Very Black Oil

[Lee Quave]

I’ve searched but haven’t found an answer. I changed my oil and filter and noticed that the oil was very black with just about 5,000 miles on the oil. I also found that the spring in the oil canisters was not attached and fell out when I was draining the canister. Could this spring being detached have caused the oil to get so black or could this be a sign of an intermix issue?

[JFP in PA]

I’ve searched but haven’t found an answer. I changed my oil and filter and noticed that the oil was very black with just about 5,000 miles on the oil. I also found that the spring in the oil canisters was not attached and fell out when I was draining the canister. Could this spring being detached have caused the oil to get so black or could this be a sign of an intermix issue?

 

This sounds more like the filter bypass system in the bottom of the filter canister has failed and oil is continually not being properly filtered.  This is not that uncommon.  You can replace the canister to get a new bypass system, or switch to the LN spin on filter set up, which has no bypass and offers 100% filtration at all times.

[Ronnie38]

watch out I burned up any engine due to lack of a by-pass operation.

[Lee Quave]

Thanks for the quick reply. I’ve been thinking of getting LN oil filter adaptor so I think this is a good opportunity to do so as well as a magnetic oil drain plug.

[wildbilly32]

Ok have heard tons of recommendations for the spin-on filter mod and very few "don't do it" comments. Is it the thing to do? I mentioned it to my Indi once and his comment was "many European cars have the same set-up as oem 911". We talked about the possible by-pass failure mode of no filtering and he just listened. He has been working on European cars for over 30 years and I trust him. I don't drive the car in the winter so not worried about cold oil by-pass needs.

 

Thanks for further guidance...

[JFP in PA]

Ok have heard tons of recommendations for the spin-on filter mod and very few "don't do it" comments. Is it the thing to do? I mentioned it to my Indi once and his comment was "many European cars have the same set-up as oem 911". We talked about the possible by-pass failure mode of no filtering and he just listened. He has been working on European cars for over 30 years and I trust him. I don't drive the car in the winter so not worried about cold oil by-pass needs.

 

Thanks for further guidance...

 

 

The issue with the OEM bypass is two fold:  First, it is not really needed on cars running appropriate weight full synthetic oils.  Second, and more importantly, the bypass can fail without any indication and allow unfiltered oil to circulate.  We have found many cars with failed bypass units during normal oil change service, and while the replacement canister's are not all that expensive (about $40 retail), the replacement are no better than the factory units when it comes to the bypass failure rates.  They simply die without any warning.

 

The LN system uses a "full flow" (read no bypass) filter with a much finer (around 30%) media pore diameter that filters 100% of the oil 100% of the time.  From direct experience (my shop regularly sees sub zero winter temps), none of our customers have had any oil starvation issues on cold start on daily drivers.  The spin on filters all internally use metal capped filter media rather than the glued paper end caps of the OEM filters, and there is a wide choice of filters available to fit the spin on adaptor, including ones with media specifically designed for use with synthetic oils.  You can even find versions with built in bypass valves if that worries you, but again from years of customer records, we have never seen a problem caused by the lack of a bypass on the spin on filters.

[wildbilly32]

JFP in PA: Thanks, to hear you say that is all I need. Will get a spin-on kit for the end of season oil change.

 

Your knowledge is much appreciated!

 

Bill M.

[JFP in PA]

JFP in PA: Thanks, to hear you say that is all I need. Will get a spin-on kit for the end of season oil change.

 

Your knowledge is much appreciated!

 

Bill M.

 

That is what we are here for.

 

And if you want to add an additional layer of engine protection, consider getting a FilterMag to go on the outside of the spin on, with that in place, every drop of oil will pass through a strong magnetic field every cycle, removing any ferrous metallic grit so small it can pass right through even the best filters.

[wildbilly32]

JFP: 180 deg. or 360 deg. version of the Filtermag?

[JFP in PA]

JFP: 180 deg. or 360 deg. version of the Filtermag?

 

180 degree is plenty for a street car.

[JTT]

One question about the cartridge filter, can it be opened for examination?  One of the things I really like about the stock setup is the ability to inspect it for debris.

[Ahsai]

Yes, with filter cutter like this http://www.brmotorsports.com/oilfiltercutter.aspx