tube to see if there is anything restricting the flow, or any big shaving.

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

I checked mostly everything you said Vladimir, I know the motor collects metal dust at first but as I said in the first post I have no shavings whatsoever, just dust, is kind of a coppery silver looking dust. Nothing looks to be wearing out of the ordinary and my oil pressure is normal,never lost pressure, and it just started to knock but I can't determine if its lifter tick or rod knock. Everything I have checked doesn't lead to rod knock and my cylinder walls are in perfect shape as well, maybe I'm just paranoid and the dust is normal as some people have said after recently building the motor.

 

[RWD4G63]

You should never be able to see metal in the oil, I don't care what anyone says. Especially if you have a rebuilt engine, that oil pan should have been cleaned.

Did you actually check your rod/main bearings? Silvery/copper color is definitely bearing material.

 

[Vladimir]

if you hear a knock i dont think it will be do to the bearings being chewd up, since you dont have any major shavings. But it could be that the piston is slapping aroung or the rings digging into the cylinder walls. But if that happens, you should really have a lot of shavings not just sime tiny microscopic particles.
The only way to find out is to take everything apart and look at it. Or to check the cylinder walls you can just buy or borrow a camera, take out the spark plug and put the camera in the chamber to look at the walls.

In my opinion everything should be fine as long as you had all the right parts. If you didnt polish the crank there will be a little more shaving cause your bearings will get chewed up quicker or if you honed the cylinder the wrong way the rings get chewed up also, that will be creating a few more shavings. But do get a stethoscope and determine where the sound is coming from at first.

I think everything is fine, a lot of people get paronoid and think that the injector noise is a knocking noise, or when you have lower than needed octane fuel and it predetonates (all tho, it is dangerous) is an internal engine damage. Especially if you have no money and you did the engine your self that gets a little scary at the beggining

Are you using specified oil rating?

You should never be able to see metal in the oil, I don't care what anyone says. Especially if you have a rebuilt engine, that oil pan should have been cleaned.

Did you actually check your rod/main bearings? Silvery/copper color is definitely bearing material.

In ideal condition, yes. But i do engines for chrysler corp all the time and see shaving in almost all the cars. But it is a chrysler so there is nothing new there

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

Yea I have checked the rod and main bearings and everything is fine no scratches, no missing chunks or anything . I'm looking at the cylinder walls now from under the motor and from above through the spark plug hole everything looks shiny new I can't see any signs of damaged cylinder walls. I have been using 10w30 Mobil 1 synthetic since after the break in and never had any issues. As far as I know the shop that did all the machine work is pretty reputable so I didn't do any of that myself, parts wise I used all top quality name brand parts on everything that has to do with my dsm. I have searched around and called some people that know dsm engines well and have gotten mixed thoughts on that freaking dust, I'm lost as hell

 

[Vladimir]

If all the bearings are fine, the cylinder walls and rings are fine. Check the oil pump gears, and the camshaft caps and if the look fine and undamaged you'll be ok.

 

[talonlaforce]

Did you clean every thing out befor you did the rebuild. Maybe it is just left over metal from the motor from befor you rebuilt it. Im assuming it knocked or burned oil or something and that is the reason for the build?

 

[tron2119]

Did he use copper spray on the HG? You may be seeing some of that.

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

Yea everything was cleaned thru over and over I'm kinda picky the reason for the build was to make it a stroker that's all car was running perfectly fine,as a matter of fact this is my third build just to try things out, first a stock build,then to a 2.1 and the most recent one I went to a 2.3. All three builds have been done in the last 60k, which is the mileage on my chassis I bought the car with 2200 miles. And now that you mention it tron2119 copper spray was used on the permatorque headgasket that was just put on.

 

[jimbob_843]

I would check the thrust bearng surface. Just to be safe.

 

[donniekak]

Did he use copper spray on the HG? You may be seeing some of that.

This. I used it one time and noticed the same thing.

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

Well after taking a break from it and checking everything over again I decided I'm going to put it all back together tomorrow and see what happens if I change my oil again and put new filter on, ill drop the pan again after running it for a bit to see if I get any more dust. Thanks everyone

 

[knewblewkorvett]

You can buy a sheet that goes on the oil filter. The plug will tell you if you still have metal dust without dropping the pan again.

magnetic oil drain plug - BuyCheapr.com

Good choice on Mobil 1, I've used it in my Talon since it was new

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

A sheet on the filter??? I have no clue what that could be, and I do have a magnetic plug that's why I was surprised nothing was stuck to it when I drained the oil. But then again aluminum and copper and such metals used in bearings are non ferrous material which doesn't stick to magnets.

 

[bryanwheat]

You should never be able to see metal in the oil, I don't care what anyone says. Especially if you have a rebuilt engine, that oil pan should have been cleaned.

Did you actually check your rod/main bearings? Silvery/copper color is definitely bearing material.

You apparently haven't drained oil from a freshly built engine. There is all kinds of metal from break in in the oil with a fresh engine.

 

[kenamond]

Could also be a turbo thrust bearing. It's bronze and the oil return dumps straight into the pan. Any abnormal shaft play?

 

[RWD4G63]

You apparently haven't drained oil from a freshly built engine. There is all kinds of metal from break in in the oil with a fresh engine.

I have, and it looked like lightly used oil. No real metal particles. Though I have never seen used oil where copper spray has been used. So that may be it.

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

Could also be a turbo thrust bearing. It's bronze and the oil return dumps straight into the pan. Any abnormal shaft play?

Nop no shaft play at all, turbo and everything was isnpected last night that was actually one of my first thoughts and plus one of the easiest to check first before digging deep.

You should never be able to see metal in the oil, I don't care what anyone says. Especially if you have a rebuilt engine, that oil pan should have been cleaned.

Uhh yea +1 on apparently you not having ever drained oil on fresh motor

 

[knewblewkorvett]

FilterMAG - JEGS

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

FilterMAG - JEGS

Awesome thanks for the link, I have never seen those before. Has anyone used these before? Some input on actual efficiency would be helpful

 

[92AWDHX40]

Any pictures mine had metal when i pulled the pan, can we see the dust.

 

[SPYDERGSTTUNER]

I do have some pics ill try to post those when I get home