metal shavings on sump.
Turbo Mini Forums

hi guys.

need some advice, just did an oil change for the 2nd time on the car since the new mini spares gears i bought & new quaife diff & a central oil pick up.

i have one of those extra long magnetic sumps & a magnetic oil filter adapter to catch all the crap.

there was a fair bit of metal shavings after 2,5000kms

i just recently did another oil change another 2,5000kms
this time there was metal shavings & to small orange peel like skin shavings in the box.

should i be really worried?

i drove the car & everything is shifting perfect no crunching nothing.

it felt a bit tighter when my mechanic put the new gear set in then my old gears though while driving. ( felt new)

i put new bulk rings in also, do you think it would be bedding in or wearing in to have that kind of shavings?

Edited by NickG on 8th Feb, 2011.

show us a pic, normally a little bit of iron dust stuck to the plug is normal on a newky built engine,

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

yes i assumed so, the car has done 20,000km now & i pulled it out to upgrade the box for the blower 5,000km ago.

so we put all new gears back in drops etc there was a few fillings but 2 bits of very thin metal shavings (imagine peeling a orange with a peeler)

kinda of thing, only small & very very thing but i have never seen this before.

i mean if i keep doing oil changes & keep getting shavings alot i would should be worried?

i don't think soemthing is bedding in , more wearing out,

try show us the cleaned offending slivers

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

Edit uploaded below.

i have heard about the central oil pick ups scraping before. so a normal amount of metal fillings but then this popped up.

they were very small but not seen this before & very thin. ''''edit clear photo's''''

box was built properly same mechanic i have always used never had a drama but you never know.

paper thin very small, might look rusty because i dropped it out side & only found it a few days later under the car.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited by NickG on 10th Feb, 2011.

That looks like very bad news to me.
Not sure what they are - part of a bearing cage maybe ?

just looks like 2 very fine shaves of metal stuck to the magnetic sump plug.

looks bad to me too! :(

engine out time!

Get it out and inspect that gearbox. (And the engine while you are at it)

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

it's really annoying as this is just been rebuilt!

going to have a word with my mechanic tomorrow about it.

i had that in mine when i dropped the oil before stripping mine, it was part of the mains

Ouch!

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

great a rebuilt engine and this.. i'm over it.

how disappointing,put so much effort into the car & so many problems, i think i'm going to move on with this mini unfortunately.

Before you drive it or even start it again see my other thread, this is the engine the shavings came from
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=362043

dont get disheartened mate, it can all be fixed, you will only regrett it in the end if you get rid, and it will be a great sense of acheivment when it is all fixed and all good.

Stuff like that is either down to poor cleaning practices at the build stage, or, its a catastrophic failure.

My machinist found similar in a John Deer engine he built. Engine ran fine but they found shavings not dissimilar to those pictured, in the oil on a change.

The engine was pulled and stripped to find that one of the cam bearings had moved in its housing and the cam lobe was shearing off the edge creating these spiral like shards. They had an idea before the engine was stripped since they could see part of the dovetail on one of the shards.

So the questing is, how well did you clean the block and gearbox at build, and if you are confident that it was imaculately spotless,, the debres is from a part within the engine. Either way its an engine out and strip.

Ouch, feel for you mate

pisser

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

are these ferros shavings ?

yes Benross they are.

small type splinters, i showed my mechanic & he said it's nothing to worry about but do keep an eye out the next oil change.

he has built many engines he is about 70yrs old & knows what he is doing.

the photo looks much worse then it is.

it's ''paper thin metal''' and 2.80mm wide & 23.80 mm long.

measured with my new digital verniers :)

will drive the car & see what happens.

It would bug me like mad, and the engine would be out and in bits at the earliest opportunity. I'd hate to think what hasn't found it's way to the sump...

Continuing to drive the car is one way to find out what will happen,but at least it wont be too much of a surprise when it does.

thats it.. if it all go's tits up i might even do a conversion on it.

time will tell.

drove it now runs great no oil pressure loss nothing..

just will keep testing it untill next service and see.

small type splinters, i showed my mechanic & he said it's nothing to worry about but do keep an eye out the next oil change.

he has built many engines he is about 70yrs old & knows what he is doing.

ABOVE ^ i doubt it, you need to investigate this PRONTO! before it all ends in tears and a lot of expence

Looks a bit like shim stock to me, maybe from under the bearing retainer?