Glitter in oil

[holeintheice]

Bought a 14 EL. Just changed oil for first time. Glittery. Concerned but not. Car fax says followers amd lifters have been done along qith chains. Not sure how many lifter and followers. Or after market chains or not. First EL we owned I had to do all followers and lifts and one cam shaft. Also did phasers Chains and all. Was already there might as well. Wondering if this metal could be from improper install? Cheap parts? Going to change oil again in 4k miles and see. Glitter is noticeable but oil does not look like graphite if you know what I mean. Any input on running it or a tear down. Thanks, Tom.

 

[bloodhound]

Bought a 14 EL. Just changed oil for first time. Glittery. Concerned but not. Car fax says followers amd lifters have been done along qith chains. Not sure how many lifter and followers. Or after market chains or not. First EL we owned I had to do all followers and lifts and one cam shaft. Also did phasers Chains and all. Was already there might as well. Wondering if this metal could be from improper install? Cheap parts? Going to change oil again in 4k miles and see. Glitter is noticeable but oil does not look like graphite if you know what I mean. Any input on running it or a tear down. Thanks, Tom.

You could send it out to be analyzed.

Blackstone Laboratories Blackstone Laboratories

Learn what's going on in your engine with oil analysis. Our free kits are easy to use and we explain the results in plain English!

www.blackstone-labs.com

 

[Fastcar]

Bought a 14 EL. Just changed oil for first time. Glittery. Concerned but not. Car fax says followers amd lifters have been done along qith chains. Not sure how many lifter and followers. Or after market chains or not. First EL we owned I had to do all followers and lifts and one cam shaft. Also did phasers Chains and all. Was already there might as well. Wondering if this metal could be from improper install? Cheap parts? Going to change oil again in 4k miles and see. Glitter is noticeable but oil does not look like graphite if you know what I mean. Any input on running it or a tear down. Thanks, Tom.

I'd consider changing the oil after a couple of hundred miles. Did you open the filter to see what if anything it captured?

 

[bodabdan]

X2 for Blackstone. They can help you figure out where it's coming from.

 

[holeintheice]

I will try that. How does this work? Order and bottle, send in, pay, get a call or?

Also no metal in filter. A shop apparently replace chains, followers and lifters. How many? OEM? Not sure. Hope it wasn't hack jobbed.

 

[bloodhound]

I will try that. How does this work? Order and bottle, send in, pay, get a call or?

Also no metal in filter. A shop apparently replace chains, followers and lifters. How many? OEM? Not sure. Hope it wasn't hack jobbed.

You place the order for a free test kit, they send you a small collection sample bottle to reuturn. Then you pay for the analysis of the sample.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

+2 for Blackstone.

 

[chuck s]

+3 for Blackstone. Kits are free. You pay for the report.

They also market a little pump to get a sample via the dipstick which does not involve an oil change. They'll tell you to change the oil if it's needed.

-- Chuck

 

[Yupster Dog]

+4 I don't analyze all the time but if something not right that is an excellent place to start. But like any test, the more you do it the deeper you can go on your analysis form previous data.

 

[chuck s]

The Army went to oil analysis about 30 years ago mainly to detect wear and not wait until an engine failed before replacing it and to prevent the dumping of perfectly good engine oil which was being discarded because it had "timed out" -- like our cars which show miles or so many months which ever comes first. Just my squadron had 53 tanks all of which each had 20 gallons (not quarts) of engine oil. 1060 gallons or 20 55-gallon drums.

Once we went to analysis we did not change the oil unless directed. Rarely we'd get a directive to change the engine and one would arrive for the crew to change (a couple of hours). Oh yeah our diesel tanks got an oil change every 750 miles under the old system.

But we're not using 20 gallons of engine oil in our Expeditions so the benefit in oil analysis for us is detecting engine wear, not saving oil.

-- Chuck