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  #1  
Old 08-24-2015, 08:13 PM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
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Location: Schaumburg, IL
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Default New Engine Break-in: flakes in oil filter

my O-320 now has about two hours on it. I cut the oil filter and found some metal flakes. They look to be about .001" in size. I have 60's vintage steel cylinders with cast iron rings. The boring and honing was done 20 years ago, so a course hone, not the finer hones used today. These flakes seem normal to me for an initial break in run on a course honed engine. My partner thinks they may be too big.

Looking for an opinion from an expert. Hopefully this picture helps.



Thanks for your assistance.

Larry
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  #2  
Old 08-24-2015, 08:30 PM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
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Just realized this is really bad picture. The flash is reflecting off the oil and it looks like metal. Most of the metal can't be seen without light magnification.
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  #3  
Old 08-24-2015, 08:47 PM
BillL BillL is offline
 
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Larry, a little more about the history of the engine would be helpful. Was it overhauled, or has it been pickled for 20 yrs? Does it have a new oil cooler and hoses?

Freshly honed cylinders are to be washed with hot soapy water then oiled. This takes off the particles of cut metal. Other metal particles from machining operations find their way into the engine. A manufacturing operation has wash tanks with micron filters to clean the parts before assembly. Other shops typically don't. A little fuzz is typical in a new engine but should be gone after the first couple of oil changes. This is one reason the oil filter is replaced after the first 10 hours. (2hrs or 10hrs, not much difference if the debris is just washed off the interior) It might take three changes to completely clean the engine, if debris is the source.

You can take a magnet and sweep under the filter paper and see if it makes the particles stand up, salute and sparkle. If so, it is ferrous.
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and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
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is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”

Last edited by BillL : 08-24-2015 at 08:53 PM. Reason: added sentence
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:27 AM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
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Thanks Bill. I overhauled engine. Cylinders were done 20 years ago by Harrison, case was done by ECI. I did not wash the cylinders, only cleaned with solvents until towels were not showing grey. I did not clean the case after ECI's work as I trusted they flushed it good (maybe not a good idea). New cooler, hoses, etc. I could not get any of the flakes to stick to a magnet, so suspecting aluminum. The oil pump is stock, but it has new gears.

I took the filter to an old A&P and he wasn't very concerned. He suggested checking the filter again at 10 hours to confirm particle quantity was decreasing.

I was not concerned with eminent destruction, but my QP wouldn't do a second flight with me unless I got an expert opinion.

Larry
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  #5  
Old 08-27-2015, 10:28 AM
Mike H Mike H is offline
 
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It is common to see long, thin, curved aluminum shavings in the oil screen that are the result of the old style aluminum piston plugs wearing.
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  #6  
Old 08-27-2015, 11:08 AM
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bret bret is offline
 
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Drift....IF.....I use any towel on and engine build, (usually just compressed air) I will use paper towels, the micro fibers will break down and flush out easier than a chunk of cotton strand.
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  #7  
Old 08-27-2015, 11:40 AM
BillL BillL is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lr172 View Post
Thanks Bill. I overhauled engine. Cylinders were done 20 years ago by Harrison, case was done by ECI. I did not wash the cylinders, only cleaned with solvents until towels were not showing grey. I did not clean the case after ECI's work as I trusted they flushed it good (maybe not a good idea). New cooler, hoses, etc. I could not get any of the flakes to stick to a magnet, so suspecting aluminum. The oil pump is stock, but it has new gears.

I took the filter to an old A&P and he wasn't very concerned. He suggested checking the filter again at 10 hours to confirm particle quantity was decreasing.

I was not concerned with eminent destruction, but my QP wouldn't do a second flight with me unless I got an expert opinion.

Larry
You should be ok, but there is no definitive way to know. Just double your hours, then take off the filter and check again. With all the new oil supply stuff, at least you aren't getting any residual flakes downstream of the filter to damage bearings.

To Mikes post - we assume there is no ridge in the bores now, and what design style pin plugs do you have?

Bret - +1 - use hot tide and a bristle brush, ready to wash down with hot distilled water, blow dry, and add oil quickly.
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Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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  #8  
Old 08-27-2015, 01:01 PM
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Andrew M Andrew M is offline
 
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Default Lycoming guidance

Here is a service instruction that covers oil filter analysis.

http://www.lycoming.com/Portals/0/te...Inspection.pdf

I recommend running it again as prescribed after oil and filter change and check again. First run on an engine can turn up some pretty bizzare stuff!
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  #9  
Old 08-27-2015, 02:41 PM
lr172 lr172 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillL View Post
You should be ok, but there is no definitive way to know. Just double your hours, then take off the filter and check again. With all the new oil supply stuff, at least you aren't getting any residual flakes downstream of the filter to damage bearings.

To Mikes post - we assume there is no ridge in the bores now, and what design style pin plugs do you have?
Std. pins with alum caps. they had very little wear from first 2000 hours and I re-used them. One of the pins had slight corrossion so I replaced it with a newer style pin with built in ends.

Larry
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  #10  
Old 08-27-2015, 03:30 PM
rhill rhill is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lr172 View Post
Std. pins with alum caps. they had very little wear from first 2000 hours and I re-used them. One of the pins had slight corrosion so I replaced it with a newer style pin with built in ends.

Larry
Problem,....... Can't mix pins with out replacing the opposing cylinder pin. These should all be up-graded to Heavy wall and your choice of plug end or the superior type with plug ends built in. Did you weigh your pistons to see how close a match they are? Most case shops leave the oil galley plugs out for you to clean before assembly
RHill
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