Topic: What the heck is this from?!

[Dunk]

Drained my oil to remove shifter cover and repair that. Foudn the problem (I think) and it's back togehter. Shifts much nicer now, but I'm nervous about the stuff in the oil. I just changed the oil and filter this past week. Maybe 30 -40 miles since then. There was some small particles in the filter area and on the filter, but that's the first time I changed the filter since I got the bike (just got it going maybe a week or two ago). The particles on the filter were MUCH smaller and silvery. There was enough to make me convcerned but not much I can do about it short of tearing engine down.  Looked like some bearing material but not a crapload. What's with this brass lookings stuff? Since the trans was shifting like crap in 1st and second could it be syncro material from the trans? Could it be the copper from main or rod bnearings? This stuff makes me uncomfortable that I may need a rebuild after all.

[750goes]

I would drop the sump and have a good look around inside..whats the inside of the sump look like..

Is the bike noisy/rattling a lot - could be a badly adjusted timing chain flopping about.

I would probably clean the oil pump screen as welll....but if that flowed out with your oil - I would be a bit worried over the amount of residue or filings or grindings in the oil

[flatblack]

For grins, pass a magnet over those particles.  If anything adheres, it might help ID what's FUBAR'd.

But something's FUBAR'd...

Sorry, man...

fb

[snyquist53]

it looks like confeti.   did you have a rebuild party?


sorry bad joke

[Gavin]

Can't quite make it out in the pics. Are those actually shavings or shards?

If they're shards or pieces of something, how thick are the pieces? Do they look patially discoloured by heat in any way?

Could be a shell bearing's breaking up at the bottom end.

I agree with the comments on dropping out the Sump and seeing what's in there too. You might find the rest of whatever it was. Have you had the bike a while or could this be something the previous owner dropped in the top and neglected to find again!

[sparty]

cadunkle,

What you have there are shavings from your block and head.  Your cam chain is loose and it is eating away at the aluminum.  I had the same exact thing happen to my bike when I bought it.  The PO never adjusted the cam chain tensioner correctly.  I drained the oil, adjusted the cam chain properly, installed a new oil filter and filled the bike with clean oil.  I ran the bike for 1000 miles and drained the oil.  The metal was gone.  No worries.

Sparty

[KB02]

If you were in a river, I'd say you struck gold. Since you're in your engine... well...

If you've got that much shaving off of something, then it needs to be replaced. So, I say run it for another 50 - 100 miles and do another oil change. If you get more flakes... tear down time...

[kslrr]

I agree with Sparty.  Aluminum shavings would be that color.  Bearing material would not (bears are not copper).

Edit:  There is no brass in the transmission as well.  Unless the 750's were allot different than my 350.  Aren't the shifting forks are steel?  At least that is what I remember.

[Master Ted]

"What's with this brass lookings stuff?"

Brass material would indicate transmission wear and you have said that's a big problem. Shifting forks, bushings and syncros? The smart play is to drop pan and have a lookie see for more evidence as suggested.

[sparty]

Trust me, it is the cam chain.  The flakes look like brass because of the small amount of oil on them.  As I mentioned before, it happend to me in the same way.

Sparty

[hymodyne]

it could also be from wear from the primary drive chain. if it is stretched, it will catch parts of the cases as well.

hym