Post-Rebuild Oil Change: Found Some Metal Flakes In The Oil Filter! Is Our Engine Toast?

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After rebuilding the BMW N52 engine, we changed the oil and cut apart the paper oil filter to see if there was any significant metal inside. To double check the condition of the engine, we also bought an OelCheck.de oil analysis kit to get a readout current condition of the engine (video coming next week).
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[@adareone]

I just did this on my 2007 X5 3.0 with 209,000 miles and I found praticuate in the filter, it was very small and the X5 runs just great, I have own it for several years now and just did this for the heck of it and I'm not worried one bit. This X5 runs so so smooth, no lights and I would not think twice about taking this on a long trip.

[@apb38]

Changed my oil today because I'm tired of the imperfect way Mobile does it and I wasn't even looking for anything when I dumped my oil from the drain pan to the old 5 qt bottle and saw a whole lot of metal grit at the bottom of the drain pan. This was after adding some seafoam to the crank case and driving over 300 miles. I'm just glad its out now.

[@buildanddrive]

Check your oil filter and see if there is anything in there

[@dimmacommunication]

I have that light too I love it :)

[@omar1990seattle]

Gread video like always 👍

[@buildanddrive]

El viejon, I really appreciate your encouraging comment 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@bayareaartist999]

Ok let's do the math. What in the engine is steel? the block and the head are aluminum. The pistons are aluminum. The rods are steel as are the mains and the rotating assembly. The flakes are coming from the inner workings where stuff is rotating. If the rings are failing then the exhaust would be white. Isn't the oil pump driven by a steel gear? I would look to that. I would say that the teeth from the oil pump are seating in and ground themselves away a bit. The bit's of steel look like they are sheared off. Not like something is grinding off. What is nice is that you can change the oil, drop a filter in, run it for a day or two, swap another filter in and see if there are more filings in the filter. Filters are what $4? You will be able to see if there are still filings showing up in the filter. This just looks like gears not quite in sync against each other.

[@buildanddrive]

Good idea with swapping the filter. I didn't think of that. I have extras lying around. The shavings do like cylinder walls or piston rings material. Or some gear /piston shearing a bit off into the oil. Will investigate further

[@garylucier6817]

If you did not find metal, then I would be worried on that first oil change. That things did not get seated in or broke in properly, a second and third inspection of oil filter elements should each show less, and less trash collected. Breakin' is just that, rings seating, bearings flushing out, and oil filtering out garbage and trash. It is amazing also how much a fresh new oil filter paper element will introduce on its own, as it washes off the inner fibrous layer, then catches its own debris trail on the outer surface the next run through, looks like hairs, and it is, fiberous hairs of filtering media (paper fibers). It will also gather same from fuel filters too.

[@michaelkelly3158]

Pretty sure that some small aluminium bits are normal - I just changed the oil on my B58 with 28500 miles and it had some in the filter. Very small pieces. 7000 miles on that oil.

[@buildanddrive]

Thanks for letting me know. 🙏🏽

[@pumm5866]

check camshaft sprockets for damage if it gets worse.

[@buildanddrive]

How do you check those?

[@amg11901]

My n52 has 110,000 Miles and the last oil change had metal flakes too. I'm using 5w-40 now to see if this makes a difference.

[@buildanddrive]

Wow, can you send me some photos on Instagram?

[@amg11901]

@@buildanddrive sorry to say I don't have any. It looked exactly like your filter. The new oil seems to be helping because already has 1000km and no metal yet. Motul xcess

[@peterp7470]

is the engine still running? How many miles have you driven with it since then with/without problem?

[@buildanddrive]

Running awesome for the last 25,000kms. I show this in my update video. Had a few oil leaks but that's normal on a bmw 😂👍🏼

[@HighGrade_FireBlade]

Did you just re-ring the the alusil cylinders? Or did you use the sunnen paste honing procedure?

[@buildanddrive]

I did re-ring but did not do the honing procedure for alusil engines

[@HighGrade_FireBlade]

@@buildanddrive how is the engine a year later?

[@derekkchung]

Changing ONLY pistons rings? That means head off. That is a big job. To do that u have to take out the connecting rod bearings, were they all untouched and back to their original position and not contaminated? Did u replace the timing chain or maybe flip over the timing unknowingly? There could be a lot of metal coming off the chain links. Did u examine the new oil filter again? If no more shavings, u are fine. Otherwise, now that it is 1 year of running, engine still ok?

[@buildanddrive]

I took everything apart (see my rebuild series) and checked all the bearings, they were fine and reused, replaced valve stem seals, did a diy valve job, new piston rings, gaskets etc, reused the timing chain because it looked new. Never thought about the metal coming the chain. That would be possible. Thanks for that idea. Engine has 30k on it and it feels great. I think the CCV died again because it's smoked once or twice on startup once it got cold outside but now it's fine. So I'll change the ccv again if oil consumption gets worse.

[@gvalencia28]

I just replace the timing chains on my jetta a couple of months ago with new gaskets but I just change my oil on my car and see metal shavings too I haven heard any wear noise this could be the problem of the shavings the timing chain?

[@ironfistarrival]

For Sludges use Engine Flush Liquid , but the shavings in the oil and the Filter might be Internal Engine Damage as parts are Grinding against Each other ? Use some Marvel Mystery Oil in your oil Engine and Gas tank to Lubricant the Engine Further and the Gas pump as well .

[@buildanddrive]

You can't get marvel mystery oil here.

[@John-yz8dp]

I wouldn't ignore the fuel smell in your oil. It might be linked to the metal shavings. Hope it's not your piston rings!

[@buildanddrive]

I also hope not. But I know that some fuel gets by here, especially if you are doing short trips the engine doesn't have enough time to heat up and burn it off.

[@garylucier6817]

That is normal after a rebuild. No matter how clean the block is, the normal breakin' period will give you those hairs, rings against cylinder walls breaking off the hone peaks as they seat properly rings to cyl walls, dust and hairs in the air as you reassemble, no matter how clean the assembly area is, it floats in the air, and sticks to the oily and assembly lubed surfaces, and that filter media is very fine. Catches everything in the oil. As long as it is on the outer inflow side, and not the inner filtered side. I just cut open my breakin' filter, saved from oil change #1 from Valvoline 30 wt mineral oil w/zero detergents or additives and a 1 pt. Bottle of Lucas Racing ZDDP TB-Zinc-Plus additive and changed the oil after just 24 race only miles, and just 3 test and tune and 3 race events, and it looked a bit better than yours, and I cut my saved filter open tonight. I am now about to do oil change #2 at 135 total race only miles after 7 more events, and will cut that filter open after switching to synthetic Valvoline 5W-20 High mileage oil and compare the trash reduction or increases. I expected to see some fine glitter from filter #1 (and was not disappointed, zero larger chunks present, as all were very fine particles, and I will expect much less in filter #2 as higher miles, but the initial rebuilding machining processes the block and head went through (cast iron block, Alum. Cyl. Head, boring, honing, new forged pistons, new rings, full balancing, and a bunch of blueprinting, new bearings, old balanced rods, etc. Some oil pump blueprinting down in the galley opening to match the pump), lots of block cleaning ( like a years worth of multiple cleanings, as it was at the machine shop over a year and 3 weeks awaiting the new forged bullets), and no matter how clean the assembly process is, you expect fine metal particles to adhere to inner surfaces when a block sits open and bare in a busy machine shop that long, as cast iron attracts iron particles, each block has a certain amount of magnetic properties to it. Ozone in the air alone will help it attract. Science is real! Now, as long as this next filter cut open, and inspection finds much less trash, I will be a very happy camper or, that oil pan comes off immediately for a rod and crank bearing inspection. However. If it is pretty clean, then the pan stays on. And I will chock the initial light fine glitter/hairs/silicone/gasket materials/dust/etc. to a perfect ring sealing & seating breakin' process well done! I will also send off an oil sample this time to get a sample analysis done, and set a baseline sample to watch the internals closely. I rarely would do that immediately after a fresh rebuild, as that first couple of changes (breakin plus 1 change), allows time to get all the assemble trash out. And analysis of pure mineral oil and zinc additive will not net a decent sample. I want it sampled now that true detergent synthetic motor oil is being used. Otherwise I am not looking at apples to apples.

[@garylucier6817]

Another thing is, after the short block was returned Rings/pistons, rods crank, and bearings were installed, and before I reassembled the balance from oil pump up. I also torched the bare assembled block to clean off exterior surface oils, then masked w/paper & tape (more fiberous hairs transferred to inner assembly lubed surfaces for sure), and painted the short block before final assembly. I could see a little of that trash on the filter element material too. All were minute particles, but were present, and the final assembly with all new gaskets and seals, those have tiny gray and blue fibers that I could also see using a magnifying glass, just part of the cutting and die processes new gasket materials Bring over or introduce with them. Also, with this next oil change, time to inspect and replace the 3 filters (1) pre- (2) post, and (3) the stock fuel filters, now that at least 30 gals of Sunoco 110 Standard leaded race gas has gone through the system. (And I will cut those open and inspect each also plus the fuel cell foam for determining if that is ok or not. As some fuels eat up the foam.

[@buildanddrive]

Thanks for the indepth comment. What engine are you running? I don't know if my engine (magnesium alloy) would benefit from zinc. I built my engine in my garage (see my videos). Tried to keep it as clean as possible and happy with the result as you can see from debris in the oil filter. I thought it was bad initially but after talking to others (like yourself) it seems normal. I didn't replace bearings though so I'm happy no crazy glittery material. I also sent an oil sample too, you can see it in my next video

[@Pitserbayk]

Is it normal on new block and piston first change oil and there's metal shavings

[@buildanddrive]

Yes. Totally normal

[@Pitserbayk]

@@buildanddrive thanks matee

[@jebohim]

How is Your engine now? Did You repair anything? How was next oil change more/less „flakes”? Greetings :).

[@buildanddrive]

Hi Jeb, engine was fine, no flakes next oil change. Only fixing small vacuum leaks changing the CCV again.

[@kaidenbigboy6028]

My n54 with 100k miles is knocking and has some gold particles in the filter, but I’m getting crank/cam and VANOS codes so idk

[@buildanddrive]

Looks like your rod bearings are gone. Your engine is known to do that

[@kaidenbigboy6028]

@@buildanddrive from what I’ve been reading it seems like rod bearings is a lot more uncommon on the n54 than the n55, well I guess anything’s possible

[@mofopopo437]

​@@buildanddrive hello!! Are Rod bearings steel or Aluminum? I have some in my oil filter and I'm freakin out? Thanks N52

[@illariqq]

@@mofopopo437ended uo being…?

[@emmakrone1950]

Those magnetic metal fibres might be pieces of steel wool that dropped into the engine while you were cleaning the top surface of the block during part 7. You've probably caught most of them now in the oil filter, so I expect you wont get any more next time you do an oil change.

[@buildanddrive]

Very possible. I thought I did a good job of cleaning but it's not like I hot tanked all the parts like you're supposed too.

[@nkvrgic]

I change oil at 7000 kilometers

[@buildanddrive]

me too.

[@btbd2785]

Reason why it smells like fuel, is because this is a direct injection engine and unfortunately the oil will get diluted by fuel.

[@buildanddrive]

N53 is direct injection, not the n52

[@JackRR15]

I've been looking at mine to after doing a camshaft bearing ledge replacement on my N54 and seeing metal worries me and reading online forums people say you should never see metal but I think that's a bit over said because poeple never inspect the filter or oil particles. Idk.

[@buildanddrive]

It's just because I rebuilt the motor. This is normal in the filter and the oil analysis also was not bad, the metal values were ok considering everything. I compared it with a few other people's rebuild of similar engine and they actually had even more metals than me. This is because I didn't swap my bearings, I did just the rings.

[@JackRR15]

@@buildanddrive Okok, yeah I guess I will do oil inspection to next oil chabge. My camshaft ledge was done in July. I am probably worriing for no reason

[@buildanddrive]

@@JackRR15 yeah, did you cut open the filter and find anything? Is your oil glittery?

[@JackRR15]

@@buildanddrive Yeah I can find some metal in the filter pleats opened up. Seems to be alluminum. But it seems to be going down with time so I think it's fine. For the oil, it's hard to explain, if I empty my pan and have like 500ml left, I zoom really harda nd focus with my eyes with a bright line I can see slight glitter but this is what I think it's just "normal" glitter, like there's always going be a minimum level and I think I'm trying to hard to find it. If it was really that bad it would be like massively insane right.?

[@buildanddrive]

Yes if it looks glitter nail polish, that's bad