WTF moment while changing the oil.

McLaren-TAG · McLaren-TAG's Garage

Changed the oil over the weekend, just routine stuff. Getting the hard run summer BP 20/50 out for the winter Rotella T. I don't drive the car much, maybe 1500 miles a year, but do DsE and around 8~10 AX events yearly so I like to swap the oil regularly.

Anyway... while I'm emptying out the oil tank, I see a little bubble of something come out along with the smooth stream of oil. Absolutely nothing stuck on the magnetic plugs both in the tank and in the case so...

A day later when I went to drain out the catch pan I looked for whatever it was since I'd been a little concerned about it and this is what I found.

It's a very hard stone chip of some type, and it just flowed out like nothing in the oil. Not what you'd want to be finding in there but then again it's better than finding a piece of metal the same size. So what's next? The engine has always been strong, compression and leak down tests were very good when I got the car 3 years ago and I've immaculately maintained the car myself since I got it, so this chip has been in there for quite some time. Don't think there's anything to actually do other than keep scrupulously examining the magnetic plugs whenever I change the oil, but figured it can't hurt to ask the wiseguys here.

Lyle O · Lyle O's Garage

Looks like you dodged a bullet...it being Thanksgiving, take it as a good omen

faverymi · 11-26-2014, 06:22 AM

Hate to be the dentist.

But in that picture that looks like a piece of tooth material of some sort.

Funny.

DaveMcKenz · 11-26-2014, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faverymi

Hate to be the dentist.

But in that picture that looks like a piece of tooth material of some sort.

Funny.

Maybe a TOOTH

from the cam sprocket?

Kemo · 11-26-2014, 06:43 AM

could be a lucky tooth

PCA7GGR · 11-26-2014, 06:46 AM

Put it under your pillow tonight and see what you get for it in the morning.

Probably just another dime but what the heck.

GWP911T · GWP911T's Garage

Kitty litter / bit of road gravel you might have picked up somewhere along the way that somehow worked its way in?

Jdub · 11-26-2014, 07:48 AM

I would give it a light tap with an upholstery hammer and see how it crumbles. There is kitty litter, which you can split with a fingernail, and there are rocks that are pretty solid. My peace of mind would come from watching this crack into grit - at least then I'd know it (and any other similar bits) will not harm the engine (speaking relatively here).

dfhtrhjn · dfhtrhjn's Garage

If it's stone then you're probably fine. If it's plastic, then it could be one if these.

wayner · 11-26-2014, 08:00 AM

Those tooth fairies are very thorough but cheap, finding that tooth and leaving a penny

Shaun @ Tru6 · 11-26-2014, 08:17 AM

Were you using synthetic oil or dino? If the latter, it could be a fossil that didn't get fully processed.

OsoMoore · OsoMoore's Garage

Definitely check if it is plastic. You don't want to have a chain jump because a guard is breaking down.

McLaren-TAG · McLaren-TAG's Garage

I hit it lightly with a hammer and it immediately turned into sandy consistency, hit it a few mote times and it turned into power. So not plastic, yeah I even tasted it just to see if there was a chemical taste that would give me a hint. Was not wet at all so it didn't absorb any oil.

I'll call it a day and just hope it had been sitting wedged in the oil tank for some time. if it had circulated it would have gotten caught in the oil filter.

Like I said, not what one would expect to find in an oil change, but if I keep thinking about it it's not going to be good for my ocd.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kemo

could be a lucky tooth

Q: What did the dentist see at the North Pole?
A: A molar bear

Tidybuoy · 11-26-2014, 10:49 AM

I hate to tell you this but I think you car may be a crack addict. Has it been running a little peppy?

McLaren-TAG · McLaren-TAG's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I hate to tell you this but I think you car may be a crack addict. Has it been running a little peppy?

Ha! That made me spit out my coffee.

evan9eleven · evan9eleven's Garage

Was the penny in there too?

Reiver · 11-26-2014, 12:39 PM

Not a place we like to see foreign objects...altho who knows what lurks in the bottom of the oil tank? (Besides one or two dipsticks).

bavaria911 · bavaria911's Garage

May have been in the original oil container when you poured oil in during the summer.

esonefour · esonefour's Garage

Not to sure if this is related and could be a worldwide pandemic.
But my wife just sent me this picture and found these in our bed.