Metal in oil after break in.

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MoparMike1974

MoparMike1974

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I just broke in an engine I freshened up. New rings, all bearings, timing chain, cam, oil pump. I used Royal Purple break in oil during the break in. I drained the oil today and noticed a really fine "sheen" of metallic on the top of the oil. You can only see it if you mix the oil and it comes to the top. Never noticed this before, should this be expected?
I cut the oil filter open and did not see any pieces of metal or anything else in there. There was some of the really fine metal but very little. I also let the oil settle out and I run it through a paint strainer. There was no sign of metal in the strainer so whatever it was was very fine.
Should I be concerned?
 
Id run it. Whats worst that could happen, you have to rebuild it again? You'll have to do it anyway if you find something. Serious metal would be in the filter. Put a big magnet on the oil pan and change oil again in a week. Ah, that's just me. Its a motor, nothing lives forever.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I just broke in an engine I freshened up. New rings, all bearings, timing chain, cam, oil pump. I used Royal Purple break in oil during the break in. I drained the oil today and noticed a really fine "sheen" of metallic on the top of the oil. You can only see it if you mix the oil and it comes to the top. Never noticed this before, should this be expected?
I cut the oil filter open and did not see any pieces of metal or anything else in there. There was some of the really fine metal but very little. I also let the oil settle out and I run it through a paint strainer. There was no sign of metal in the strainer so whatever it was was very fine.
Should I be concerned?
Click to expand...
Hell no. The late Nick Wilson (Compu-Flow) told me after I broke in the first motor that came from his shop, he said," after breakin when you take apart that system1 oil filter you are gonna want to panic and call me. But don't, change the oil and go racing." Don't sweat it pal. Perfectly normal.
 
You have to realize that the metal is from breaking in the rings that is why you run it for 20 min and change the oil to get the metal out, I always put a rare earth magnet on the bottom of the pan by the drain and remove it before I change the oil.
 
Sounds normal. Most of comes from the rings and cylinders finding home with each other, I believe.
 
There is always a "sheen" when cylinders have been honed and new rings are used , also as others have mentioned the moly paste makes a mess of the oil as well. The rings knocking the peaks off the cylinder hone job is what winds up in the oil. What you don't want to see are flakes. I drop the oil through a paint strainer in a funnel and if there are no flakes it's probably good to go. J.Rob
 
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