headcrabz

I cut open the filter to check for metal shavings. To my surprise there were many tiny tiny metal sprinkles. Although I am not sure if that is something I should expect, or this is an impending sign of IMS failure?
I have attached the pics, what do you guys think ?

Since its not a new engine, I would not expect it to have so many metal shavings in the filter?

Byprodriver

That does look excessive. Hopefully you have some of the oil you can send off to Blackstone labs to be tested for a baseline. Maybe this was the 1st or second oil change for the car. I would finish changing the oil, drive 500 - 1000 miles & then remove the oil filter only & inspect for metal again. Change oil every 3000 miles until the problem goes away then every 5000 miles. This may have been caused by the previous owners running the car hard before reaching operating temp of 180 degrees. You may want to have the IMS guardian from Flat6innovations installed to monitor metal in the oil.

fronesis47

No, no: do NOT keep driving that car!

This is a VERY strong sign of impending IMS failure.

Bypodriver gives good advice, in general, for finding metal particles in your oil (change oil frequently, monitor oil closely, hope the shavings go away). But with a 2005 Boxster this is a BAD idea.

Every IMS thread I have read says that the best sign of impending IMS failure is metal shavings in the filter. The IMS could go the next time you drive it. You could, of course, risk it, and hope the shavings came from some place else.

But if it was my Boxster I would either order the upgraded bearing now and replace it, or take the car straight to my indy mechanic.

fanny bay r1

I've recently bought an 05 Boxster as well and that is a hell of a lot of metal in a filter, I'd get the bearing upgraded just on spec for peice of mind. If you just bought it had the previous oil change not indicated any breakdown of metal from the dealership??

I'm still aghast that that Porsche would have allowed a clear design fault on their part to not be subject to an immediate recall with an upgraded component. It's absolutely disgraceful IMO.

No HTwo O

This is why you must do an oil filter dissection during the PPI. May cost an extra $30 to help save you $1,000's.

Call Jake Raby.

Flatbed to your trusted indy shop.

Sorry. Keep us posted.

MUSSBERGER

That's good advice as long as the oil/filter wasn't just changed.

No HTwo O

True. Which is why a smart owner (who will one day become a smart seller) keeps great maintenance history records (and performs UOA's) to present to his/her smart buyer to review.

sjfehr

How much flakes/debris is normal in a dissection? Clearly, debris is never a good thing, but is a handful or so tiny flakes in 10,000+ miles common and normal and nothing to worry about?

Edit: poor wording, meant 5 or 6

No HTwo O

Metal flakes? I'd say zero would be good.

sjfehr

Yes, zero would be best, but what's reality? I ask because I finally got around to dissecting the filters from my last two changes and picked up a small # of ferrous flakes in the last 25,000 miles. Engine's still running strong, and oil analysis found slightly elevated copper, with no undue levels of iron.

CW-VIESOCK

With oil additives aside, copper in the oil "could" indicate excessive bearing wear.

Macster

In case the oil/filter was just changed that is why one must subject the car to a thorough test ride/drive. 30 miles (15 as a passenger), 15 as a driver.

Then the car gets treated to a PPI and then the filter gets checked.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Macster

As others have said that doesn't look good. The metal looks to be ferrous too -- if it was alum. the particles would look like flakes and be very thin.

An engine tear down or even 'just' a LN bearing retrofit at this stage based on the metal may be premature, but the risk is that if it isn't, any more running of the engine could have the engine advance from being resurrected with a bearing retrofit to junk.

Has the engine been making any noises? I would think with that much metal -- assuming it came from the IMS bearing -- would have the engine noisy.

You might consider having the car flat bedded to a qualified shop and the cam timing checked to see if there's any out of spec deviation which could point to the IMS bearing.

Or -- and I don't really like this -- or you could drain the oil, clean the filter housing, replace teh filter and refill the engine with of course the right oil, fresh and then start up the engine and let it idle until about halfway warmed up.

Stay close in case the engine gets noisy while it is idling.

Then shut off the engine and remove the filter housing and dump the contents into a *clean* drain pan and cut apart the filter and see what you see.

What you find or don't find determines what you do next.

You have some tough choices to make.

Sincerely,

Macster.

No HTwo O

Call Jake first. Don't run the engine util you talk to him first.

No HTwo O

Coolant temp.

Don't run the engine until you have talked to Jake.