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GravelRash

How much metal on a magnetic sump plug is normal?

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Hi, pretty much as topic title.

I was changing my oil last night (my first time on this car, not this car's first oil change!) and when I pulled my magnetic sump plug it had, what I would describe as 'fur' on the tip. Not big shards of metal, or slivers, just tiny particles clumped together that gave the tip a furry texture.

This morning I've cut the oil filter open and beyond the hatched job I made of cutting it open deep into the oil pleats it appears to be clean. Running a magnet over it as best I can also didn't seem to pick up any substantial bits or metal, just some more particles, but I can't rule out that was me opening the oil filter up.

The oil smells burnt, as though it's got hot (which it has, this oil has done 5 trackdays and around 8,000 miles) but I didn't spot any metal in the collection pan.

So how much is normal for these engines?

For reference, the car has both an oil-cooled turbo and an oil cooler, and done around 40,000 miles. The last oil change was around 32,000 miles and was done by a garage. Car seems to run fine and my oil pressure gauge hasn't revealed anything unusual occurring. I think it's running a 5w-30 and I've got 5w-30 going into it. OEM oil filters as well.

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Sorry , can't specifically answer the metal question as I don't have a magnetic drain plug.

Do you still have the oil with you? If yes, you can buy an oil analysis kit from Millers Oils for about £50 and send it to them for feedback. You will exactly and scientifically be able to gauge what exactly is happening.



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A fine layer of tiny metallic sludge is ok. If you see anything bigger than the head of a pin then you may have an issue. Anything that starts to look like pencil lead sharpening is not good at all in my opinion.

The FA20 is all Alluminium (which isnt magnetic) so anything you find on the plug must be coming from crank/camshafts, valves, bearings, chains etc

Sump.jpg

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I do still have the oil, split across two containers, but they will both have been contaminated with other oil. My vaccum pump already had some oil inside (which I use for getting the bulk of the oil out), and the drain canister has since been used to examine the cut open oil filter.It has metal shards from where I cut open the oil filter.

Based on the picture it's more like the green picture. Definitely not the Oh dear picture!.

I've stuck a magnet into the sump and wiggled it around. It came out clean but I can't see the pickup pipe, probably my baffle in the way. Sticking the magnet into the oil filter housing, on the return feed fished a few metal shavings out.

Ignore the dark part outside of the green box, that;s coating coming off my very old magnet. Inside the green box you can see what I fished out of the oilfilter sandwich plate. This came from a small puddle of oil in a recess, so possibly a natural collection point for crap.

 

 

IMG_2017.jpg

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Doesn't look anything serious. And you are right contaminated oil will not give the right result.
For peace of mind if you wish , you could flush the current oil after using using Liqui Moly Engine Flush and put in fresh oil. It will remove any deposits.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001CZSG94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_RCW2APXVPY1NGWGMWQX5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

For future I will suggest 6 mth oil changes /3 track day as you have a heavily modified car. Not worth leaving the oil for too long as its small cost to pay.

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The length of time is something I was aware of but circumstances was such that I just wasn't able to get the car in the air. Since moving to the new house I can raise and lower the car at will.

My next course of action is to complete the oil change, run the fresh oil for 1000 miles and then flush and pull the system again.

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