oil filter inspection

[markwemple]

Finally took the time to cut and inspect the 996's filter. Found 5 pieces of silvery metal, about the size of a pin hole. Nothing else. Just being paranoid, I guess, but what do y'all think?

[Ryan]

Just being paranoid, I guess, but what do y'all think?

Should probably stop driving it. Sounds like you need a new crate motor

[Trak Ratt]

Could be the start of something big!!! Run it for another 100 miles or so and check again.

[Vicegrip]

get the oil tested. could be nothing, could be imsb.

[markwemple]

FWIW, this motor was replaced @~30k or about 2007, so it likely has the "upgraded" IMS.

Where would I get the oil tested?

[racer]

Sure its upgraded.. at least that's what the tell everyone ;)

As mentioned, can't hurt to get it analyzed. Maybe take some good high res (but reasonably sized images) and share. IIRC, Matt DeMaria shared some pics of a cut open filter showing evidence of real problems.

[markwemple]

Very, very little of the fine matierial as in Matt's post. I'll try and get to taking pics but it would be only 1 piece in each pic. They're that far apart. Extremely hard to see, unlike in Matt's post.

Is there a magnet in the head of the drain plug? I ask as there wasn't anything there.

[Lucky]

I use Blackstone labs. They'll ship you a collection kit which you simply mail back to them. Results sent via email.

[cmartin]

If it were me I would send out a sample and test again in a few hundred miles. Then I would drop the trans and inspect the IMS and install the new bearing/kit.

[markwemple]

What sucks is, if I have the upgraded motor, I can't do the kit. I'd have to do a motor split. (F*^!)

[Lupin..the..3rd]

What sucks is, if I have the upgraded motor, I can't do the kit. I'd have to do a motor split. (F*^!)
WYIT, go for the 3.8 upgrade.

[roundel]

Have you considered golf?

[Trak Ratt]

Very, very little of the fine matierial as in Matt's post. I'll try and get to taking pics but it would be only 1 piece in each pic. They're that far apart. Extremely hard to see, unlike in Matt's post. Don't worry about it then, just wait a few K miles and see if it gets worst :p

Is there a magnet in the head of the drain plug? I ask as there wasn't anything there.
Ummm filter working as it should :?

[pjalexandre]

There really is "no" Porsche upgraded IMS. Is there a newer part #? I think that is just Rennlist hype and wishful thinking.

FWIW, this motor was replaced @~30k or about 2007, so it likely has the "upgraded" IMS.

Where would I get the oil tested?

Nope, there is no magnet but you can add a drain plug with a magnet. The transmission has a captive magnet just inside of the drain plug.


Is there a magnet in the head of the drain plug? I ask as there wasn't anything there.


Why not? LN Engineering makes two types of their IMS bearing upgrade; single row and double row. Both pull out with a bearing puller and press back on. There is no M96 that has a special IMS bearing that requires engine dissasmbly. The only time you need to take it apart is to remove/replace the "entire" IMS shaft as well.

What sucks is, if I have the upgraded motor, I can't do the kit. I'd have to do a motor split. (F*^!)

[matt de maria]

To my understanding when you buy a crate motor it is a "like and kind" engine. The IMS bearings are NOT updated. A 99 engine will have the same bearings that were delivered to the original 99's. A 2005 engine will have the same bearings made for the 2005. There were 3 designs of IMS bearings and they are not interchangeable if you are doing the repair.
Also there are 2 ims bearings on the shaft; If you do the update from Raby you are only able to change one of them externally. Both bearings fail although the rear one is the catastrophic one.
Additionally the kits have been out for about 5 months now. There is no track record on them.

[markwemple]

I am planning to go over to TPC to pick up a testing kit for the oil. From looking at the filter I can't spot any plastic. LN mentions that plastic will also be found when a IMS bearing fails. FWIW.

[Lupin..the..3rd]

I am planning to go over to TPC to pick up a testing kit for the oil. From looking at the filter I can't spot any plastic. LN mentions that plastic will also be found when a IMS bearing fails. FWIW.
Need one of them special plastic magnets now too.

[Trak Ratt]

Need one of them special plastic magnets now too.X2 lol

[markwemple]

So you think that the paper element can't capture plastic? :roll:

[markwemple]

Pics. You'll have to look closely.

[markwemple]

Last one.

[BlackTalon]

need to post the pics bigger, or host them somewhere and provide a link

[markwemple]

need to post the pics bigger, or host them somewhere and provide a link

OK I'll try and post one un-re-sized.

Ran a magnet over everything I could see. Nothing steel.

[markwemple]

Full size.

[BlackTalon]

resize to ~800x600

[markwemple]

Damn, that's way too big.

[BlackTalon]

Hmmm, camera focused on the RA1 in the background, not on the filter. You may want to retake

[markwemple]

I think I simply took them too close.

[Trak Ratt]

Filter looks pretty clean... wonder how much got rinsed away :?

[Lupin..the..3rd]

I think I simply took them too close.
Not too close, just incorrectly focused. My 6 year old Canon point-n-shoot can take sharp clear pics just 10 cm from the target. But you have to focus it properly.

See if your camera has a button with a flower icon. That will put it into close-up mode which will help you with that.

[BlackTalon]

Not too close, just incorrectly focused. My 6 year old Canon point-n-shoot can take sharp clear pics just 10 cm from the target. But you have to focus it properly.

See if your camera has a button with a flower icon. That will put it into close-up mode which will help you with that.Another trick is to stand back more, then zoom in on the filter.

[markwemple]

Filter looks pretty clean... wonder how much got rinsed away :?

Didn't see anything in the oil. I only spotted this when I cut the filter apart. Its so easy to do w/a cartridge type, I just do it.

[HoodPin]

I think I simply took them too close.

Some surfaces can also be a challenge for auto-focus to latch onto.

As mentioned, look for the Macro ("Flower" icon typically) setting, or get back a bit further. Another option is to take a picture of the entire paper element, and then zoom & crop the section you want to show. Just remember to Save the cropped version under a different filename.

[Vicegrip]

OK I'll try and post one un-re-sized.

Ran a magnet over everything I could see. Nothing steel.stainless and aluminum not magnetic. Are the white dots the particles in question?

[markwemple]

Yup. They all had a silver appearance and weren't shinny. Also all but one were extremely thin, like a shaving.

[markwemple]

I'll try and retake in the am.

[matt de maria]

Stainless is made in 4 versions. . Austenitic, Ferritic, marstenitic, and maranging. 2 are magnetic

[Vicegrip]

Yes but only mildly. If you start thinking of the grades there are many types. i was keeping it kind of simple.

[smo]

I'd suggest a UOA from Blackstone if you really want to know more info than you probably want to know.

[tbernard]

i was keeping it kind of simple.

We are simple folk here. I always learn something from your posts Kirk so don't dumb it down too much :D

[markwemple]

It's going to blackstone. I just have to wait 500 miles to get a good new sample. Kit on it's way.

[Vicegrip]

We are simple folk here. I always learn something from your posts Kirk so don't dumb it down too much :D
no problem it was for someone else's sake. A rare earth high gauss type magnet will make some stainless jump but a standard kitchen fridge magnet will not. More so if it is a small particle that is enmeshed in filter cloth.
One K one U, not a captian. ;)