Oil Filter Exam

[PILFILR]

Hello, Here is my filter from a few months back. My 2003 996 C2 Tip. with 19,600 miles.... In the filter are these flakes of a very thin metalic film. They stick to a magnet and are soft and flexible to the touch. It looks likes electroplating is coming off something. There are no hard chunks...just these flakes. Is the the warning sign of the IMS bearing? Need your input...

[wvicary]

No odd noises and everything operating ok? I would keep inspecting the filters to see if things worsen. How often do you change oil?

[PILFILR]

I have been running Syntec 5w-40 and I change it every 12 months... Purrs like it was new...

[logray]

Certainly pull the filter again now and have a look at it.

Might just be some debris from the drain plug, they are fairly soft.

[JFP in PA]

I would expect a more granular ferrous material, and a lot more of it, if it were the IMS bearing.............. That said, there are no "good" metal finds in the oil filter, and I'd keep an eye on it. Just to be safe, if you have access to a Durametric system, or a PST II/PIWIS unit, take a look at the cam deviation values at idle, if they are steady values the IMS is probably OK at this juncture.

[rb101]

I would just keep watching the filter and change it again in a few months. With only 20K of mileage, I can still see a bit of crap from the manufacturing and breaking in of the engine still in the oil system.

Are you sure the flakes are ferrous and are attracted to the magnetic or just not oily and sticking to the magnet due to oil?

[PILFILR]

Yes, flakes are attracted to magnet.... Stuck larger flake on my fingernail and moved a magnet over it... the flake moved back and forth following the magnet.

[PILFILR]

I would expect a more granular ferrous material, and a lot more of it, if it were the IMS bearing.............. That said, there are no "good" metal finds in the oil filter, and I'd keep an eye on it. Just to be safe, if you have access to a Durametric system, or a PST II/PIWIS unit, take a look at the cam deviation values at idle, if they are steady values the IMS is probably OK at this juncture.

@JFP, Thanks for the input... I cut my filter yesturday after 1k miles. Still finding some flakes...less flakes based on only 1k miles. What the hell...I changed the oil while I was there. Drain plug shows no sign of decay or flaking. There are no PST or Durametrics in my area. I have considered the purchase of the durametric for my personal use... If you strongly believe I should plug in and watch cam deviation on a regular basis... I will order one now... Let me know.

[logray]

Someone had a good call out over on RL I overlooked you said it stuck to a magnet right?

Unless you've installed an aftermarket drain plug the stock drain plug is aluminum = non ferrous.

[JFP in PA]

I would expect a more granular ferrous material, and a lot more of it, if it were the IMS bearing.............. That said, there are no "good" metal finds in the oil filter, and I'd keep an eye on it. Just to be safe, if you have access to a Durametric system, or a PST II/PIWIS unit, take a look at the cam deviation values at idle, if they are steady values the IMS is probably OK at this juncture.

@JFP, Thanks for the input... I cut my filter yesturday after 1k miles. Still finding some flakes...less flakes based on only 1k miles. What the hell...I changed the oil while I was there. Drain plug shows no sign of decay or flaking. There are no PST or Durametrics in my area. I have considered the purchase of the durametric for my personal use... If you strongly believe I should plug in and watch cam deviation on a regular basis... I will order one now... Let me know.

The Durametric software is as close as you are going to get to having one of the $18K/year leased PIWIS systems at your disposal; you would be able to read and clear the codes (ABS, air bags, service alerts, etc.) that force most people with an aftermarket OBD II scanner to spend $100 at the dealer for a 5 sec. code clearing. If you intend to keep the car, or stay with Porsche in the future, it would be an excellent investment of $300. Every car that comes into my shop for any scan related work automatically gets a look at the cam values; to date they are the only known proven indicator of serious IMS issues other than having the engine crap out when the IMS bearing dies.

Don't be overly concerned about occasionally seeing flakes or a few metallic bits in the filter, we probably do 50-75 Porsche oil changes a week in season, and just about everyone shows some "bits and bobs" in the filter. These bits can come from several places (valve springs, cam tension pads, chain wear, cam wear, etc.), and are a normal course of events for the M96/97; and while they should be noted and monitored, don't start losing sleep over them............

Edited August 25, 2011 by JFP in PA