Metal shavings in engine

I have some friends who have told me that an ex enemy is planning or at least hopes to sabatoge my car by putting metal shavings in the engine. All of this is just rumor so I can not do much as far as preventive legal action. I am keeping my car locked at all times to prevent this from happening. I have a few questions just in case this guy suceeds in his plan. What would metal shaving do if inserted into my engine block? How long would it take me to see the results or possible damage caused? How could I prove that the metal shavings are foreign and not from my engine parts? WOuld a mechanic be able to tell that the engine had been sabatoged?

I ask these questions so that I am prepared if this truly happens. I would not want a dead engine and no recourse against the perp. Can anyone answer some or all of these questions?

P.S. I have also been told he may loosen the oil plug if he cannot get to the engine. IF he would do that would it fall out? And if so what damaged could be done? And how could I prove it was sabatoge?

Really the only way to get anything into your engine without removing valve covers etc etc would be to poor it in through the gas tank so unless he plans on sitting there with the hood popped and taking engine parts off hes going to go for the tank. basically any metal that gets run through the engine could do alot of damage to the pistons, crank, pretty much all of the guts.

You know who it is that would do it so if anything happens to your car then go find the prick and kick the shit out of him and then call the authorities.

SO, I should not be concerned that he might put it in where the Oil is put in? WHew! That makes me feel better. What about the Oil Plug? If he loosens it and I don't catch it will it fall out? And if so how could it damage the engine?



Really the only way to get anything into your engine without removing valve covers etc etc would be to poor it in through the gas tank so unless he plans on sitting there with the hood popped and taking engine parts off hes going to go for the tank. basically any metal that gets run through the engine could do alot of damage to the pistons, crank, pretty much all of the guts.

You know who it is that would do it so if anything happens to your car then go find the prick and kick the shit out of him and then call the authorities.

You know I totally forgot about the where you fill the oil :banghead: yeah he could stick some stuff in there and cause some damage sorry I forgot to mention that. And if he loosens the plug and you loose oil your going to run you engine dry resulting in major damage. If your truly think he will do this then like you said keep your car locked up and just keep an eye out. and like I said if anything does happen you know who would have done it so they would be pretty dumb to follow through with it.

I do not mean to sound paronoid but you see, I have a 2004 Camry V6 and I love it. If the engine gets screwed I will be very angry. What if this guy put dirt or sand in the engine through the Oil fill? I have even heard he may crawl under, remove the oil filter, empty it and fill it with dirt/sand/metal shavings etc.. What would these types of materials do to my engine? Could your mechanic tell if dirt/sand/metal shavings had been put in the engine? I am not a car expert but it would be nice to know what to look for so I could catch it early and also nab the guy if he really pulls it off

Oh yeah dont get me wrong man I would be VERY pissed if someone messed with my cars also. Sand/dirt will also cause alot of damage and if it does get in the engine a mechanic will definatley be able to tell once he takes off the oil pan. If anything gets like dirt or sand gets in the engine you will be able to tell, the car will start running very poorly which will be the first sign that something is wrong. And if he goes as far as to crawl under the car and unscrew the oil filter and mess with it then he is either really pissed or really screwed in the head. honestly all he really has to do is poor shit into your gas tank so that it will get sucked into your engine so I dont now why he would want to mess with the stuff under the hood, although they may affect the car alot quicker.

If I may ask, what the hell did you do that would make this asshole want to do something like this to your car?

Or sugar. We had one guy come in with his IS300 that someone put aobut half a pound of sugar into the motor and screwed it up bad.

Yeah pretty much anything that doesnt belong in an engine will screw it up.

Just stretch a used condom over the oil filter, plug, and cap.... if they want it fuck with you bad enough to remove them, then you probably deserve whats coming.

Just stretch a used condom over the oil filter, plug, and cap.... Now thats just wrong lol :grinyes:

this may sound flippant, but metal shavings in the valve cover (where most oil fills are) won't do a dang thing to a motor. It will unexcitingly go to the pickup screen for the oil pump, and be stopped. If it made it past that, it would be collected in the oil filter and do nothing.

You'd have to add so much shavings that it blocked the pickup or oil filter before it really was a problem.

The same is probably true for the gas tank.

How about a sticker stating that "you are being filmed"

what did you do to the guy?

what did you do to the guy?I already asked him and he didnt answer me yet so who knows.

I already asked him and he didnt answer me yet so who knows.

I did not do anything. He blames me because no one likes him. I tried to be his friend and help him and found out he was trouble so I started avoiding him. He is screwed in the head. He thinks that I am the reason no one I mean no one can stand him. But it is not me, it is him. He is the most annoying person your will ever meet and after a while people just get a bad taste for him and start avoiding him. I think he is jealous as well as I make a whole lot more money than he does. Who knows, people who are screwed in the head do not need a reason. I do not know if he will do anything, he may just be yaking but if he does I am going kick the living crap out of him. Thanks for the responses. I just want to know how to recover the car damage if he succeeds so I can focus on kicking the **** out of him

this may sound flippant, but metal shavings in the valve cover (where most oil fills are) won't do a dang thing to a motor. It will unexcitingly go to the pickup screen for the oil pump, and be stopped. If it made it past that, it would be collected in the oil filter and do nothing.

You'd have to add so much shavings that it blocked the pickup or oil filter before it really was a problem.

Right. But sugar will? Trust me, if you have large shavings in there, they'll find a way to get around.

But sand or whatever in teh gastank wont do much more than kill the fuel pump, and maybe ruin your injectors. Sugar in the gastank though = fucking mess. So. Make sure they don't do that.

Right. But sugar will? Trust me, if you have large shavings in there, they'll find a way to get around.

But sand or whatever in teh gastank wont do much more than kill the fuel pump, and maybe ruin your injectors. Sugar in the gastank though = fucking mess. So. Make sure they don't do that.

sugar doesn't desolve in gas, it would be stopped by the pickup screen on the pump. The only way you could get the sugar to desolve is to add water with the sugar

the metal wouldn't circulate, but it might score a couple things on the way to the oil pan. Such as cam lobes. Thats about it in most engines.

If metal could easily get past the oil filter, motors wouldn't make it 1000 miles before taking out the plain bearings. You'd be surprised how much crap is in any engine.

sugar doesn't desolve in gas, it would be stopped by the pickup screen on the pump. The only way you could get the sugar to desolve is to add water with the sugar
that is the oldest way to kill someones car there is!!!
maybe you know something the rest of us dont?

Myth busters proved that wrong, its common myth - I agree with bob, it wont do anything but sit in the tank.

that is the oldest way to kill someones car there is!!!
maybe you know something the rest of us dont?

oldest myth, I agree :icon16:

i think the only problem it causes it that if you put enough in it can block the fuel piping/pump/filter.

otherwise very little.

don't many cars have a screen/filter before the scavenger/in-tank pump?

the metal wouldn't circulate, but it might score a couple things on the way to the oil pan. Such as cam lobes. Thats about it in most engines.


Im not saying that the oil filter wont do its job, what im saying, is that with THAT much shavings, tehy WILL get into things. The oil in the pan is being splashed about as well too. The IS300 had #5 and #6 rod and crank bearings wiped out from the sugar in the pan. One of the bearings even had a hole worn through it. Im sure if sugar can make its way around and cause that much damage then then metal shavings would do a number on the motor as well.

ITs eaither that, or the sugar (and shavings) plugs up the oil filter and you have a loss of pressure. But the oil light wasnt on in the car. Either way, haveing that crap going thorugh your oilpump will destroy it too.

its really a question of the amount.

its really a question of the amount.

I couldn't agree more. 1 tblspn vs a whole 5# bag. :lol:

As far as the OP goes You are probably worried about something that will never happen to you. Good luck anyways with your car and "freind"

There was about half a pound of sugar in that motor.

There was about half a pound of sugar in that motor.

That would make a mess, easily enough to clog the filter, open the bypass, and fill the oil passages with sugar syrup. mmm tasty. Did the enigne smell like burnt caramel when it was taken apart? :)

I do not mean to sound paronoid but you see, I have a 2004 Camry V6 and I love it. If the engine gets screwed I will be very angry. What if this guy put dirt or sand in the engine through the Oil fill? I have even heard he may crawl under, remove the oil filter, empty it and fill it with dirt/sand/metal shavings etc.. What would these types of materials do to my engine? Could your mechanic tell if dirt/sand/metal shavings had been put in the engine? I am not a car expert but it would be nice to know what to look for so I could catch it early and also nab the guy if he really pulls it off

Ok get a locking gas cap. Problem solved for pouring stuff in your gas tank. You hood shouldn't come open unless they have access to the hood release INSIDE the car. Keep the car locked and you elimited the problem. Also if he takes out the oil plug aren't you goign to notice a big puddle of oil underneath your car? As for the oil filter putting the stuff in the filter will only keep most of the stuff in there considering it's a FILTER.

Trust me don't beat the heck out of him. A guy knelt on the hood of my car and put over $500 in dents with that kneeling and was generally an asshole. I punched him one time. I ened up giving him a concussion and he went into a seizure. They called an ambulance and he spend a night in the hospital and went through a ton of test. Needless to say if I wasn't charged as a juvinile (I was 16 at the time) I'd have been facing a feloyn charge of substsantial battery and the medical bills (which I did have to pay) were big.

I know that a coffee cup of brake drum chips dumped down the oil fill will eat up a motor in about 2 weeks time. And it is virtually undetectable after the damage is done, sort of gets lost with the torn up bearing material.

I know that a coffee cup of brake drum chips dumped down the oil fill will eat up a motor in about 2 weeks time. And it is virtually undetectable after the damage is done, sort of gets lost with the torn up bearing material.

Just to let you know the oil fill is UNDER THE HOOD. If you don't give them access to the inside of the car they won't be able to pop the hood in the first place. Unless they pry the hood open (which is really noticeable) you shouldn't have a problem.

That would make a mess, easily enough to clog the filter, open the bypass, and fill the oil passages with sugar syrup. mmm tasty. Did the enigne smell like burnt caramel when it was taken apart? :)

actaully no, the sugar didnt melt, it stayed granular.

I'd just put a pile of thermite on the hood, no need to open anything.

actaully no, the sugar didnt melt, it stayed granular.

Well if it stayed granular I can't imagine how it would get into the bearing surfaces, altough if it was picked it up by the oil pick up, and by passed the filter, it could block an oil passage way.

bleach in the gas tank will kill the engine though, i don't remember exactly what it does but it rusts out the gas tank really badly. they showed it on myth busters.

another thing, if you notice your oil pressure gauge going down, then you know he loosened something. keep an eye on that if you think he's going to do something like that.

all in all though, i wouldn't worry about it, so many people say they're going to do stuff, he'll pussy out just like the other 9/10 people.

Well if it stayed granular I can't imagine how it would get into the bearing surfaces, altough if it was picked it up by the oil pick up, and by passed the filter, it could block an oil passage way.

Just callin 'em how I see 'em man. And what I saw was a very damaged 2JZ with sugar in the oilpan.