When should I no longer see metal fragments in oil....?

RadialFin

Member
Ive got about 30mins on the motor using SAE30 for breakin, then about 1Hr on Valvoline 10W30 VR-1 "racing" oil running around the .8mi sprint track.
Drained the valvoline today and found some aluminum fragments...
Is this fairly normal? Its a stock motor, including springs rod, cam etc. Hasn't been revved past 5,800 yet.
 
I don't like to see any filings ever. I would be concerned at 30min and after the first oil change. I would pull the side cover, did you check rod side clearance? if it is not slowing down, the oil is not blackened, and the vent tube is not smoking, I would place a bet on the rod side clearance. This is not always because of lack of clearance but can be crank and cylinder are not perpendicular,
 
Didnt check rod side clearance. No sign of it slowing down much, hard to tell haha. Vent tube is clear, oil was fairly discoloured considering how little it was ran on it.
 
Are you using aluminium retainers? the springs eat away at retainers and cause your oil to look like this sometimes as well. depending on the retainers you are using.
 
i had a problem once the crank had a burr on it causing it to eat on the rod took apart and ground down and fixed the problem , did replace the rod but i replace the rod every time it comes apart.cheap insurance
 
It's mechanically stock, so steel retainers? Don't know if I'll have time to whip the side cover off before Friday with everything else going on. Might just see how long she runs before the rod exits the block or something else nasty happens.
 
I've found this situation is the Best way for the budjet strapped little guy too determine weither or not he has a 'good' one! However, most/all motors (out of the box) will show 'some' metallic evidence in the oil drained after the initial run in. After that...the oil should look pretty-much the same as it went in....assuming often changes.
 
Well we'll get some time on it this week and see what happens. This will probably be it for a while until a lake freezes and we'll bring it out again :D
At that point we can talk about carb-icing and ways to prevent it
 
Mine was looking a little gray as well, I would have never thought it was the aluminum retainers. Rebuild time.
 
Highly unlikely we'll buy a 206 to be honest. It's a great package for racing, (in fact I've referred people to faster motors) but we aren't racing here. For now the $260 clone is fitting it's purpose, something for my wife and I to play with at the local track just generally hang out and pound laps. We'll run it 'til it vents the block and put either the KF2 or FA on there.

If I bought a 206 I would imagine the conversation going like this..
Me "hey I bought a motor for your kart"
Wife "cool, how much?
Me "$500"
Wife "awesome! I'm so excited! how much faster is it"
Me "a little"
Wife "I'm divorcing you"
Me "thats understandable"
 
I think your always going to see small speckles/fragments...nature of the beast, no oil filters, thus why it's important to change oil frequently.
 
I would get away from the automotive oils and use a 4 cycle racing synthetic oil. not telling you which brand but something meant for a racing engine with the proper additives.
 
i had a problem once the crank had a burr on it causing it to eat on the rod took apart and ground down and fixed the problem , did replace the rod but i replace the rod every time it comes apart.cheap insurance

Funny had that happen as well with a Honda crank....
 
I would get away from the automotive oils and use a 4 cycle racing synthetic oil. not telling you which brand but something meant for a racing engine with the proper additives.

I was running Valvoline VR-1, 10W-30 with 1200PPM ZDDP. Guys that track aircooled porsches are a fan of it.
SAE30 was only for breakin.

Trying Castrol Power RS Racing 4T (Long name!) on Friday, 10W-40 this time.
 
My guess is that you are seeing particles that are being shaved off the side of the rod because the crank has a sharp edge that is riding on the side of the rod. When you take it apart place the rod on the crank and rotate it while observing where the contact is and you will see what is taking place. Take a dremmel and round off the area of the crank that is causing the problem. No need to go crazy on it, just enough that the sharp edge is removed to do away with the problem.
 
I might whip the side cover off tonight and take a look. I assume modding the crank like that would make the motor illegal under most stock clone rules?
 
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