Originally Posted by meanjoe

I don't get my test oil out of the oil catch can but when I send a sample to Black Stone labs I get it out of the oil tank on my Dry sump LS7. It always has that gold tone look to it and my Copper readings are always high. But they are going down with every test. I thought it was funny how gold the oil looked.
My copper numbers have gone down from 115 to 40. But I've just recently had new CHE bronze valve guides and CHE rocker arms installed. And if I'm not mistaken the rockers have bronze bushings in them and this may all contribute to the high Copper readings.

Originally Posted by Dirty Howie

This is NO JOKE !!!!!!!!!!

I have a black EE Catch Can. When I empty the can and look at the residual oil clinging to the bottom of the can there is a very fine GOLD GLITTER floating within it. You cannot see it if there is any depth of oil in the can. You cannot see it if oil is transferred to clear container. The oil had 3500 street miles. You have to hold the can in sunlight or use a flash light to view.

Here are some points to consider:
1. This is the same EE can used on my previous raced motor and my current not raced motor.
2. I have the same fairy dust then and now, been monitoring this for over a year.
3. Same for the stock and WCCH heads
4. Buddy has same EE can on modified motor and has the same but MORE fairy dust.
5. I used a strong magenet against the outside of the can and could not detect movement of the fairy dust. But maybe not strong enough.
6. Sorry did not try to get picture. Maybe somone else will or I will try in a couple thosand miles.

I think its the iron that we all see on our magnetic plugs. It looks fine enough to get through bearing space or any other part of the motor. The material could be alum, iron, bronze or titanium and it would likely look goldish due to color of the oil against the black can.

It is possible the the fairy dust could be comming from the EE can filter medium. I will try and contact them but the medium is shaved metal.

So I woud like to see if others can confirm fairy dust in their catch cans, any brand. It might be hard to see if your can is not black bottomed so maybe some one can confirm viewing on different color.

Opinions ?????????


DH

Originally Posted by BLW BY

I'm the other guy with fairy dust.
Mine had about 10x more than Howie's. His trapped oil had 3500 miles on it, mine had 2x the volume, 1 track day and about 500 street miles.
Doesn't bother me as much as it does Howie. I would just figure it was the bronze valve guides but Howie has powder metal type.
I have 75,000 miles on the lower end and 15,000 on the WCCH, in 25,000 I'm going to pull it apart and freshen everything up.
This motor runs like a 'Raped Ape' (we know raped apes are fast because no has ever seen one) puts down 545 RWHP.
I'm not too concerned with the motor it's everything else that breaks.

Originally Posted by meanjoe

I don't get my test oil out of the oil catch can but when I send a sample to Black Stone labs I get it out of the oil tank on my Dry sump LS7. It always has that gold tone look to it and my Copper readings are always high. But they are going down with every test. I thought it was funny how gold the oil looked.
My copper numbers have gone down from 115 to 40. But I've just recently had new CHE bronze valve guides and CHE rocker arms installed. And if I'm not mistaken the rockers have bronze bushings in them and this may all contribute to the high Copper readings.

Originally Posted by Undy

Black EE catch can with 10K miles of using it. Never saw any fairy dust, glitter or metal particles in the entrapped oil.

Originally Posted by dcamick

Might be a few more weeks....but I will keep my eye on it and let you know.

Originally Posted by Dirty Howie

Undy

If you just look in your can with an inch of oil you will not see it. You will not see it if you just dump the oil in a clear bottle.

You will only see it if you closely inspect the remaining film of oil after you dump the can. If you wear reading glasses you will need them on to see the glitter (I do).

Please check again and let us know.


DH

Originally Posted by Undy

I will, although I won't be back to my other home where the car is until May.

Originally Posted by Gizmo5

Gonna take me a bit to get miles racked up, but when I drive it its rough and deep. Time will tell, I'll post pics when its time

Originally Posted by Dirty Howie

But Hib, I am trying to save Tink

And I know she has been in at least 3 motors.

Do you have a black EE can ??

We can check my can on wednesday but I will only have a couple hundred miles sonce cleaning it out.


DH

Originally Posted by Hib Halverson

Howie, I just had to jerk your chain a bit on the fairy dust thing.

I don't really have a concise answer for you other than to say that if you had a magnet close to the container and the fairy dust didn't move or react in any way, then the stuff is nonferrous.

A very fine gold or bronze colored metal powder is only going to come from a few things in the engine, bronze valve guides are one source. Oil with some sort of contamination or maybe an additive is another. Engine bearings and the bushing in the small end of the conn rods is yet another.

As for oil analysis, it is true that anything large enough to be visible will likely not show up in a Blackstone Labs test but, it's possible if there's enough of this "fairy dust" to see, there might also be some measure of the same stuff in much smaller particles that you cannot see but would show up in a sample you send to the Blackstone Lab.

It doesn't cost much to have Blackstone sample your oil, so I'd take a sample and send it to them.

If you see high numbers for bronze, copper or, perhaps, aluminum, that might be a clue.

But really, Howie, why don't you just let Tinker-Bell out...poor thing.

Originally Posted by '06 Quicksilver Z06

I have the same catch can and have never seen this dust either.