[2bikebill]

I didn't want to bump the prevoius negative rant back to the top.
I am on a drive to regain and retain a positive attitude towards my ailing G5. I took it for another ride this afternoon to see if I could make everything ok. Perhaps it's just me. Perhaps my hearing is super sensitive to that particular frequency.
Nope. It's making a racket.
So I thought I'd have a look at the oil. Nice and clean, it's only done about 800 miles since the last change. But here are some pics of the drain plug magnets and the screen. No big bits of metal this time, but quite a lot of iron filings. After 8,000 miles and many oil changes - it seems a bit excessive to me. It may be just what's left over from those previous graunched up metal lumps which started all this.
Seems to me there's been an awful lot of crap circulating round this engine, and maybe those tiny oil holes in the hydraulic tappets are all bunged up after all...... 
Anyway, I'd value some opinion on this much metal still coming out.
Thanks again all - this is all a bloody bore I know......

[barenekd]

I got about the same at 3000 Miles. I would think it would decrease a bit with more miles on it. But with the incomplete oil changes you get on these beasts, there may be more floating around that just hasn't made it to the magnet yet. There aren't any big lumps, at least.
Maybe one should get oil analyses on these!
Bare

[Ducati Scotty]

How many miles and oil changes since the teardown?

My magnets looked a little cleaner at my last change at 6,200 miles, but close to yours.  No big bits on mine, just fine dust but there was a decent pile on both magnets. 

The screen looks a little cruddy on yours.  I'm guessing they used plenty of sealant when they buttoned it all back up so you've got to let that wash out.  Yeah, if that much crud is flowing around it might gum things up.

Scott

[2bikebill]

I did about 100 miles after the bike came back from WS, then changed the oil, just because I like to have full synth and I knew they'd have used semi. The magnets were clean then, and had been clean since the second oil change from new - right up until those big lumps came out  I've done 800 miles since that last oil change.
The crud on the screen this time feels like bits of cloth, or paper!

[drbvac]

What year is your bike - mine didnt look that bad at 300 mile first change !!!

[2bikebill]

2010

[Ducati Scotty]

Might be some bits of disposable shop towel that got in there.  Maybe do a few changes of cheap dino oil at 200 miles to get the mess out.

I think there have been several people who reported finding similar material after their first oil change or after rebuilds/transmission recalls.

Scott

[bittercrick]

Wow, only new bikes I ever knew that had crap like this in there bowels.These bikes are definitely unique. Hope it clears up for yeah soon.   bittercrick

[drbvac]

Is there anyway you can run a solvent or just put oil through over and over again to rinse it out like you would flush a radiator >> ?

As you thought there MUST be something wearing badly inside or breaking apart

[Ducati Scotty]

Get some WalMart or other generic brand oil for that, it's cheap.

[TWinOKC]

Looks like a lot of bad stuff to me, not normal IMHO.   

I would never use cheap oil, even for a short run.  No matter how long you let the oil drain, some of the old oil remains.  It just takes a couple of quarts = $20 or $30 just not worth it to me.      

[GlennF]

Having had a few motors self destruct I am always inclined towards caution when things look unhappy.

If the noise is always there even idling in neutral its clearly not a gearbox issue suggesting lifters/rings/bearings etc.

I have in the past had a temporary engine seizure on my XJ900 which "came good" and everything was fine afterwards (in the sense the bike kept going for years afterwards with no obvious problems, clearly if stripped down there would have been damage) but by the same token I had a friend on a 60's Bonneville who had engine parts punch a hole through the tank, luckily he wasn't riding in prone cafe racer position that day

When in doubt play it safe.

[Arizoni]

Just my opinion but I wouldn't think of pouring a solvent of any kind into my crankcase.

There are several places which are difficult to drain in a UCE and these will trap oil during an oil change.  A little dirty oil diluting my new oil isn't a big thing but some solvent diluting it might result in some really crappy new oil.

I would think that a bike with 8000 miles on it shouldn't be making that many iron filings but on the other hand the bottom of the sump is pretty large and there is a chance that some of those had been laying on the bottom for a long time.
In any case, if the oil filters have been replaced as often as they should have been I think they would have stopped the filings from getting into the critical areas of the engine.

[2bikebill]

Thanks for the feedback.
No I wouldn't put solvent through an engine, especially not this engine - things are loose enough in there already! Flushing with oil is a better idea.
I may just put another quick 1000 miles on it and see if anything else comes out - assuming it doesn't get any noisier in the meantime.
But I have been studying the manual just in case I decide to strip it down at home later. I can probably get it all apart, but haven't a clue where to look if nothing obvious shows up.
But too busy at work just now to waste any more time fretting about it for a bit.

[Maturin]

Precious'  magnet and sieve are much cleaner. 13' km, about the same as your's, and pretty much pushed a few times. I change every 1500-2500 km.
Especially the sieve looks odd. Paper parts? Where could they come from? Could that be sealing mass that became crunchy, boiled in hot oil? Or a blown paper gasket anywhere? I'm really curious what that might be...but aswell as the large amount of iron dust at the magnet I'd say it dosen't look like it supposed to look.