So I was doing the oil change on my 370z using Nissan Ester oil, and a tiny flake of the aluminum oil bottle seal (about the diameter of a pinhead)fell into the the oil filler tube as I was filling up. Should I be worried?
Tiny piece of oil bottle seal fell into oil filler
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Originally Posted By: qwikrex3794
So I was doing the oil change on my 370z using Nissan Ester oil, and a tiny flake of the aluminum oil bottle seal (about the diameter of a pinhead)fell into the the oil filler tube as I was filling up. Should I be worried?
No. Still shouldnt have let it drop in there, though.
It will not affect anything, the plastic will dissolve and its not like its a big major piece that can act as a foreign object. Same way with if a leaf or some other weird thing were to blow into fill hole, it will get in fliter and burn/evaporate into oblivion, dirtying up the oil a wee bit but its fine.
So I was doing the oil change on my 370z using Nissan Ester oil, and a tiny flake of the aluminum oil bottle seal (about the diameter of a pinhead)fell into the the oil filler tube as I was filling up. Should I be worried?
No. Still shouldnt have let it drop in there, though.
It will not affect anything, the plastic will dissolve and its not like its a big major piece that can act as a foreign object. Same way with if a leaf or some other weird thing were to blow into fill hole, it will get in fliter and burn/evaporate into oblivion, dirtying up the oil a wee bit but its fine.
You are fine. Do not worry it will either dissipate or more likely get caught in the oil filter. Don't let this bother you.
Matt
Matt
It was foil, not plastic right?
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
It was foil, not plastic right?
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
Exactly, it's metal in the outflow. I would discard the filter.
It was foil, not plastic right?
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
Exactly, it's metal in the outflow. I would discard the filter.
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If you cant get it out....get rid of it. Not worth screwing around. Even if it wouldnt harm anything.
If the car doesnt have hyd lash adjusters, you might be O.K. - Hopefully the debris will go through the mains and get picked up by the screen with only a small bearing streak as a consequence- if any. These new fangled cars with vvt and vtec and stuff like that add nurmerous complications and demand oil cleanliness.
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Originally Posted By: TallPaul
It was foil, not plastic right?
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
I'm not following. The oil filler hole is on the driver side valve cover. oil filter is on the left side of the block. What would it take for the debris to get into the outflow?
It was foil, not plastic right?
If it went in the center tube, that is the outflow, so it will not go through the filter first.
I would be concerned, though it is pretty small--maybe no problem.
I'm not following. The oil filler hole is on the driver side valve cover. oil filter is on the left side of the block. What would it take for the debris to get into the outflow?
Originally Posted By: 45ACP
Originally Posted By: qwikrex3794
So I was doing the oil change on my 370z using Nissan Ester oil, and a tiny flake of the aluminum oil bottle seal (about the diameter of a pinhead)fell into the the oil filler tube as I was filling up. Should I be worried?
No. Still shouldnt have let it drop in there, though.
It will not affect anything, the plastic will dissolve and its not like its a big major piece that can act as a foreign object. Same way with if a leaf or some other weird thing were to blow into fill hole, it will get in fliter and burn/evaporate into oblivion, dirtying up the oil a wee bit but its fine.
It is aluminum, not plastic. Why make up plastic??
Besides, the plastic would NOT dissolve or melt - that is nonsense.
There is nothing we can do about this except drive the car normally. Can it affect anything? Maybe. It may stick on the pickup screen, or smash/smear out in the pump, or end up in the filter.
Originally Posted By: qwikrex3794
So I was doing the oil change on my 370z using Nissan Ester oil, and a tiny flake of the aluminum oil bottle seal (about the diameter of a pinhead)fell into the the oil filler tube as I was filling up. Should I be worried?
No. Still shouldnt have let it drop in there, though.
It will not affect anything, the plastic will dissolve and its not like its a big major piece that can act as a foreign object. Same way with if a leaf or some other weird thing were to blow into fill hole, it will get in fliter and burn/evaporate into oblivion, dirtying up the oil a wee bit but its fine.
It is aluminum, not plastic. Why make up plastic??
Besides, the plastic would NOT dissolve or melt - that is nonsense.
There is nothing we can do about this except drive the car normally. Can it affect anything? Maybe. It may stick on the pickup screen, or smash/smear out in the pump, or end up in the filter.
The main thing you have to worry about when something falls into the fill hole is:
1) The object isn't large enough, or hard enough, to get jammed between moving parts and brake them.
2) The object doesn't get stuck in the drain back holes and prevent oil from returning to the crankcase.
3) The object isn't large enough to plug the oil pump screen (unlikely if it didn't get stuck in the oil return passages)
4) the object isn't small enough to get past the oil pump screen, AND hard enough to damage the oil pump gears.
1) The object isn't large enough, or hard enough, to get jammed between moving parts and brake them.
2) The object doesn't get stuck in the drain back holes and prevent oil from returning to the crankcase.
3) The object isn't large enough to plug the oil pump screen (unlikely if it didn't get stuck in the oil return passages)
4) the object isn't small enough to get past the oil pump screen, AND hard enough to damage the oil pump gears.
Hi.
Ok guys let's think about this really hard for a minute.
1.) How hard is this piece of foil?
--> Not very hard. It will not break any part of your engine. Seriously.
2.) What is this piece of foil doing when it fell into the hole?
--> It will float. Where is the oil sucker thing? Deep down inside the pan in a wet sump system. It will suck the oil in, run it through the filter, and deposit it onto the parts. The sucker has a screen that filters out large stuff. The filter is meant for things on a micron scale. Done deal.
You are ok. Don't worry about it.
Ok guys let's think about this really hard for a minute.
1.) How hard is this piece of foil?
--> Not very hard. It will not break any part of your engine. Seriously.
2.) What is this piece of foil doing when it fell into the hole?
--> It will float. Where is the oil sucker thing? Deep down inside the pan in a wet sump system. It will suck the oil in, run it through the filter, and deposit it onto the parts. The sucker has a screen that filters out large stuff. The filter is meant for things on a micron scale. Done deal.
You are ok. Don't worry about it.
Originally Posted By: qwikrex3794
I'm not following. The oil filler hole is on the driver side valve cover. oil filter is on the left side of the block. What would it take for the debris to get into the outflow?
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Of course, you said oil filler hole, and I clumsily read it as oil filter hole (some of us pre fill the filter with oil). Yeah, I would not worry about it, will drain down to pan and end up in filter.
I'm not following. The oil filler hole is on the driver side valve cover. oil filter is on the left side of the block. What would it take for the debris to get into the outflow?
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Not trying to hijack the thread, but since we are on topic of dropping foil into the engine, I was wondering this the other day when shopping for fuel system cleaners. Many bottles have seals that are quite hard to remove and even when you remove it, there are still pieces stuck onto the bottle. The Techron bottle I poured in my girl's civic did exactly this. Now, what if a small piece of foil gets loose and flows in with the rest of the cleaner fluid? Engines have oil filters to eventually trap these particles, but what about the fuel system?
Originally Posted By: TMoto
Originally Posted By: poiuy223
Engines have oil filters to eventually trap these particles, but what about the fuel system?
There is a screen at the fuel pump pickup, and then there's the inline fuel filter.
Whew. Does any fluid help dissolve these particles?
Originally Posted By: poiuy223
Engines have oil filters to eventually trap these particles, but what about the fuel system?
There is a screen at the fuel pump pickup, and then there's the inline fuel filter.
Whew. Does any fluid help dissolve these particles?
You are better off changing the fuel filter if you are worried.
Whatever items that isn't already dissolved by gasoline are trapped in the mesh sock or for smaller particles in the fuel filter.
If you use some other solvent that is strong enough to dissolve the material, it may damage the rest of your fuel system.
Whatever items that isn't already dissolved by gasoline are trapped in the mesh sock or for smaller particles in the fuel filter.
If you use some other solvent that is strong enough to dissolve the material, it may damage the rest of your fuel system.
As many have already noted, if it is really tiny, it will end up in the pan.
It is not likely to get through the screen on the pump pickup.
If it does, it is too soft to damage the pump, and the oil filter will then catch it.
Not something to do as a matter of practice, but likely harmless.
In the event that something bad does happen to the engine under warranty for any reason, I would not share information about this event with the dealer.
It is not likely to get through the screen on the pump pickup.
If it does, it is too soft to damage the pump, and the oil filter will then catch it.
Not something to do as a matter of practice, but likely harmless.
In the event that something bad does happen to the engine under warranty for any reason, I would not share information about this event with the dealer.
Foil the size of a pinhead? I doubt it will harm a thing, at some point in the engines life there is probably carbon floating around in the oil bigger in size than a pinhead, and rock hard. Engines survive.
As mechtech2 said, "There is nothing we can do about this except drive the car normally. Can it affect anything? Maybe. It may stick on the pickup screen, or smash/smear out in the pump, or end up in the filter."
Me, I'd find something else to lose sleep over. JMO
As mechtech2 said, "There is nothing we can do about this except drive the car normally. Can it affect anything? Maybe. It may stick on the pickup screen, or smash/smear out in the pump, or end up in the filter."
Me, I'd find something else to lose sleep over. JMO
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