S

s_tones

Well Known Member
Having cut open my oil filter (O-360) as usual, I find myself in a quandry.
At first blush, there's really nothing impressive. Certainly nothing large or scary.
Nothing moves about or adheres to a magnet.
There's a tiny collection of sandy material on one or two pleats. This amounts to a few particles of 1mm or less non shiny, non magnetic material. Looks like dirt. Diffusely, there are a number of microscopic shiny particles that only reveal themselves under bright light. I suppose they could be metal or silicates. They are so tiny it's hard to tell what they are.

Are these normal findings in your experience? I guess what I'm wondering is...
is the filter supposed to be 100% free of any findings at all? Should there be NO grit or reflectivity of any kind?

Thanks
Steve
 
Sounds like you're ok to me. Seeing small traces of metals in the filter is normal. If they didn't make metal they'd never wear out. Obviously when you see pleats covered in metal, the alarm bells should go off.
 
s_tones said:
Having cut open my oil filter (O-360) as usual, I find myself in a quandry.
At first blush, there's really nothing impressive. Certainly nothing large or scary.
Nothing moves about or adheres to a magnet.
There's a tiny collection of sandy material on one or two pleats. This amounts to a few particles of 1mm or less non shiny, non magnetic material. Looks like dirt. Diffusely, there are a number of microscopic shiny particles that only reveal themselves under bright light. I suppose they could be metal or silicates. They are so tiny it's hard to tell what they are.

Are these normal findings in your experience? I guess what I'm wondering is...
is the filter supposed to be 100% free of any findings at all? Should there be NO grit or reflectivity of any kind?

Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
The only visible metal that might be there would be what was flushed out of a freshly overhauled or brand new engine after the first oil change. And that should be miniscule. No visible metal should be generated from a healthy engine. Could be silica/dirt. Lube oil analysis would show you.

Did you use a filter can cutter to open the filter? They minimize the amount of metal introduced into the filter element when opening.

Based on what you described, I'd reload it with oil and a new filter and run it another cycle. Check the filter again and see if the material is there after another run. Might grab a couple of samples - one from this run if you can and one from the next. If you see material in the next filter exam, send the samples in and get them checked.
 
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For larger particles, it would only take a few minutes to pull the suction screen out of the sump to check that too. That should put your mind at ease.
 
I did check the oil screen at the same time. Nothing in there at all.
I haven't done oil analysis but maybe I'll start.

Steve
 
Small shiny particles (sand sized) is normal. It's plating, non-metallic. If you find more than 1/4 teaspoon you should look farther.
 
Thanks you guys. It does seem to miniscule to be of importance.
In fact, I've never really noticed it before. The only way to see the shinies is to look closely under a bright light. They are truly microscopic and almost look like part of the paper material.

Steve
 
Update

Just an update on oil filter inspection...

I washed several pleats with solvent to get the tiny particles in a glass container where I could look at them better.

After drying them out they were a collection of sand-like particles, tiny flakey bits fractions of a mm in size. Vary from tan to brown to gray in color.
Invariably they are non-magnetic and they squish into a fine powder easily between fingernails. I therefore think they are inconsequential. I believe the shiny bits are the gray ones which look like graphite when smashed and are probably just tiny flecks of carbon.

Steve
 
Lycoming engines commonly make metal for 250 hours, and then still a couple flakes in the filter is still normal.
Mine made what I thought was a lot of brass for the first few hours. Engine builder said it was normal and not to worry about it. He was right.
 
s_tones said:
Having cut open my oil filter (O-360) as usual, I find myself in a quandry.
At first blush, there's really nothing impressive. Certainly nothing large or scary.
Nothing moves about or adheres to a magnet.
There's a tiny collection of sandy material on one or two pleats. This amounts to a few particles of 1mm or less non shiny, non magnetic material. Looks like dirt. Diffusely, there are a number of microscopic shiny particles that only reveal themselves under bright light. I suppose they could be metal or silicates. They are so tiny it's hard to tell what they are.

Are these normal findings in your experience? I guess what I'm wondering is...
is the filter supposed to be 100% free of any findings at all? Should there be NO grit or reflectivity of any kind?

Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
One time I opened the can up and found chunks of black stuff, grit, crud, WHAT! :eek: It was carbon build up. Showed it to an AI; he didn't blink....yep normal. The AI was Yoda of oil filter visual analysis, head mechanic of a fleet of about 50 Lyc's and Cont's. It looked horrible to me. The engine was high time; some times stuff breaks loose and barfs up into the ail filter. Other stuff is a continuous slow wear. Remember BIG pieces bigger than the screen will not be in the oil filter.

Here are some great articles on the subject (Skyranch of course)

http://www.sacskyranch.com/cancut2.htm

The only way to get all scientific about it is get oil analysis (several in a row consistently), getting a trend, but the guys are right the engine always makes some metal.

The case, pistons heads are aluminum, crank & rods & cam/lifters steel, valve-springs-pushrods steel, cylinder bores steel/chrome, bearings & valve guides babbitt material (tin-copper alloy). That's why your engine needs an overhaul about 2000 hours, stuff rubs and wears. (steel - iron, manganese, nickel)

Another article on oil analysis
http://www.amtonline.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=2774&pageNum=2
 
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