Glitter in oil? 1200 miles after new bearings.

[bmwpower603]

This is my first oil change since having my rod bearings replaced with BE bearings.

I have not seen any shavings in the oil. I just see metallic what looks like glitter when I look very close. (Doesn’t show up on oil filter) I opened the oil filter, and saw a few shavings. Probably from the old 173k bearings.

I put the oil in a bottle. To see if it’s noticeable when I move the oil around in a see through water bottle. I cannot notice it. But when you shine light inside you can see it. .

Is this normal ?

[m235boy]

Originally Posted by bmwpower603

This is my first oil change since having my rod bearings replaced with BE bearings.

I have not seen any shavings in the oil. I just see metallic what looks like glitter when I look very close. (Doesn’t show up on oil filter) I opened the oil filter, and saw a few shavings. Probably from the old 173k bearings.

I put the oil in a bottle. To see if it’s noticeable when I move the oil around in a see through water bottle. I cannot notice it. But when you shine light inside you can see it. .

Is this normal ?

Umm do the shavings stick to a magnet? Shouldn't be any metal floating around oil that's forsure lol

[bmwpower603]

No shavings.

I dipped a magnet in it. Nothing stuck to it.

I stuck my finger in it multiple times. And a single microscopic black dot is all that came out when I shined my flash light on my finger.

Maybe it’s just bubbles That I’m seeing. I’ll send out to black stone next oil change.

The good news. I was able to torque my oil pan bolts to 25nm. But I backed them off after reading the horror stories on that. 17nm feels okay. And one of the drain plugs wouldn’t screw in with my hand. But no resistance with 1/4 inch.

[tigermack]

Wouldn't screw in by hand? That doesn't seem right...

[msan]

Originally Posted by bmwpower603

And one of the drain plugs wouldn’t screw in with my hand. But no resistance with 1/4 inch.

[bmwpower603]

Originally Posted by tigermack

Wouldn't screw in by hand? That doesn't seem right...

It’s a new drain plug. But that shouldn’t matter. It screws by hand until about half way, then need the 1/4 inch.

The threads on the oil pan seem to be flattened a bit/ worn. Maybe causing more resistance. It does screw on every time though.

Hopefully it won’t be a problem if I pamper it. Don’t want to have to have the oil pan removed again...

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by bmwpower603

It’s a new drain plug. But that shouldn’t matter. It screws by hand until about half way, then need the 1/4 inch.

The threads on the oil pan seem to be flattened a bit/ worn. Maybe causing more resistance. It does screw on every time though.

Hopefully it won’t be a problem if I pamper it. Don’t want to have to have the oil pan removed again...

Same here, my front plug comes out/in nicely by hand while the main sump plug need some help. New plugs. Sump thread looks fine.

Btw what did the 173k shells look like, don't think I saw your post?

[bmwpower603]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Same here, my front plug comes out/in nicely by hand while the main sump plug need some help. New plugs. Sump thread looks fine.

Btw what did the 173k shells look like, don't think I saw your post?

Here’s a pic of the shells mate.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by bmwpower603

Here’s a pic of the shells mate.

Yep looks like good time to get the replaced. Holded up for 173k miles though, not bad!

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by bmwpower603

It’s a new drain plug. But that shouldn’t matter. It screws by hand until about half way, then need the 1/4 inch.

The threads on the oil pan seem to be flattened a bit/ worn. Maybe causing more resistance. It does screw on every time though.

Hopefully it won’t be a problem if I pamper it. Don’t want to have to have the oil pan removed again...

Next time you change the oil, run a thread chaser through the drain hole and see if you can clean up the threads. If it is really damaged badly, get it repaired with a time-sert. It is not worth taking a chance of losing oil on such a costly engine to replace.

Cheers,

[bmwpower603]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

Next time you change the oil, run a thread chaser through the drain hole and see if you can clean up the threads. If it is really damaged badly, get it repaired with a time-sert. It is not worth taking a chance of losing oil on such a costly engine to replace.

Cheers,

I sometimes see microscopic black specs when opening my oil cap.

How many oil change intervals do you think it will take to have really clean oil from all the old bearing wear?

It could also be from my valve covers that were peeling on the inside. Which I just replaced also.

[smyles]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Yep looks like good time to get the replaced. Holded up for 173k miles though, not bad!

It seems like a universal comment whenever a pic of removed RBs is posted: 'oh, they're almost done/last leg/you dodged a bullet/etc.", regardless of the mileage - 30k, 75k or 175k.

Just an observation.

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by smyles

It seems like a universal comment whenever a pic of removed RBs is posted: 'oh, they're almost done/last leg/you dodged a bullet/etc.", regardless of the mileage - 30k, 75k or 175k.

Just an observation.

Not always. My bearings looked "fine" at 27,000KM. Photo attached. And by "fine," the bearings are already starting to show some premature wear but are no where near being a risk to the engine.

But, the general case is that S65 bearings look like garbage. The bearings above look terrible for any mileage.

Bearings should look like the attached photo of a single bearing from a set of 50,000KM BE bearings that ran 0W40. Also attached is a photo of VAC extra clearance bearings that ran ~50,000 miles (thanks to deansbimmer for sharing this photo).

Cheers,

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by smyles

It seems like a universal comment whenever a pic of removed RBs is posted: 'oh, they're almost done/last leg/you dodged a bullet/etc.", regardless of the mileage - 30k, 75k or 175k.

Just an observation.

Haha, get what you mean, plenty shells that from picture seems fine for another pile of miles.
These had at least some severe wear, hence not a bad thing to have them replaced.

[bmwm3s65]

I took a trip to the tail of the dragon and back roughly about 1200 miles total. Car appeared to run fine the whole time. I got home and decided to check my oil since i burned 3/4 of a quart on the trip, i figured due to higher than normal sustained rpms. i pulled the filter out and examined it and found the following. I confirmed some of the material is magnetic. Most of the driving was high rpm on the highway and especially on the dragon. The only time the car ever, ever, sees 5-7k rpms continuously in 2nd and 3rd gear is through the whole dragon run, however, never redlining. currently @ 78k miles, never tracked, nor supercharged, properly warmed up every single time to a fault. rod bearing replaced with BE bearings and be arp bolts about 25k ago. spark plugs changed every 10k, castrol 10w60 oil every 3-5k. I just changed the oil before i left on my trip so it has at most 1,300 miles on it. At this point the engine still appears to run fine. At this point at minimum, i am going to change the oil again. I dont have the money to pay a shop to tear it apart and inspect the bearings so i can either tear it apart myself and inspect it or just change the oil and monitor it. Logically i think the only way to gauge how bad it is, is to open it back up and inspect it myself and i think the pictures support this, but i wanted to get some opinions first.

[Joejoe12]

Hey OP, any update if the oil flakes keep coming or if it was the bearings?

[Joejoe12]

OP or anyone in this threat that had this issue I’d you could message me I’d appreciate it

[torrque]

In my (now sold) E60 M5 I had lots of flakes like these... It wasn't the bearings, it was the vanos pump. But that is a different (worse) design than the M3, so it could be other things too.

I would stop driving and drop the pan, check bearing, oil pumps, etc. and replace just in case.

[Vedubin01]

How are your valve covers? Could be internal flaking from inside the covers

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by Vedubin01

How are your valve covers? Could be internal flaking from inside the covers

That what I had. Engine was open for over a month in my garage waiting for a replacement shell that was damaged during shipping. My garage was very clean and it was winter, so no dust blowing around.

Anyway, I am pretty sure it was the oxidation of the inside of the valve covers that put some swarf in my oil after the swap. I now have 53,000KM on the new BE bearings and it is still fine. I have had 3 UOI tests and all seem fine.

Was a little bit freaky at the time though.