Metal on the magnetic oil plug!

[gbcphoto]

I installed one of those magnetic oil plugs on my 650L never believing it would collect any bits from the oil. Well on the last oil change there they were, bits of gleaming aluminium stuck to the plug.

The machine only has 22,000 Km on it with one trip hard to the Baja and mainland Mexico on her rest are not hard KM's.

Any one want to wager a guess what the metal could be from. She runs great, starts first crank and does not blow smoke(yet).

Cheers

GBC

[jokerflingo]

You've got to remember 22,000 kms is a lot for a single cylinder bike.

I installed one of those magnetic oil plugs on my 650L never believing it would collect any bits from the oil. Well on the last oil change there they were, bits of gleaming aluminium stuck to the plug.

The machine only has 22,000 Km on it with one trip hard to the Baja and mainland Mexico on her rest are not hard KM's.

Any one want to wager a guess what the metal could be from. She runs great, starts first crank and does not blow smoke(yet).

Cheers

GBC

[malignity]

Do you use conventional or synthetic oil? Lucas oil stabilizer? Just curious.

[paul246]

Newsflash... aluminium is a non-ferrous metal and won't be picked up by a magnet, so it has to be some other metal source.

Much more useful than a magnet, IMO, would be regular used oil analysis.

[gbcphoto]

Newsflash... aluminium is a non-ferrous metal and won't be picked up by a magnet, so it has to be some other metal source.

Much more useful than a magnet, IMO, would be regular used oil analysis.

Do you use conventional or synthetic oil? Lucas oil stabilizer? Just curious.

stattasa

thanks for the informative answer to my QUESTION.

[gbcphoto]

Do you use conventional or synthetic oil? Lucas oil stabilizer? Just curious.

Started with semi syn then switched to conventional in the last 3 years. I have been running syn in my triumphs and XR 400 and Kx250f. The oil discussions are never ending eh?

[paul246]

stattasa

thanks for the informative answer to my QUESTION.

Your welcome. I told you how to find out where the metal would be coming from, ie, a UOA will do that, a magnet will not.

Edited February 28, 2012 by paul246

[Chas_M]

Much more useful than a magnet, IMO, would be regular used oil analysis.

My argument would be that the magnet does provide a useful service and valuable function immediately observable at every oil change. This could be augmented with periodic oil analyses.

[D0T-C0M]

You've got to remember 22,000 kms is a lot for a single cylinder bike.

22,000kms is NOT a lot for a this single cylinder engine. These engines can go 30,000miles before even having to touch them if properly maintained. I have mine apart with 25,000kms to do the 2nd/5th gear swap and I measured and benchmarked everything I could and nothing showed any signs of wear anywhere near the wear limit.

[paul246]

My argument would be that the magnet does provide a useful service and valuable function immediately observable at every oil change. This could be augmented with periodic oil analyses.

With all due respect to Chas_M, please think through your "argument" before posting.

By doing what you have suggested, the magnet would actually be working against you, in that by removing ferrous metal, before an oil drain, the results of the UOA would be skewed. That would result in a waste of money and effort with an unbalanced UOA to show for it.

For those that may not know, a used oil analysis ( UOA ) measure wear metals along with contaminents and the status of the oil's additive package in parts per million, PPM. The UOA will also reveal the true viscosity of your oil.

A UAO means nothing if it is done occasionally or periodically. They must be done on a consistent basis to establish trends... that is what it is all about. Once you have trends established and are satified with how an oil is working in your engine you can relax and send in a periodic if you wish.

Oil condition cannot be determined by how clean or dirty it appears, or by how slippery it seems between your thumb and index finger.

I have done extensive UOA's with my 650L, both during and well after break-in and have now settled on a choice of oil and change interval. If anyone is interested in the results please feel free to ask.

[D0T-C0M]

I have done extensive UOA's with my 650L, both during and well after break-in and have now settled on a choice of oil and change interval. If anyone is interested in the results please feel free to ask.

I'd love to hear your findings, you should start a thread on this. I work for the power company and we do similar oil sampling on our power transformers. Your right that you have to trend your oil analysis over time in order to get a good baseline for your engine.

[paul246]

I'd love to hear your findings, you should start a thread on this. I work for the power company and we do similar oil sampling on our power transformers. Your right that you have to trend your oil analysis over time in order to get a good baseline for your engine.

Yes, I'll post it on a new thread.

[Chas_M]

With all due respect to Chas_M, please think through your "argument" before posting.

By doing what you have suggested, the magnet would actually be working against you, in that by removing ferrous metal, before an oil drain, the results of the UOA would be skewed. That would result in a waste of money and effort with an unbalanced UOA to show for it.

I stand by my post. I seriously doubt that the removal of potential engine damaging magnetic debris from the engine oil will alter the oil analysis to any great extent. One could use the same 'argument' against oil filters.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Chas_M