Crystals growing in the transfer tubes!?!??

[Nutball]

I found some crystals growing in some Echo caves

 

[Intoxsawcated]

Are they sodium cast cylinders?

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[tree monkey]

stop hiding your meth in the gas tank

 

[Dub11]

stop hiding your meth in the gas tank

That's go fast juice man.

 

[deye223]

stop hiding your meth in the gas tank

 

[00wyk]

Crystals usually form when minerals precipitate out of a solution in a case like this(no pun intended). Either that stuff is coaxed out of the jug or the fuel or both. That area of the cylinder is where fuel starts to gain velocity. I guess maybe that would cause a saturated/stable mixture to start to separate, or a cooling effect might cause crystal growth/precipitant. Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium are the big crystal producers according to Wiki. Aluminum castings like pistons and cylinders can be made up of as much as 13% Silicon, btw. Your case is magnesium, and who knows what's in our fuel nowadays, but we all know it's oxygenated - ethanol also brings oxygen with it as well. Aluminum is so reactive it naturally occurs in about 270 different types of minerals. Take your pic.

 

[smokey7]

Is it possible that it is metal grinding chips just stuck in the mix oil that is stuck inside the transfers?

 

[Nutball]

I wondered about that, it almost looked like ferrous dust standing up on a magnetic surface, but nothing should be ferrous or magnetic. It has sat for a few months since last run, so that could give it time to grow tiny crystals. I was really careful to clean it after grinding, and have found no wear in the cylinder or ring suggesting any metal left. If I remember, I'll try swabbing a sample and looking under the microscope.

 

[heimannm]

Seems to me it is most likely oxidation, aluminum oxide in this case.

Mark

 

[Nutball]

Usually aluminum oxide forms a powdery coating. Maybe the gas allowed it to grow well formed?

 

[Nutball]

I couldn't get a sample to the microscope for a clear 40-100x view, just a 6x view that's been cropped afterward

 

[MG porting]

I'm going to say it's you're fuel.

 

[Nutball]

I guess a gasoline vapor filled environment could change how aluminum oxide grows allowing it to form perfect straight crystals instead of dust.

 

[MG porting]

I guess a gasoline vapor filled environment could change how aluminum oxide grows allowing it to form perfect straight crystals instead of dust.

That's what I was thinking it's weird how stuff reacts to others.

 

[legdelimber]

Sort of makes you think of the "Tin whiskers" problem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)

Is there anyone here that's seriously knowledgeable about plating?
Is it possibly some leftover chemicals from cleaning or prep?
What about contaminated chemicals & plating supplies?
How about tooling in the factory having some stray metals mixed in?

This stuff might well explain some of the unexplained scratching of pistons & cylinders, etc, that some folks have found in their Echoes.

 

[MG porting]

Sort of makes you think of the "Tin whiskers" problem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)

Is there anyone here that's seriously knowledgeable about plating?
Is it possibly some leftover chemicals from cleaning or prep?
What about contaminated chemicals & plating supplies?
How about tooling in the factory having some stray metals mixed in?

This stuff might well explain some of the unexplained scratching of pistons & cylinders, etc, that some folks have found in their Echoes.

It's quite possible.

 

[legdelimber]

Heck, what if someone spilled something during maintenance work on the line?
Solder or weld spatter falling into things?
How about a broken lamp and stray metals/mercury?
We do get many food recalls here in the U.S.A. for such things as worn equipment shedding shavings of plastic or metals into the hamburger, etc.
What's to say something about that simple hasn't happened with the Echo cylinder?

 

[N8TE]

That's go fast juice man.

It'll eventually make the teeth fall off the chain though

 

[Intoxsawcated]

Maybe transfers are like nostrils and grow hairs in their old age?

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