Thread: Oil...and the stuff in it...

First, I'd check the filter to see what goodies that provides.

Then, I'd be checking the coolant for contamination and giving the bike a cylinder compression test.

If there were no other indications there, I'd finish changing the oil, run it up a bit and dump the oil again to see if anything flushed out in it.

If you have somewhere that can do an actual in-depth oil analysis, I'd send a sample off to them too.

The only thing that would concern me from those pics is the large piece of metal on your finger. But I would not be too worried about it. Change the oil and run it. If it were a full blown race engine I would suggest tearing it down and see where it came from. You can get 600 engines pretty cheap even if it did blow.

Blackstone Laboratories might be able to tell you a bit more.


Have you ever cracked the cases on it or just changed oil?

Is the gasket material dyed from oil or black?

Not that I've dealt with this before but you could check a service manual for the engine gasket sealants they use, see which is black, and if it's hi-temp, lo-temp, etc. and get an idea of possible places it might have come from. It's a bit far..but might give you some idea.

While doing that - I'd drop the gasket in a tub of cold water (no ice) and see what shape it returns to when it contracts....might give you some clue, if it didn't get chewed on much on it's way to the pan.

I'd also take a pipe cutter to the filter (buy it at HD and return it if necessary) rather then a saw so that you don't have filings to contend with.

If you don't see anything in the filter (at all) and no abnormalities - take another used filter (you keep your last 3 right, or is that just me?) and do the same - put em side by side to see any evidence of distortion or difference that would indicate smaller fibers being blocked.

This is super-out there, and is a shot in the dark too but take a look at the bypass valve of the filter if it was used and try to look for any scoring or drags from those chips going through it. You might be able to develop some sort of timeline based on the smoothnees/roughness of em.


...or you tightened your magnetic drain bolt too hard last time

Originally Posted by Hammer

You can get 600 engines pretty cheap even if it did blow.

The multiplier if you only bought 1 might not be as significant though.

That snake looks like oilpan or base gasket sealant IMO, are you bending it or is that how it layed there? is it chewed up?

If you know someone with an electron microscope you can...

ok I'll stop

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

...

So uh, what would be going through your head if this were your bike?

"Why didn't I get a Honda?"

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

"Why didn't I get a Honda?"

invisirep = granted

But I do feel for the guy if his bike is eating itself .

Originally Posted by Hammer

The only thing that would concern me from those pics is the large piece of metal on your finger. But I would not be too worried about it. Change the oil and run it. If it were a full blown race engine I would suggest tearing it down and see where it came from. You can get 600 engines pretty cheap even if it did blow.

I'm going to stop here. Thanks anyway SSG.

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

I'm going to stop here. Thanks anyway SSG.

no prob
Time is money, money that can be spent on a new engine if it goes tits up . I tend to forget that at times, but I have no cool evidentiary photos

Originally Posted by evl_twn

Posts: 666

If it runs smooth and hasn't lost power I'd flog it.

Looks like normal production motor swarf to me...rag it...

Isnt that a Suzuki...