Metal shards in oil

[DIYJan]

Hi everybody
I did my first oil change yesterday, and found this unpleasant surprise in the old oil:
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8...re017small.jpg
I don't think there were more than these six shards in the oil; at least I found none. They are not magnetic, so not steel. So where could these come from? Since they're not steel, my first guess would be the oil sump, or are there other parts of the engine that are not made of steel? (The engine is a 1.8 liter Twin Spark, plastic top)

The engine went through a complete repair last year after a crankshaft failure and I got it back in October if memory serves; this was the first oil change since than. I haven't been driving the car much during winter and mostly short journeys, that's why I wanted to change the oil already despite it not being even close to the recommended 18 months / 10000 kilometers.

Any advice will be appreciated

Jan

[Dave Brand]

They look like pieces of stripped sump plug thread to me. If that's what they are, as long as the sump plug has tightened up properly I don't think you'll have any problems, at least not until the next time you remove the plug.

[Sunbar]

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6379/18mm.th.jpg

Yes, approximately an 18mm diameter thread, looks right to me for the sump plug thread.

[Pujazuba]

Looks pretty nasty. Good thing you just had an oil change and your engine's still running. You did change the filter too right? (just checking)

[DIYJan]

Thanks to everyone for your responses :-)

I'm glad you too think it's from the sump - the first moment I saw these in the oil I though "WFT, are my bearings going fubar again?" Not a pleasant though

I thought the sump plug was fine - I didn't need any extra torque to take it out, did it just with a regular hex key, and screwing it in seemed ok as well, I did need to push on the hex key in a few places to overcome a bit of resistance, but again didn't seem excessive. Checking the plug visually today after driving to work I didn't notice any oil leaking out, so everything seems good... this time anyway :-D

Pujazuba: Of course I have changed the filter as well :-) When I have a bit of time I'll try and take the old filter apart to see what kind of stuff has accumulated inside. Btw. is there actually a straightforward way to disassemble a filter? Or will I need to just cut it apart with a grinder?

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by DIYJan

I did need to push on the hex key in a few places to overcome a bit of resistance, but again didn't seem excessive.

That's typical of a partially stripped thread.

[DIYJan]

Update: Checked the oil sump plug and it seems that no oil is leaking through, so I guess the thread is still in a good enough condition :-)

[Pujazuba]

The thread is for fastening purposes. It is not sealing. Usually you have a washer to act as a seal.