Metal shavings on oil filter

[Brian Riveron]

While doing my first oil change on my bike (1980 XS650) I noticed a substantial amount of metal shavings and would like to know how bad this is. Is my engine close to the end of its life? Is this normal (probably not)? I would greatly appreciate some help from anyone who knows more than me. I would also like to know what are some things I should check to make sure i'm not damaging my engine further?

 

[littlebill31]

That is from your chain cam guide failing.
It needs to be replaced.
The plastic guide is glued, from the factory, onto a piece of aluminum. You'll notice the shavings are non-magnetic (if they are magnetic, you have bigger problems). The plastic falls off or the chain eats through it. So now the chain has gone through the plastic and into the metal. It needs to be changed otherwise those little shavings get into everywhere and wreak havoc on things.
When doing an oil change, you need to remove the large sump filter as well. 2 filters on these bikes.

Here is the guide...Shown seperating

Sump filter cover...

Sump filter...

 

[Brian Riveron]

If the shavings had been magnetic would I have seen any on the sump magnet? I replaced both filters and noticed similar shavings on both.

 

[littlebill31]

Magnetic shavings can be a lot of things. It could be build up over time if the oil hasnt been changed regularly. The real fine magnetic shavings are usually from the starter gear or maybe the tach drive.
Check up in tue sump to see if anything big is laying around.
You can also change to oil, ride, listen for sounds and then change the oil again to rule out lack of changes.

 

[Brian Riveron]

i'll take it out for a ride tomorrow and see if anything new comes up. I'll also look into replacing the chain guide and see how difficult it might be or start looking for a good mechanic. Thank you so much for your time and your knowledge you made the list of possible problems come down drastically and I greatly appreciate it.

 

[5twins]

On a new-to-you 650, it's pretty common to find the filters full of crap. Usually it's because they weren't cleaned often enough. What you're seeing is a long time accumulation, it didn't just all happen since the last oil change. The filters on these are rather crude so the best thing you can do is change the oil and clean the filters often, like every 1000 to 1500 miles. It will probably take a few thousand miles with several oil changes and filter cleanings before you get all the accumulated crap out, and the filters start coming out relatively clean.

It's true that most of these engines can use a new front cam chain guide but you may not need to do it right away. You could be good for another few seasons. Another common source of rubber bits in the filter is the #4 starter gear. It has a rubber ring bonded to it to pad it's engagement. That can start chunking off. Here's a pretty bad one .....

Since filter changes/cleanings should be done with every oil change, at least at first, it's nice to acquire some extra filter elements. Then you can have a clean one ready to swap in at oil change time. The dirty ones can then get cleaned up at your leisure and made ready for the next change. In fact, the ideal set-up is a complete spare sump plate/filter assembly. If you watch eBay, you can usually score a sump plate w/ old filter still attached for around $20. Old filters are usually torn but they can be repaired with JBWeld, giving you many more thousands of miles of use before they crap out for good (tear again).

 

[weekendrider]

Another "where is from" if the clutch pressure plates bolts have been replaced with the Allen head conversion and the bolts are too long it will scrape the inside of the outer basket. Too long and if might lock the inner basket to the outer?

 

[fredintoon]

While doing my first oil change on my bike (1980 XS650) I noticed a substantial amount of metal shavings and would like to know how bad this is. Is my engine close to the end of its life? Is this normal (probably not)? I would greatly appreciate some help from anyone who knows more than me. I would also like to know what are some things I should check to make sure i'm not damaging my engine further?

Hi Brian,
I won't swear for certain that your filter debris are front cam chain guide shavings but they sure look like it.
Thing is, those shavings all passed through the oil pump to get to the filter and oil pumps don't like that.
It's your choice but I'd chicken out on running that engine before it was fixed.
The guide itself ain't expensive.
It's pulling the motor and doing a top-end teardown to replace the guide that are the time and cost consuming factors.

 

[Brian Riveron]

I rode it 66 miles before this oil change so I think the worse has passed through the oil pump. I wouldn't be surprised if this was just neglected maintenance. As far as any modifications done to my bike that could have caused this I don't really know what the previous owner has done. I will run the bike for a while and ride it around for a while and see if the filters have accumulated any other shavings. The Sump that was in the bike was the same type like the one i bought from Mikes so could I clean it and reuse it for my next oil change?

 

[weekendrider]

Yes they are reusable.

 

[gggGary]

Read up on setting the cam chain tension using the rod moving while idling method. A too tight cam chain can really saw it's way through the front guide.

 

[5twins]

Yes, on the "minus" side, the filters aren't as fine as a normal paper oil filter, but on the "plus" side, they are metal screen that can be washed clean and used over and over again. Like I said, what you found is pretty typical and due to less than ideal maintenance.

Since you will be changing it so often, one of the major benefits of a fancy synthetic oil (long change intervals) is lost. I just use cheap dino oil, the Walmart brand in fact. The fact that it's fresh every 1000 to 1500 miles is the important thing.

 

[retiredgentleman]

When I bought my bike, 10 years ago, my side strainer looked just like the strainer in post #1. (They are strainers, not filters)
Once I did some maintenance and replaced the front camchain guide, I have never found any more debris in my strainer or filter.
I have patched the sump strainer with JB weld, and I have replaced the side strainer with a real paper oil filter. I like the paper oil filter, as it just ensures that nothing damaging can pass through into the engine.

 

[fredintoon]

I rode it 66 miles before this oil change so I think the worse has passed through the oil pump. I wouldn't be surprised if this was just neglected maintenance. As far as any modifications done to my bike that could have caused this I don't really know what the previous owner has done. I will run the bike for a while and ride it around for a while and see if the filters have accumulated any other shavings. The Sump that was in the bike was the same type like the one i bought from Mikes so could I clean it and reuse it for my next oil change?

Hi Brian,
alas, the camchain guide wear will continue and thus make new shavings as you ride.
Even my alternate personality Beau Nydle reckons you should park the thing until it's fixed.

 

[weekendrider]

Does anyone have a picture of an exposed rail (missing nylon insert) that has been "chewed into"?

 

[5twins]

The couple I've found in motors where the rubber had fallen right off weren't worn or chewed up badly, they just had some wear lines. That's why I don't think much of the metal chunks and chips attributed to them come from there. Rubber chunks and strips, yes, but not metal. Once the rubber is gone, the chain acts sort of like a file against the aluminum guide base. You get ground up bits or particles of metal in your oil, not big chips. That's why you should watch your old oil draining. Watch the swirl created where the draining stream is hitting what's already in the catch container. It will look like metal flake paint if it's full of ground up aluminum from a "naked" front guide. Haha, I like that phrase, good description for a rubber-less front guide.