Silicon in the Engine

[duskylim]

Dear seeyoulater:

Your engine is lubricated by oil that has to go through some very small passages to get to the bearings.

If your mechanic allowed any kind of dirt into these passages, then it is quite likely some of those passages will be blocked and your engine will suffer from a bearing failure.

When your bearing fails it will involve take down, overhaul and machining of your engine - all very expensive propositions.

If it looks like a bad practice to you, the it most likely is BAD for your engine.

I don't know about you, but if I saw that happening to my engine - there will be hell to pay.

Unless he is just naturally dirty and a slob, or he is deliberately sabotaging your engine, there is NO EXCUSE for what he did.

Never have work done by him again and make sure other people don't either.

Sincerely,

Dusky Lim

[reym]

Don't you worry about it, even if the contaminant passes through the oil pickup tube screen, you still have another line of defense, it is called oil filter.

[duskylim]

Don't you worry about it, even if the contaminant passes through the oil pickup tube screen, you still have another line of defense, it is called oil filter.

Well that would be true as long as he (the mechanic) didn't drop any dirt down into your oil galleries (fine drill passages in the cylinder head and block for oil).

That's because he didn't drop the dirt into the oil pan where the oil pickup and strainer have a chance to stop it, or later after the oil pump the oil filter itself.

Note: here's the typical oil flow in an engine.

Oil pan > Oil pickup/strainer > Oil pump > Oil filter > Main gallery > Main bearings > Cylinder head > Rocker arms > valves > Oil pan.

He put it the dirt right into the engine's oil passages themselves - ensuring you will have some sort of lubrication problem.

Lucky you.

Because the cylinder head gasket carries oil from the main gallery - which supplies the main engine bearings and connecting rods - up to the cylinder head to lubricate the valves and rockers, there is a DISTINCT possibility that he contaminated that too.

Now, if you are a naturally optimistic person who believes in the goodness of mankind, then forget about it and HOPE for the BEST.

Perhaps all will be well in the end.

However, if like me you are a pessimist, and believe that many people are just too ignorant, conceited and self-serving to care about you and your problems then it's time to worry and push the panic button.

The choice is yours.

Sincerely,

Dusky Lim