Freshly built motor now metallic oil

[E92 420]

So as the title states had my motor built with forged pistons and rods and after just 4 miles of varied rpm driving I have metal in my oil.

I flashed back to stock for the break in, filled Engine with Joe Gibbs Driven BR40 break in oil. I’m plugged injectors and pulled fuel pump fuse, cranked car 10 times. Started the car and didn’t let it idle for more than 1 min before taking it down the road. I took it up to around 3-3.5k in each gear then let it coast back down to 2k In each gear repeated this a few times gradually increasing rpm up to 6k I did this for around 4 miles before taking car back and removing oil filter for inspection to find this!
now I’m sure finding a little bit of glittery metal in there is normal on a new engine but I’m thinking that’s a little excessive no??? If you zoom in on the pic you can see how bad it looks.

I’m thinking if I drain oil and refill a couple times over the next 100 miles it may clear up and be ok.
Being the weekend I cannot contact the Engine builder yet. What do you guys think??

 

[dyezak]

Don't do anything more till you talk to the builder.

 

[335i_lou]

Yeah, I think this would be kind of normal because everything is tight in the engine. But I’m also not a builder, so I wouldn’t do any more driving until you get in contact with the person that built your motor. My .02¢

 

[Bmwfixerguy1]

I wouldn't fret too much buddy. That's totally normal with a fresh build as bearing and rings start to seat this is what you will see. The lithium used in assembly lube tends to suspend them in an almost pretty way as well.
What your seeing will subside after first few changes.

It's funny because I was doing my overly obsessive oil filter inspection today lol.. nothing in filter l.. a smidge of glit to the oil but the neat swirls from all the zddp I cram in her had me pretty tripped out for awhile

 

[Bme30]

Me too. But at 68k miles

 

[E92 420]

Yea cars wrapped up unitil midweek anyway now before I can drive her again. Already sent pics and email to Engine builder and will call him first thing Monday.

Always tend to think the worst tho. So hopefully it’s all good

 

[Bmwfixerguy1]

Me too. But at 68k miles
View attachment 6422

See how the glitter rolls down off the threads of the oil filter housing.. they all do that for some reason. I'd love to know why any "metal/bearing" gets caught up in the threads..

 

[Bme30]

See how the glitter rolls down off the threads of the oil filter housing.. they all do that for some reason. I'd love to know why any "metal/bearing" gets caught up in the threads..

It really is weird. Even had Blackstone check out the oil and it came back perfect.

 

[Bmwfixerguy1]

It really is weird. Even had Blackstone check out the oil and it came back perfect.

Well every oil is gonna have bearing in it. Question is if it's acceptable or not. What we are seeing in all these cases is acceptable. Just odd that it gets pushed up and trickles down from the threads like that. Would really like to know the answer in this one answer might be like posi-trac on a Plymouth.. it just does!!

 

[camberadam]

Me too. But at 68k miles
View attachment 6422

I wouldn't fret too much buddy. That's totally normal with a fresh build as bearing and rings start to seat this is what you will see. The lithium used in assembly lube tends to suspend them in an almost pretty way as well.
What your seeing will subside after first few changes.

It's funny because I was doing my overly obsessive oil filter inspection today lol.. nothing in filter l.. a smidge of glit to the oil but the neat swirls from all the zddp I cram in her had me pretty tripped out for awhile

BMW drivers aren't supposed to check or change their oil, that's what the dealer is for (no dipstick still bugs me lol)... The glit has always been odd to me, but she keeps running. I switched to motul when I went ST, will have my tested next change.

 

[Twisted Tuning]

68k miles.... the title says that its a fresh built motor? unless i misread. Engine rebuilds for the first few hundred miles will have a higher shed of metal in the oil as wears in. During the break in you should be changing the oil and filter 3 or 4 times at least in those several hundred miles.

If you are still getting metal shavings after 68k then something aint right.

 

[Bmwfixerguy1]

68k miles.... the title says that its a fresh built motor? unless i misread. Engine rebuilds for the first few hundred miles will have a higher shed of metal in the oil as wears in. During the break in you should be changing the oil and filter 3 or 4 times at least in those several hundred miles.

If you are still getting metal shavings after 68k then something aint right.

The OP has a fresh build. The post you saw was from another member.

I've changed the oil on probably literally thousands of these engines being a dealer tech. I've never seen one (that when looking for it with a flash light) dosnt have a glit to the oil inside the oil filter housing.. what we were discussing above is how it's only the oil running down the threads of the oil filter cap kinda like what's seen in the picture above from @Bme30

Bmw has been known for a long long long time now for poor bearing choices. The e46 rod bearing campaign.. s62 are no different...

All there bearings suck and you would be hard pressed to find any stock internals n54 not to have a little bearing wear going on..

Hope that clears up whose posting what at least lol

 

[Bme30]

The OP has a fresh build. The post you saw was from another member.

I've changed the oil on probably literally thousands of these engines being a dealer tech. I've never seen one (that when looking for it with a flash light) dosnt have a glit to the oil inside the oil filter housing.. what we were discussing above is how it's only the oil running down the threads of the oil filter cap kinda like what's seen in the picture above from @Bme30

Bmw has been known for a long long long time now for poor bearing choices. The e46 rod bearing campaign.. s62 are no different...

All there bearings suck and you would be hard pressed to find any stock internals n54 not to have a little bearing wear going on..

Hope that clears up whose posting what at least lol

Kinda makes me feel somewhat better.

 

[Bmwfixerguy1]

Kinda makes me feel somewhat better.

Your engine have no worries at all bud.
It's a fresh rebuild your gonna want to change the oil quite a bit in the next 1k or so. It should decrease quite a bit over that time.
Just go easy on her as I'm sure your were told and are doing from what it sounds like as well.

 

[Bme30]

Your engine have no worries at all bud.
It's a fresh rebuild your gonna want to change the oil quite a bit in the next 1k or so. It should decrease quite a bit over that time.
Just go easy on her as I'm sure your were told and are doing from what it sounds like as well.

mine is the one with 68k on her

 

[E92 420]

Seems there’s a bit of confusion as to who’s motor this is and if its a fresh build or a 68k miler lol.

I’m the OP with a fresh built forged motor. As I said in the first post I was expecting a little glitter in the oil just not as much as I have. To make things worse I have spoken to my Engine builder who says he would expect to see nothing!!

I’m going to drain the oil this evening and see how bad it is as I haven’t yet! And also check the magnetic sump plug see if it’s steel or Aluminium. Hell Could even be both!

So I’m in talks with builder to see where we go from here.

 

[Erichale77]

Who built your motor? Which company?

 

[E92 420]

Who built your motor? Which company?

I’m from the UK so you wouldn’t know them. There are a reputable company. They specialise in building turbocharged F1 Engines from yester year. Have they built an n54 before, no!

 

[Erichale77]

I wish you the best of luck with your motor and hope its nothing serious.

 

[E92 420]

I wish you the best of luck with your motor and hope its nothing serious.

Thank you. I hope I’m just being over paranoid.