Another oil filter debris thread
 

Just for the public's reference. This oil was 8 months old, only 2700 miles but a track day was included. I do regular UOA on this car and have gotten good reports. Nothing ferrous in the filter. The stuff on the magnetic drain plug is like a paste.

Also I did the finger test in the oil pickup tube and it was completely clean.

I haven't done an oil change yet on a 996: what would you have been looking for?

Pontifex..You need to take the oil filter out and cut each end off it then open it up and check in between the veins. If you find anything at all, other than nothing at all, you need to decipher and make a decision from then. Nothing in it then you are good to go. Don't forget to put a new crush washer on the drain oil plug if you have changed the oil. You can change a filter without dropping the oil BTW. No need for all this crap about magnetic drain plugs. That will only catch metal and not plastic. Plastic and there's a chance that the seal of the IMS bearing is breaking apart but still no panic but you may want to consider an IMSB upgrade in the near future if you find any silvery looking specks inside the veins of the filter. Of course the silvery bits could be from other metal parts of the engine. Then its back to this forum and question time begins in earnest.

This is one of those Jake Raby suggested things. With the oil filter off, put your finger inside the tube that goes through the middle of the oil filter (this is the tube that takes filtered oil to the rest of the engine) and check for debris. If debris is in there, it is getting past your filter and back to the engine. If it is clean (mine was) then your filter is catching debris as it should.

How could an oil filter miss anything?????????????????

There is a pressure bypass that if the filter is clogged it will bypass it to allow oil to get to the engine.

Looks normal wear, I have had the same for my last 150k

Out of curiosity, how many miles overall on your Porsche, and have you ever removed your oil pan to clean and inspect plastic or metal pieces?

If the oil filter gets clogged enough that the oil bypass comes into action then you are in serious trouble. But thanks for the info anyway.

If my filter was clogged, I would be more worried for the reason of the clog than anything bypassing it.........but that is just me.......:icon107:

I agree with Hurdi on this one.........

I was a little worried, but mine is not clogged so I guess everything is OK.
:icon107:

that oil filter did its job. Something wrong there by the look at the debris. I would be very worried and would have stopped driving if I saw that on my filter. A good guess would be the IMSB plastic cover has gone and the balls are wearing away. Next thing with be the death rattle and too late. Get that bearing upgrade right now.

78k miles, it's a 40AE so it's closing in on 10 years now. Haven't removed the oil pan but it was on my list of things to do just for fun since I have access to a lift.

FPB, I am usually the least fear-mongering person, but that is a LOT of metal. I usually have 1-2 little non-ferrous flakes between the folds every 5 or 6 folds, but nothing that is visible without cutting the filter apart and looking for it. That filter is covered in bits. I can't believe I'm saying this but I would also say that it's time to tow that car somewhere to have the pan dropped and the oil flushed.

Also I just realized that I have access to a borescope; anything worth looking at that I could use the borescope for?

I wouldn't worry about it.