found this in my oil after change

NOT THE DIME!
1996 GSXR750 track bike.....I maintain it well, can't vouch for the previous voucher except that it was spotless when I got it a year ago and used less than 1000 miles per year for light wtreet use. All its current miles are hard ones, as it gets no easy miles, only track days in intermediate group, with a pending move to expert at the end of the year....it lives at 8-13k rpm always. I change the oil after every two track days with synthetic suzuki brand oil. Compression is fair: 155-165 ( I am planning a winter top end refresh). Valves are within adjustment. Has APE MCCT with engine timed correctly. I have no indications, vibrations, or sounds indicating anything is suspect, except that I found this in the oil today, for perspective I have photographed it next to a dime, and photos are from my Droid Inc.
the only thing I can think of is a rod bearing, except for the thickness, as it is very very thin....any ideas?

 

Maybe cam chain roller.

 

Looks like a tapered roller piece kinda.

 

Looks like drill swarf. You weren't changing your oil near your drill press by any chance?

 

It kind of looks like a hammered valve keeper.

 

Is it steel? Looks like steel. If its chrome that will tell you something more specific.

 

It is NOT magnetic, so its not steel. No to the drill press. And is very thin, not a valve keeper.....help anyone.

 

It is possible that the item was already in the oil catch pan when you drained your oil.

I think something that big, not being in your bike anymore, would have the motor making some noticible noises.

 

Kind of like a chip from a milling machine, too.

 

nope, I wiped the drain pan out and cleaned it with B-12 before the oil change, it def was not there and def is not a byproduct of drilling.

 

looks like a valve keeper.. and it got mashed a bit in a gear.. (my 2c)

 

I don't have dime for stuff like this





WOw, that was bad

I thought the same

 

If it's roughly the same thickness all over as it looks in the photo, it's a machining chip. It could have been left in the engine from new, but that seems highly unlikely. Were you using your drill press just before you changed oil?

 

Since it is non-metalic, i would say it is leftover chip. Like swartout said it is rare, but i've seen it before on more than one occasion. Since you arent seeing anything else in the oil, like shiny metalic oil, i wouldnt worry about it too much. Next time you change the oil, look at the lip just inside the gasket for particulate matter.

 

Ive spent over half my life in machine/tool shops. i have seen thousands no make that millions of chips of all kinds. all the differnt machining technics cause there own style of chip. and that looks like a chip from a face mill. a large cutter that is used to mill large flat surfaces. like the surfaces of the engine cases. probley was wedged in some small passage or nook and finally worked its way free. good news is it came out in one piece. istead of running it self thru the gears of the trans

 

Non metallic. Have you considered chrome flaking. This is a bad problem with pre '01 Ducatis at the rocker arm cam area. I think there is a test with battery acid to see if it is chrome, but I'm not 100% sure about that. Ducati.ms has a thread in the hall of wisdom that talks about this flaking.

Probably not your issue but info anyhoo.

 

Plus one on the valve keeper as far a looks. But youd have to ask yourself how does it make it all the way down to the pan without doing some damage.

 

It looks llike that to me, too. Not a keeper as the material is too thin. It didn't run through any gears as there is no print. I really think it's machining material.

 

The path for "top end" items to get to the oilpan is down the timing chain "tunnel", correct?

 

yep. and they will that way