Metal in engine oil? We are stumped!
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:36 pm
Hello, I am looking for some advice on an engine situation that is stumping us!
I have a freshly remanufactured GEN2 engine from SCCA Enterprise that has 2 race weekends on it.
During the last race weekend, I noticed an occasional hiccup in power delivery, and noted the oil pressure gauge going from 0-60psi rather erratically while in high-G corners. As soon as I experienced this, I immediately limped my car to the pits. With no G-load, the oil pressure was in the normal range of 40-80psi.
A CSR services my car and was trackside that day, so he checks the oil and sees that it is within the middle-good range on the dipstick. He adds another liter and says I should be good to go. So I drive the car over to my trailer and let it sit while I wait for my next race. After it cooled down a bit, I checked the oil to see if the “cold” level was much different on the dipstick. I was surprised to find thin aluminum flakes on the dipstick oil. I checked it 4 or 5 more times and found aluminum on each try. So, I went over to the CSR and asked if he could check it out for me. One of his techs looked at the metal flakes and seemed pretty alarmed! The owner of the company seemed pretty unfazed by the finding, but I insist that they drain the oil to see what else is in it. There is some aluminum that is visible, but not very much. He says that amount is normal for a brand new engine and says to run the final race.
Anyway, at this point I am starting from 26th place, having only 4 laps completed over 2 sessions and the last one I did not complete a single lap.
I start the final race, and run one lap and someone takes me out from behind! LOL!
So, That was my race weekend. Anyway, I review the video of the race and it shows my oil gauge dropping to zero at the apex of right hand turns. Left handers seem to drop it to around 10psi. The engine felt a bit down on power after I found the aluminum, but they put it on a dyno and said it runs strong. They won’t give me a dynosheet though. My first thought was a problem with the oil pick-up, which lead to some starvation in the heads. The CSR thinks it is the oil gauge shorting out….. Any thoughts or ideas on this?? Thanks in advance!!
I have a freshly remanufactured GEN2 engine from SCCA Enterprise that has 2 race weekends on it.
During the last race weekend, I noticed an occasional hiccup in power delivery, and noted the oil pressure gauge going from 0-60psi rather erratically while in high-G corners. As soon as I experienced this, I immediately limped my car to the pits. With no G-load, the oil pressure was in the normal range of 40-80psi.
A CSR services my car and was trackside that day, so he checks the oil and sees that it is within the middle-good range on the dipstick. He adds another liter and says I should be good to go. So I drive the car over to my trailer and let it sit while I wait for my next race. After it cooled down a bit, I checked the oil to see if the “cold” level was much different on the dipstick. I was surprised to find thin aluminum flakes on the dipstick oil. I checked it 4 or 5 more times and found aluminum on each try. So, I went over to the CSR and asked if he could check it out for me. One of his techs looked at the metal flakes and seemed pretty alarmed! The owner of the company seemed pretty unfazed by the finding, but I insist that they drain the oil to see what else is in it. There is some aluminum that is visible, but not very much. He says that amount is normal for a brand new engine and says to run the final race.
Anyway, at this point I am starting from 26th place, having only 4 laps completed over 2 sessions and the last one I did not complete a single lap.
I start the final race, and run one lap and someone takes me out from behind! LOL!
So, That was my race weekend. Anyway, I review the video of the race and it shows my oil gauge dropping to zero at the apex of right hand turns. Left handers seem to drop it to around 10psi. The engine felt a bit down on power after I found the aluminum, but they put it on a dyno and said it runs strong. They won’t give me a dynosheet though. My first thought was a problem with the oil pick-up, which lead to some starvation in the heads. The CSR thinks it is the oil gauge shorting out….. Any thoughts or ideas on this?? Thanks in advance!!