brass grape nuts in my oil

Mr Blotto · Post by **Mr Blotto** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:06 am

When I changed my oil right before I put my bus into winter storage, I noticed several small brass (I think they were brass) nuggets in the oil. They looked like grape nuts, but smaller. Truth is, I have seen this in my oil in the past, but this time it looked like there were more of them. Oil was not milky/silvery. Besides the obvious (time for a rebuild), do the brass nuggets suggest anything in particular? Should I plan on a rebuild in the spring or can I wait? The bus runs great, but I would hate to do something catastrophic by continuing to drive it.

I have already asked my wife for Tom Wilson's book for x-mass...

Bleyseng · Post by **Bleyseng** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:54 am

Maybe the brass gear on the crank is failing? It drives the dizzy gear which is steel so I'd pull that to see if the gears part is ok. Make sure the washer is in place that goes in first to set the height of the drive shaft.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:47 pm

Mr Blotto wrote:When I changed my oil right before I put my bus into winter storage, I noticed several small brass (I think they were brass) nuggets in the oil. They looked like grape nuts, but smaller. Truth is, I have seen this in my oil in the past, but this time it looked like there were more of them. Oil was not milky/silvery. Besides the obvious (time for a rebuild), do the brass nuggets suggest anything in particular? Should I plan on a rebuild in the spring or can I wait? The bus runs great, but I would hate to do something catastrophic by continuing to drive it.

I have already asked my wife for Tom Wilson's book for x-mass...

Nuggets?

Brass is distributor drive gear.
Bronze is valve guide or connecting rod wrist pin bushing.

As per Bleyseng, remove intermediate distributor drive gear and get a strong magnet to pull the thrust washer out.
Rotate engine whilst viewing down the hole and check the brass gear on the crankshaft for any abnormalities.

Valve guides can be viewed with valve covers off. See if they are all at the same height. A loose valve guide will sometimes be jammed up under the valve spring retainer.

Connecting rod wrist pin bushing? Unlikely. But definitely screwed if it is. You would hear bizarre little double-knock at idle.
Colin

Mr Blotto · Post by **Mr Blotto** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 5:02 am

Thanks guys - I will need to do another oil change to determine the exact shape/size and try to determine the type of metal. The bus is hibernating about an hour away from me and I will not see her until Spring....at which time I will have to figure out what to do.

It is funny how you guys just throw out "remove intermediate distributer drive gear" like it is a walk in the park. I am stressing out just thinking of removing the damn engine without killing myself

.

My wife's Subaru has a nice EJ25 with low miles.....perhaps I will swap the two....she will never know ;-).

Bleyseng · Post by **Bleyseng** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:15 am

You don't have to remove the engine to pull the drive gear, just the dizzy. Set the engine to TDC on #1 cylinder and then remove the dizzy, then remove the drive gear and use the magnet to pull the drive gear washer without losing it into the depths of the motor. Then with a light shining down inside the hole you can see the brass gear and its condition. If the washer is missing then you know why this set of gears is losing metal.

Lanval · Post by **Lanval** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:40 am

Mr Blotto wrote:It is funny how you guys just throw out "remove intermediate distributer drive gear" like it is a walk in the park.

Forums often have people who, like the Bentley, assume you know with some detail what you're doing, and operate accordingly. Just remind everyone what your level is and you'll get the instruction you need, as evidenced by the follow-up to your reply. In the end, you can do it; just takes time and knowledge, and quite often the first one is the mother of the second anyway.

Best,

ML

Bleyseng · Post by **Bleyseng** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:29 pm

yep, if you ask a question I assume you know more than "How to add the 710"?

Post by **Amskeptic** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:51 pm

Bleyseng wrote:yep, if you ask a question I assume you know more than "How to add the 710"?

That is too highly advanced of a question, it assumes that the questioner know something.

Rock bottom Entry Level Question is:
"what is the 710 for?
p.s. my van is white if that helps"

Lanval · Post by **Lanval** » Fri Nov 01, 2013 7:56 am

Bleyseng wrote:yep, if you ask a question I assume you know more than "How to add the 710"?

Which turns out to be trouble, as in my post on the shifter mechanism. Colin-meister was unfamiliar, off the top of his head, with the form and function of the shifter, and even with the Bentley in hand, he couldn't figure out what the hell I was talking about. Whereas: I, part in greasy hand, knew exactly what was going on, because I was looking at the part, and could understand what it had looked like before.

So let us start by verifying the basics before we move on to random digits, philosophical questions, and angels dancing on the heads of pins, shall we?

Heh.

ML

P.S. ~ The 710 is for when the 405 is stopped like a parking lot, and you don't want to take the 605 because you're afraid you'll stop at the casino.

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brass grape nuts in my oil

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