Opened oil filter after 1st 50 miles

[Robliepse]

I’d never built an engine before so I bought a book and marked another item off the bucket list. Following the 1st 50 miles with Royal Purple break in oil I removed the filter and drained it and then cut it open. Pored the contents into magnetic trays to see what it was catching. Based on the attached pictures I’m not sure if this is what I should expect or if I’m going to have issues. Thoughts?

 

[Robliepse]

Gold tray is about 4” diameter

 

[toolmanmike]

Probably machining metal from the machine shop. Bearings are metal but not steel so the crank bearing surfaces aren't magnetic. No chunks just small dust sized particles. Service it and run it another 100 or so miles, pull he filter and examine. If no or very little metal, spin on a new filter and top the oil off for another round.

 

[Robliepse]

Thanks Tool Man Mike,
the rest of the oil was very clean. When I change the oil should I use another round of break - in oil ? I've read to avoid synthetic for the first 1,000 miles. This was my first attempt in building an engine but I've always considered myself smarter than the average bear and I checked everything more than twice but didn't have any specialty tools except feeler gauges and a torque wrench.

 

[toolmanmike]

Thanks Tool Man Mike,
the rest of the oil was very clean. When I change the oil should I use another round of break - in oil ? I've read to avoid synthetic for the first 1,000 miles. This was my first attempt in building an engine but I've always considered myself smarter than the average bear and I checked everything more than twice but didn't have any specialty tools except feeler gauges and a torque wrench.

Because you only ran it 50 miles I would use more break in.

 

[moparedtn]

What cam are you running? If it's a flat tappet type, make darn sure the oil has sufficient levels of ZDDP (zinc) in it.

 

[Don Frelier]

Just a note he said 50 miles. Not sure if this was what he intended.
Looks good to me.
And yes don't use regular off the shelf conventional oil it has no zinc anymore.

 

[toolmanmike]

Just a note he said 50 miles. Not sure if this was what he intended.
Looks good to me.
And yes don't use regular off the shelf conventional oil it has no zinc anymore.

Thanks Don. I corrected my post. Yes, the new oils don't have enough zddp especially for engine break in.

 

[khryslerkid]

Thanks Tool Man Mike,
the rest of the oil was very clean. When I change the oil should I use another round of break - in oil ? I've read to avoid synthetic for the first 1,000 miles. This was my first attempt in building an engine but I've always considered myself smarter than the average bear and I checked everything more than twice but didn't have any specialty tools except feeler gauges and a torque wrench.

I ran break in oil for 500 miles

 

[bm02tj]

I scrub the cylinder walls with a brush and soap until the soap stays white then rewash the whole thing
It will scare you how much you get
so clean and clean again
With luck the next filter will be clean

 

[Robliepse]

Thanks guys, yep, fifty miles so far

 

[BSB67]

1) if that was in mine, I would be concerned. But I clean my block after the shop cleans it and I get a pile of metal out and my filters do not look like that.
2) bearings are really your least concern, usually, IMO. It's the cam and lifters. Those are magnetic.

 

[fratzog lover]

but didn't have any specialty tools except feeler gauges and a torque wrench.

You're doomed. Pull it now and crate it and send it to me!

 

[Cranky]

Same here....clean and clean some more before assembly!! And water jackets too. It's nuts about how many have overheating problems because the water jackets has so much junk in them. For all the oil passage ways, a good gun cleaning kit will help a lot and don't be afraid of using plenty of hot water and soap on the whole thing! Rather have a bit of flash rust than left over machining debris in any engine....

 

[Dako]

Break-in oil & a zinc additive for the 1st 500 miles. Your oil of choice after that. I think you are being overly cautious, draining & opening the filter after 50 miles. The new parts need to wear in. Then they should be fine.

 

[Ranger16]

And yes don't use regular off the shelf conventional oil it has no zinc anymore.

The Zinc levels have been reduced, but they still have Zinc in them.

 

[Cranky]

Whenever I build and engine, I prime it and then drain the oil and take a look and if it looks good, it goes back in. After firing it and breaking in the cam, it gets drained again and then it usually goes into my junker pickup if it looks ok . New oil than goes in and then it goes about 150 miles before getting another hard look. If it looks good, it goes back in. If not, then the engine gets torn down to see whats up.

 

[Cranky]

The Zinc levels have been reduced, but they still have Zinc in them.

But it has very little in it for flat tappet cams. It's fine for roller cams though.....

 

[MoparLeo]

Lintless cotton rags soaked in ATF for final bore cleaning. Just like cleaning a guns bore. Clean cotton patches (rags in this case) until they come out clean. CLEAN.

 

[dvw]

I duct tape a large magnet to the outside of my pan inside the diaper. The pan is aluminum. This is what it looks like after 200 runs. You can see the iron dust stuck at the back wall of the pan.
Doug

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