Hi All,
Just changed my oil and filter and when I removed the filter a I thought I had dropped something in the oil bucket (sounded like a plug- but wasnt as it was already out and cleaned in a safe place) so in my quest to solve the mystery I put a clean magnet in the oil and had a swirl about... no big lumps ?? but was alarmed to find swarf not much but enough to write this ! .. It looks like drilling swarf and only small fragments
my question to you all is , is this normal ? as I have never checked the oil before with a magnet so it might always be there ??
is 150,000 miles and many many oil changes I should still get swarf - mind you the oil was red hot after a long run back home
where could this swarf be coming from - or is there something starting to fail and break up within the engine
could it be within the manufacture of the oil filter and all this debris trapped inside the filter ( Mann filter used) sorry no purflux filter available
If I cut the filter in half and find more debris trapped within the elements ??
it looks like mild steel cuttings, and to me the only mild steel within the engine would be the sump and plug ???
just to add the engine sounds ok and no faults to say otherwise
maybe I should join the AA and just run it till it breaks ??
Anybody share some wisdom ??
ZX 1.9D Engine problem ahead ??
Moderator: RichardW
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Dave Burns
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: 14 May 2001, 05:30
- Location: United Kingdom
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I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, could take years before any such swarf from manutacture found its way over to the drain plug.
There could be all sorts of crap sitting at the bottom of the sump, just as long as its not flying round the engine is all that matters.
Mann filters are good quality kit, you'l sometimes get them instead of Perflux in an original Peug/Cit box.
Dave
There could be all sorts of crap sitting at the bottom of the sump, just as long as its not flying round the engine is all that matters.
Mann filters are good quality kit, you'l sometimes get them instead of Perflux in an original Peug/Cit box.
Dave
Hi all,
Another oil change and this swarf is getting bigger ??? like cast steel lumps as big as grit ???
any ideas of whats waiting to go bang ??
I am driving it as normal and it still starts and sounds ok ??
I have now joined a recovery group as I do lots of motorway miles and just playing the waiting game
MOT due in a month so maybe the smoke test might rattle its pistons
CU
RADAR
Another oil change and this swarf is getting bigger ??? like cast steel lumps as big as grit ???
any ideas of whats waiting to go bang ??
I am driving it as normal and it still starts and sounds ok ??
I have now joined a recovery group as I do lots of motorway miles and just playing the waiting game
MOT due in a month so maybe the smoke test might rattle its pistons
CU
RADAR
Hi Anders,
Always changed my oil and filter at regular 1500 miles and thought that this would prolong the life of the engine
Obviously not !!!
anyway will drop the oil again this weekend after 500 miles and try to discover whats in store this time ??
I dont think I will be able to purchase a purpose made magnetic plug for the psa lump ?? but would like to hear from anybody that does supply ??
Maybe someone in the trade might know a gearbox plug from a model that might fit ????
Failing that its going to be a home made affair
Always changed my oil and filter at regular 1500 miles and thought that this would prolong the life of the engine
Obviously not !!!
anyway will drop the oil again this weekend after 500 miles and try to discover whats in store this time ??
I dont think I will be able to purchase a purpose made magnetic plug for the psa lump ?? but would like to hear from anybody that does supply ??
Maybe someone in the trade might know a gearbox plug from a model that might fit ????
Failing that its going to be a home made affair
radar -
changing engine oil at 1500 miles intervals - is close to overdoing it [:)]
- anyway - it WILL no doubt do your engine good - and you may at any time call out all horses from the engine - not having any thoughts on the oil lube ability [:p]
Any chance your sump is a galvanised mild steel lump ?
- this could explain swarf & debries caught in the the sump - now simply rattling loose - from perfectly normal engine vibrations over long time.
The engine block, head & pistons are mainly light alloy - seen as grey dust in oil if rubbed off somewhere. The moving parts are mainly hardened steel - seen as tiny crunched steel bits in oil - if knocked off somewhere.
To your description it simply sounds to me as debries from manufacturing - which simply are helped against the plug - with your friendly attitude to your engine oil [;)]
Try ask around in "street tuning" type car shops - they usually have all kinds of strange bits - where you may find a magnetic plug or a magnet.
changing engine oil at 1500 miles intervals - is close to overdoing it [:)]
- anyway - it WILL no doubt do your engine good - and you may at any time call out all horses from the engine - not having any thoughts on the oil lube ability [:p]
Any chance your sump is a galvanised mild steel lump ?
- this could explain swarf & debries caught in the the sump - now simply rattling loose - from perfectly normal engine vibrations over long time.
The engine block, head & pistons are mainly light alloy - seen as grey dust in oil if rubbed off somewhere. The moving parts are mainly hardened steel - seen as tiny crunched steel bits in oil - if knocked off somewhere.
To your description it simply sounds to me as debries from manufacturing - which simply are helped against the plug - with your friendly attitude to your engine oil [;)]
Try ask around in "street tuning" type car shops - they usually have all kinds of strange bits - where you may find a magnetic plug or a magnet.
Hi Anders,
Maybe I do change my oil and filter too soon, but when SHELL helix is available on tap free off charge ( THANKS COMPANY PERKS)
I have obtained a industrial flexible magnet thats 6 inches long and stuck that to the mild steel sump to hope to catch those floaters..??
I have decided to obtain an oil sample and get it anlaysed through a lab (thanks again SHELL) and see what bits and pieces are floating about....
will keep updated
CU
RADAR
Maybe I do change my oil and filter too soon, but when SHELL helix is available on tap free off charge ( THANKS COMPANY PERKS)
I have obtained a industrial flexible magnet thats 6 inches long and stuck that to the mild steel sump to hope to catch those floaters..??
I have decided to obtain an oil sample and get it anlaysed through a lab (thanks again SHELL) and see what bits and pieces are floating about....
will keep updated
CU
RADAR
If you hadn't put the magnet in the oil, you would never have known any different, so don't worry about it!! Maybe the last time you changed the oil the plug picked up a bit of swarf from the floor, your tools, or the thread got partially stripped when you put it back in. Changing the oil every 1500 is a lot of in and out for the plug.
Having said that, The sump plug on my BX17RD already has a magnet on the end. I thought they were all like this but obviously not, can anyone enlighten me? Its 13 yrs old with 200,000 on the clock, but i am only the third owner, the first being a lease company and the second an old boy in his 70's, who I bought it off (base model with no power steering-it was killing him!!), and I can't see either of them fitting it as an aftermarket accessory, so, as far as I can see, its original. It has not picked up any swarf, but BL gear-in-sump motors had magnetic plugs as standard and anyone who has had one will know that they always have a fine grey swarf on them-wipe it off but its always back at the next change, but they still run for years.
Having said that, The sump plug on my BX17RD already has a magnet on the end. I thought they were all like this but obviously not, can anyone enlighten me? Its 13 yrs old with 200,000 on the clock, but i am only the third owner, the first being a lease company and the second an old boy in his 70's, who I bought it off (base model with no power steering-it was killing him!!), and I can't see either of them fitting it as an aftermarket accessory, so, as far as I can see, its original. It has not picked up any swarf, but BL gear-in-sump motors had magnetic plugs as standard and anyone who has had one will know that they always have a fine grey swarf on them-wipe it off but its always back at the next change, but they still run for years.
Hi Bodger,
I saw these lumps in my drain bucket at first, and never took notice just thinking it was aquired dirt from storage or disturbed crap when under the sump/engine
it was only hunting for the dropped item I stuck a magnet in rather than my hand (health and safety) till I started to look closer
the condition of the sump plug is fine and is not overtighten and a hydraulic dowty seal washer keeps it all dry...
Go to motor factors to locate a magnetic sump plug
if not try the CIT main d#####r (no expense spared)
CU
RADAR
I saw these lumps in my drain bucket at first, and never took notice just thinking it was aquired dirt from storage or disturbed crap when under the sump/engine
it was only hunting for the dropped item I stuck a magnet in rather than my hand (health and safety) till I started to look closer
the condition of the sump plug is fine and is not overtighten and a hydraulic dowty seal washer keeps it all dry...
Go to motor factors to locate a magnetic sump plug
if not try the CIT main d#####r (no expense spared)
CU
RADAR