Well if it's your first oil change then possibly it's just the burrs from manufacturing... If it's not your first then that's not a good thing. Means metal is being shaved off inside of your engine. Keep your oil level up and check it again in the next change, if it's still doing it you have a pretty bad problem in there. If not don't worry about it.
Have owned - 2001 Suzuki Volusia
Current bike - 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
MMI Graduation date January 9th, 2009. Factory Certifications in Suzuki and Yamaha
A heavily used/abused clutch can show metallic looking stuff in the oil, without necessarily meaning bigger motor trouble. It doesn't preclude bigger engine issues though......
when my husband gets home from work he will put details for input, thanks - he said it looks like silver paint mixed in with the oil, when on finger it looks fine though, and it is not 1st oil change - he will give specifics this evening, thanks - 09 sportster with new screamin eagle pistons heads and cams and then there was a problem with the cam and then they were replaced, now the oil thing - more later
Sporty's don't use their engine oil in the clutch, so that ain't it. It could be wear particles from break-in of the new parts, but if there is lots of it, something is wearing much more than it should be.
09 sportster xl c1200 - I put 1000 miles on it and changed oil and filters and oil in transmission. I put 1000 more miles and wanted more horse power. Had harley shop put screamin eagle heads, pistons, and cams and race tuner 11-3-1. It had a bog in it I brought it to harley, they said drive 500-1000 miles and they would dino it to final tune it. I put 1200 miles on it and onto the dino bog was still there, I told them I would not accept it with the bog. Harley tech said it had the wrong cam in it. The cam went up to 2004's. So they tore it down and put the right cam in. Started it, put on dino and bolt came out of breather. They said it went in one cylinder and crossed over to other cylinder, so they said they put in new head and piston in it. I am not for sure what they did - just going by what they told me, I know they did change the cam because the bog is gone.
After 600 miles I changed the oil and filters. I look at the oil and stirred it up and it looks like silver paint was in it. There is not metal in it, just looks like silver paint. I changed oil again after 400 miles and it still looks like silver paint is mixed in with it. Looks normal when I dip my finger in it but it looks like silver paint is in it.
Harley shop says this is normal and nothing to worry about, I have never heard of this just wondering what it really means and should I keep driving it and not worry. Should I tear it down, trade it in, or keep riding...
The shop already put the wrong cam in the bike for the application, then ran a bolt through at least one cylinder (had to be just one, don't see how it could get through both)...... not sure how much I would trust their word...
They did make good on the stuff they admit to messing up (what didn't they tell you about...?) so maybe it's going to be fine.
That silver paint looking stuff is metal of somekind. Very fine pieces of it, but it is probably metal. Stick a magnet in it, if it comes out furry, then it is something steel wearing, like cam, gears, rockers, bearings, liner walls, rings..... and could be normal wear particles, but it sounds pretty heavy to be normal.
If the magnet comes out oily but otherwise clean, the metal is aluminum, probably from the pistons or something rubbing a case or something.
The amount of silver flakes should decrease fairly rapidly if it is normal break-in. You may want to have another dealer have a look at the oil in a few more hundred miles and see what they think.
The shop already put the wrong cam in the bike for the application, then ran a bolt through at least one cylinder (had to be just one, don't see how it could get through both)...... not sure how much I would trust their word...
They did make good on the stuff they admit to messing up (what didn't they tell you about...?) so maybe it's going to be fine.
That silver paint looking stuff is metal of somekind. Very fine pieces of it, but it is probably metal. Stick a magnet in it, if it comes out furry, then it is something steel wearing, like cam, gears, rockers, bearings, liner walls, rings..... and could be normal wear particles, but it sounds pretty heavy to be normal.
If the magnet comes out oily but otherwise clean, the metal is aluminum, probably from the pistons or something rubbing a case or something.
The amount of silver flakes should decrease fairly rapidly if it is normal break-in. You may want to have another dealer have a look at the oil in a few more hundred miles and see what they think.
