Sunday, July 27, 2008

Re: question about oil filter examination

Thanks very much for your help John.

Here's an update:

In advance of reading your response I actually rinsed off a few pleats into a glass container with solvent.
Note that I picked pleats where small visible accumulations had gathered which I suspect relates to oil flow patterns through the filter.
I then dried the material which consisted of a few very tiny particles of varying color - tan, brown, gray.

None of it is magnetic.

I then took it out and squished it between my fingernails. It all mashes up effortlessly into a fine powder.
My feeling as therefore that this represent tiny bits of carbon or combustion products.
I think the shiny things I'm looking at are microscopic gray carbon bits.


Steve,

Black and gray particles that you can squish between your fingernails are pieces of carbon, sludge and lead oxides and are normal.

Small shiny bits you can spread them onto a microscopic slide and and add a drop of Drano mixed with water. Look carefully under the microscope. If it is aluminum it will start to fiz and dissolve.

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