Topic: Small metal shavings in oil pan

[0bsolete]

I recently bought a CB400f and I took out the oil pan and I found small metal shavings on the base of the oil pan. I have yet to start the bike because the owner said it only needed a carb clean and a battery but what I found in the oil pan worries me. They are very small shavings so I don't know what the extent of the damage could be, here is a picture. What do you guys think?

[strynboen]

cam thain is the veak point at this engines..but dont look like pieses of that..gear box bearing is more possibel..
vas all 6 gear run and shift fine..and thain vas not overteight..that can kill the finaly bearing..behind the front spoke
(did on mine first 400 f..)

[BomberMann650]

+1 what strynboen said.

My guess is someone tried powershifting the bike and ground the trans gears.

If you can get it running I'd listen for knocking too.

[chewbacca5000]

Use a magnet to see is the shaving are steel.

[754]

I don't understand start how or through  what you took the pic...
   The chips look like they came off a lathe or mill..I cannot envision them forming in the motor....... When you really think about it.. Something rubbing would create more of a dust type of chips, or sand grain type of look....strange....like someone put them in there to scare the owner....

[Bodi]

That's definitely a 400F oil pan, the pump pickup thingy fits to the big hole.
Agreed that those chips look out of place. If they're steel I don't have any good theories. Alloy shouldn't curl like that but at least steel could cut alloy cleanly. I can't think where a sharp hardened steel edge would meet a soft steel surface in the 400 engine.
The hardened piston ring material could cut the iron sleeve and ductile iron does make tiny curled chips (and a lot of abrasive powder/dust) when machined?
Maybe the cam chain pivot? clutch?
Find out what the metal is. If magnetic, check compression as any sleeve gouge that made those chips would kill it. I would also look at the clutch assembly and throwout mechanism.
Since you have the sump off you can at least look up inside and see if anything visible seems damaged.

[754]

 The ideal chip in machine is shaped like a 9.   It won't happen All the time, usually a combination of speed and feed and involves a chipbreaker..
You have to work at making chips like that.
Cast iron sleeves when machined turn to a sandy or powdery chips.

[Bodi]

Agreed. Iron rarely gives c\shavings like that and never that shiny.
But where did they come from? They look like CRS from using a parting tool.

[strynboen]

i dont think the metal parts is scrubed/mashined/grindet off..but more hacket/broken of a tandhveel..like if all ends of a 5 gearzandrad is ripped off..then 20 like looking egedes can go off ..but the parts looks like roller bearing.. rollers,,just to short..