Metal in Oil - UPDATE
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
RE: Metal in Oil
May want to check your crank run out or you might be doing it again.
I figured I would pull the drain plug and run a couple of quarts through the oil tank prior to filling it. Pull the crankcase plug. I thought about doing an oil change at 100, 200, 500 and 1000 miles.
Anybody got any better ideas?
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: Metal in Oil
ORIGINAL: DeJavu
Chips or flakes are not good. When you opened the filter did you see any bronze or alum. particles(they of course would not pick up with a magnet)? Your cam and lifters would be the most common source, check them for gauling or roughness.
Chips or flakes are not good. When you opened the filter did you see any bronze or alum. particles(they of course would not pick up with a magnet)? Your cam and lifters would be the most common source, check them for gauling or roughness.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
RE: Metal in Oil
ORIGINAL: dougbk
I thought about doing an oil change at 100, 200, 500 and 1000 miles. Anybody got any better ideas?
I thought about doing an oil change at 100, 200, 500 and 1000 miles. Anybody got any better ideas?
That's what I'd do, if it were my bike with the same problem.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
RE: Metal in Oil
Don't know if it's a "better idea" or not, but if were my bike, I'd get fresh oil in the engine, and make a phone call to Blackstone Labs and discuss the situation. Get their advice on how long to run on the fresh oil, let them send you a sample kit and send them a sample at the oil change interval they recommend, and see what the analysis is. They're very good and highly recommended in the aviation industry. The analysis report will tell you what kind of contaminants are in your oil, what the likely sources are, and an opinion as to how severe the problem is.
That's what I'd do, if it were my bike with the same problem.
That's what I'd do, if it were my bike with the same problem.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,663
Likes: 7
From: Northeast Ohio
RE: Metal in Oil
The way the HD oil system works is that there should only be about 6oz f oil in the engine case at any time, the pump pulls oil out of the sump (cases). The oil is contained in a separate pan. short of tearing the engine out and splitting the cases, a couple of frequent oil changes would be your only action. Run dino oil, and change frequently, first change only after getting the engine up to temperature and a short ride. This should get the bulk of material, change again at 50 and 100 and there is not much else you can do. Ride it and enjoy.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
RE: Metal in Oil
Run dino oil, and change frequently, first change only after getting the engine up to temperature and a short ride. This should get the bulk of material, change again at 50 and 100 and there is not much else you can do. Ride it and enjoy.
I will move up to your suggested intervals. I definately planned on dino for the frequent changes, Mobil 1 is to expensive to change that often.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 897
Likes: 0
From: South-Central Minnesota
RE: Metal in Oil
I had a similar pump failure on my 01 FLHT. It was advised to me, by some members over on HTT, that I run some kerosene through the oil pan...pooring it in as fast as possible with the drain plug pulled out to wash any metal particles out of the oil pan.
I didn't do it, because I was working in an enclosed heated shop in the middle of winter and didn't want to chance the vapors igniting on the furnace...and it was way too damn cold to open the doors and work.[
] I did the best I could with oil and did a short interval change myself. I also run a magnet on the end of my oil filter for a bit of extra protection.
I didn't do it, because I was working in an enclosed heated shop in the middle of winter and didn't want to chance the vapors igniting on the furnace...and it was way too damn cold to open the doors and work.[
] I did the best I could with oil and did a short interval change myself. I also run a magnet on the end of my oil filter for a bit of extra protection.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
RE: Metal in Oil
I had a similar pump failure on my 01 FLHT. It was advised to me, by some members over on HTT, that I run some kerosene through the oil pan...pooring it in as fast as possible with the drain plug pulled out to wash any metal particles out of the oil pan.
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Banned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,706
Likes: 7
From: Woodstock, Ont , Can
RE: Metal in Oil
Looked at the picks and don't think that's really the problem. Oil pumps get unfiltered oil, and I would bet that all of them have some scores in them from builder junk when new. The filter will trap particals after the pump, but that don't expain more metal found on the drain plug. It would seem something is making metal, going through the pump and then ending up in the filter. Just my thoughts, and they could be wrong.
Ron
Ron
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
RE: Metal in Oil
Looked at the picks and don't think that's really the problem. Oil pumps get unfiltered oil, and I would bet that all of them have some scores in them from builder junk when new. The filter will trap particals after the pump, but that don't expain more metal found on the drain plug. It would seem something is making metal, going through the pump and then ending up in the filter. Just my thoughts, and they could be wrong.
Ron
Ron
I am not sure, because I have never had a TC oil pump apart before, but I don't think they should be scored up like that. \\; The metal I am talking about is very fine fuzzies, not chips or flakes and it all seems to be steel. \\; I think I would see some aluminum if it was a fly wheel \\;(crank run out was in spec.) \\;or piston problem because the steel parts would impact some aluminum, but maybe not. \\; Based on the cam chest being the most suspected culprit, I think it was the pump itself, especially after reading liltrk's post. \\; I could be wrong and this could be a real expensive experiment.