Oil tank full of metal

[GoldenFailure]

I bought the worst bike on the planet.

That aside, I had to take off the oil tank (plunger A10) to get the mag off, and, as I'm adding a 2cv type oil filter, decided to replace all the rubber oil lines and clean out the oil tank. Three rinses with parafin and the inside was full of small chips of metal. I should have checked them with a magnet, but sometimes I have no brain. Maybe half a thimble full of metal bits. Hot soapy water got the tank properly clean, And I guess that could just be 50 odd years of crud, washed free for the first time, but should I be panicking more than I already am? cheers.

[Goldy]

As you say you don,t know how long it,s been since it was last cleaned out if at all. We know that the metal parts wear and the bits have got to go some where and it,s good that they have collected in the bottom of the tank. The concern would be how big the bits are as you called them chips where you would expect to find small "filings". Have you removed the sump plate to see what is in there. All the best Goldy

[LJ.]

If the oil tanks never been cleaned out the gunge could be from a previous build...

[manosound]

Have you removed the sump plate to see what is in there ?

When you do this, and want opinion on what's in there, sieve it out, rinse it and take a picture. There are a few different kinds of things is could be and, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Richard L.

[GoldenFailure]

Cheers everyone for the input.

Sadly, I swilled out the sump filter in petrol when I changed the oil the day I got the bike, so any evidence from there is long gone.

The bits in the oil tank ranged from tiny upto 1mm cubed ish, but that was after I'd washed it out with paraffin three times, bigger bits would have fallen out first I guess.
Guess I have to run it and wait and see if it goes bang.

[BSA_54A10]

Firstly, nothing that is too big to pass through the screen on the sump will pass through the scavenge side of the pump.
That is why the screen is there in the first place, it protects the pump.
Second never worry about what you find in there till you have done some miles with clean oil & a clean oil tank.
These engines are a lot more robust than popular myth would have you believe.
Next time you change the oil, drain it through a funnel with a fine mesh screen then wash the screen with some petrol & collect what you find.
Put it in a sandwich bag, label the bag with the milage and forget about it till the next oil change.
If there is less "swarf" then Bob's yer uncle, if there is more repeat the above.