Metal flakes in oil

[Bootlegger]

My simple minded advice... Buy a Filter Magnet and see how much you catch in the filter. Then make a decision on worrying or enjoying your drives but on a lighter wallet. Coin flip?

[j.fro]

Send a sample away for an oil analysis. They'll tell you exactly what's in your oil and add insight. FWIW, I use Blackstone labs.

[GTsilber]

Originally Posted by j.fro

Send a sample away for an oil analysis. They'll tell you exactly what's in your oil and add insight. FWIW, I use Blackstone labs.

Just requested a sample kit, will post what the findings are.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Bobiam]

Analysis poo........ Time for a IMS bearing change. I would not drive that car AT ALL until its done.

[GTsilber]

Originally Posted by Bobiam

Analysis poo........ Time for a MS bearing change. I would not drive that car AT ALL until its done.

I have my doubts about driving the car as well - conflicted.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Bobiam

Analysis poo........ Time for a IMS bearing change. I would not drive that car AT ALL until its done.

The quickest way to destroy a new, and expensive, IMS bearing retrofit is to do it on a car that already has metal circulating in the oil. If this car was in my shop, we would decline to do the retrofit.

[Bobiam]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

The quickest way to destroy a new, and expensive, IMS bearing retrofit is to do it on a car that already has metal circulating in the oil. If this car was in my shop, we would decline to do the retrofit.

So then, what would you suggest to save this engine if those particles are a deteriorating bearing retainer or race????

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Bobiam

So then, what would you suggest to save this engine if those particles are a deteriorating bearing retainer or race????

You have very few viable options. You could try multiple oil & filter changes (use cheap, light weight non synthetic oil; do not drive the car, just run it in place until warm). After three or four changes, pull the sump cover and open up the last filter; if there is still ferrous metal in there, it is time to pull the engine and either take it apart or replace it. And even if the engine appears to clean out, you are still running a thin risk of retrofitting it.

We have had more than one cars brought to the shop that had metal in the oil and were then flushed and retrofitted with an new IMS by someone else. Unfortunately, none of them survived for very long due to internal damage caused by the circulating metal. I am only aware of a very, very small number of engines that lived for any period of time after being found with metal and an attempt was made to flush them out without taking them apart. The odds are simply not with you.

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and accept what has happened, and move on from there..

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Bobiam

So then, what would you suggest to save this engine if those particles are a deteriorating bearing retainer or race????

Determine the cause and extent of the problem before dumping many hundreds of dollars on what may or may not be the issue.

Analysis poo........ Time for a IMS bearing change. I would not drive that car AT ALL until its done.

+1 for the stop driving.

-1 for poo.

IMS bearing is not the only thing that can put sparkles in your oil.

The IMS bearing was still decent in the engine I pulled this out of:

But the engine was well beyond repairable.