Magnetic oil plug
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Buick Mark
Active Member
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- Sep 12, 2001
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Thats normal, no worries.
Its shavings from your cylinder walls, totally normal.
Comes from the oil ring scrapping the oil off the cylinder walls, the two super thin rings on either side of the expander.
Is this a fresh engine?
Lots of miles?
Only other place that would come from is the cam to lifter contact.
Is this a flat tappet or roller cam engine?
Any ticking sounds?
Its shavings from your cylinder walls, totally normal.
Comes from the oil ring scrapping the oil off the cylinder walls, the two super thin rings on either side of the expander.
Is this a fresh engine?
Lots of miles?
Only other place that would come from is the cam to lifter contact.
Is this a flat tappet or roller cam engine?
Any ticking sounds?
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
- Messages
- 16,702
Look in the filter to see what else may be "leaving".
salvageV6
Daily Driver
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- May 25, 2001
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- 20,971
It's a 1, from what I've seen over the years on 2 cars that are/were driven.... 
It was a 10 the first time I saw it.
It was a 10 the first time I saw it.
Yea it was a 10 for me too!
I have a roller cam and the engine is worn. I also had a short cheap oil filter on it (not installed by me) but now I put the bigger size Purolator.
Engine has no ticking and it one of the quietest roller setups.
I've always wanted to get the oil filter analyzed but really don't know where to take it.
I have a roller cam and the engine is worn. I also had a short cheap oil filter on it (not installed by me) but now I put the bigger size Purolator.
Engine has no ticking and it one of the quietest roller setups.
I've always wanted to get the oil filter analyzed but really don't know where to take it.
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- May 28, 2001
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Super easy!
Take your pick.....
. I've used this lab. Was happy with their performance.
salvageV6
Daily Driver
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- May 25, 2001
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- 20,971
Mine was so fine when you squished it with your fingers to get it off the magnet it looked like never-seize...
Chunks on it would be bad for sure.
I ditched the magnet when the washer split. A 1 feeling every time I change the oil now.
What oil are you using?
Chunks on it would be bad for sure.
I ditched the magnet when the washer split. A 1 feeling every time I change the oil now.
What oil are you using?
1KWIKSIX
Well-Known Member
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- Sep 29, 2007
- Messages
- 3,169
Could it also possibly be metal shavings from your steel timing set gears?
Especially if they were inexpensive cast steel gears vs billet steel hardened (nitrate treated ) timing sets?
Especially if they were inexpensive cast steel gears vs billet steel hardened (nitrate treated ) timing sets?
Buick Mark
Active Member
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- Sep 12, 2001
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- 794
Why such thick oil?
salvageV6
Daily Driver
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He probably wants to see the electric oil pressure gauge off 0 at idle in the summer.
Mobil 1 is good stuff, red label for the high mile motors. 
Actually my oil question was more of a joke, but I'm sure it will keep the thread going a while....
Mobil 1 is good stuff, red label for the high mile motors.
Actually my oil question was more of a joke, but I'm sure it will keep the thread going a while....
TIMINATOR
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- Jan 26, 2020
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Was the engine rebuilt? How many miles ago? How much did it cost?
TIMINATOR
TIMINATOR
vacuum 6
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 6, 2006
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- 2,412
I saw this with my untouched 109. Never had an issue.
TIMINATOR
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 26, 2020
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I usually see this on rebuilt engines that the shop didn't chamfer and roll the bottom of the cylinders with a 120 grit x 1" diameter flapper wheel. The piston skirt at BDC hangs out the bottom of the cylinder, and breaks off these small shards of cast iron. Not chamfering and rolling the bottom edge is also what causes scratches in the lower portion of the piston skirt, scrapes oil off of the skirt, and results in shorter skirt life, and a small horsepower loss.
Depending on core shift, boring and honing techniques, (factory or aftermarket), this can be minor or more of a major issue. Sometimes, the bottom edge of cylinders may even come to a sharp knife edge. We roll a small, but smooth radius, on every cylinder of every bore/ hone job, before the honing process. This also results in a more precision hone, as it also prevents the bottom of the hone stones and shoes from premature wear, causing the bottom of the bore to be honed smaller than the top. Sometimes as much as a few thousandths of an inch.
This is also what causes verticle scratches in the cylinders of a near new bore/ hone job when these small iron pieces get stuck in the piston skirt. They appear as small shiny dots in the skirt after the engine has been run a while.
It is very difficult to get a 3 ten thousandths tolerance cylinder hone without doing the radius first.
TIMINATOR
Depending on core shift, boring and honing techniques, (factory or aftermarket), this can be minor or more of a major issue. Sometimes, the bottom edge of cylinders may even come to a sharp knife edge. We roll a small, but smooth radius, on every cylinder of every bore/ hone job, before the honing process. This also results in a more precision hone, as it also prevents the bottom of the hone stones and shoes from premature wear, causing the bottom of the bore to be honed smaller than the top. Sometimes as much as a few thousandths of an inch.
This is also what causes verticle scratches in the cylinders of a near new bore/ hone job when these small iron pieces get stuck in the piston skirt. They appear as small shiny dots in the skirt after the engine has been run a while.
It is very difficult to get a 3 ten thousandths tolerance cylinder hone without doing the radius first.
TIMINATOR
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2001
- Messages
- 2,183
This guy.
Just get a sample from your next drain and get it to Blackstone. They'll tell you everything you need to know about the condition of the inside of your engine.
TIMINATOR
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 26, 2020
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Oil analisys is better than nothing, but it doesnt tell where the metal came from. It can tell you if it is Bearing material, aluminum, gasket, sealer, or iron/steel.
Yours sticks to the magnet. It is either iron or steel, period. That means that SOME of it stuck to the magnet. Some is in the oil filter, look in there. Buy a filter cutter, they are cheap, then look!
Keep in mind, anything you find in the filter went thru the oil pump. The gears are iron and are not likely much harder than what you found. BUT! The front cover and the oil pump housing is aluminum. Much softer! Keep an eye on the oil pressure after the oil change.
Always use the same weight oil and brand, that way it is easier to spot any pressure fluctuations after oil changes.
If you are not as anal as I am, you won't worry as much, but should you?
In my world, anal is short for analyze,
I don't consider it an insult.
Just sayin'
TIMINATOR
BTW, I wasn't given that nickname by racers that I lost to......
Yours sticks to the magnet. It is either iron or steel, period. That means that SOME of it stuck to the magnet. Some is in the oil filter, look in there. Buy a filter cutter, they are cheap, then look!
Keep in mind, anything you find in the filter went thru the oil pump. The gears are iron and are not likely much harder than what you found. BUT! The front cover and the oil pump housing is aluminum. Much softer! Keep an eye on the oil pressure after the oil change.
Always use the same weight oil and brand, that way it is easier to spot any pressure fluctuations after oil changes.
If you are not as anal as I am, you won't worry as much, but should you?
In my world, anal is short for analyze,
I don't consider it an insult.
Just sayin'
TIMINATOR
BTW, I wasn't given that nickname by racers that I lost to......
Buick Mark
Active Member
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- Sep 12, 2001
- Messages
- 794
10/30 works for me. 20/22 hot idle after driving home from work (half hour on highway in 90 degree heat with front mount blocking radiator.He probably wants to see the electric oil pressure gauge off 0 at idle in the summer.
I know the feeling of less than 5 at hot idle, dont have the issue anymore tho, proper clearances in oil pump, oil groove in cam welded closed helped tons.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2001
- Messages
- 2,183
You forgot rings. Rings are high in chromium, so if you see that, you know you have ring wear issues.
It's not going to tell you "Rod journal #6 is wearing quickly", but it gets you what you need to know. It also tells you when it's time to take it apart without having to wait for a failure. That's the difference between rolling in a new set of bearings versus having something break and be left with a huge machine shop bill.
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- May 28, 2001
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- 16,702
I think an oil sample of the engine and trans, prior to buying a hotrod, would be a good investment!
I worked as a heavy mining equipment service engineer.
Oil sampling was a real help when determining cause of failures.
The well managed fleets had the service on contract with regular sampling.
Samples were pulled every other change.
Cheap insurance.
I worked as a heavy mining equipment service engineer.
Oil sampling was a real help when determining cause of failures.
The well managed fleets had the service on contract with regular sampling.
Samples were pulled every other change.
Cheap insurance.
