Do oil passages get larger on older engines

[JoeFromPA]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is a myth I picked up along the way, but I thought that tiny oil passages became very slightly less tiny as engines wore....i.e. 200k miles, the act of the oil running through those passages would slowly make them slightly larger.

I'm not talking that the oil wears a hole through the block, just that they grow in circumference.

Am I completely wrong or off base here? Does it happen but make no real-world difference? I'd like some thoughts on this from those more knowledgeable than me.

Joe

 

[StevieC]

The steel or aluminum block metal would have to be very weak for this to happen. So no it doesn't.

 

[mechtech2]

You mention that you heard:
"slightly LESS as engines wore'
and,
"grow in circumference"


They are opposites.

But if anything, the metal stays the same, and maybe deposits build up to make them smaller, or plug them.
In a healthy engine, there is no change.

 

[JoeFromPA]

Mech, the full thing I said was "very slightly less tiny "

Huh, I have no idea where I picked that up from, but I truly thought the passageways eroded a slight bit.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
You mention that you heard:
"slightly LESS as engines wore'
and,
"grow in circumference"


They are opposites.

But if anything, the metal stays the same, and maybe deposits build up to make them smaller, or plug them.
In a healthy engine, there is no change.


100% CORRECT

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
The steel or aluminum block metal would have to be very weak for this to happen. So no it doesn't.


+1, even soft journal bearing metal which sees oil at a few hundred lb/in^2 and 100 times higher velocity than the oil passages show close to zero wear in a clean well maintained engine.

Originally Posted By: JoeFromPA
Mech, the full thing I said was "very slightly less tiny "

Huh, I have no idea where I picked that up from, but I truly thought the passageways eroded a slight bit.


It's very important that you find out who told you that so that you can ignore everything they ever tell you.

 

[scoobie]

the passages might clog up, but not the other way around.

 

[Gary Allan]

Oh ..you guys

Anyone knows you can media blast your engine's interior with Al 2O3 added to the oil.

Quit teasing the guy....

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Do oil passages get larger on older engines
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