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No biggy, Just need a good used crankshaft from a Boxster 2.7 ( I happen to have one in my basement), and a gasket set, and 25hrs free labor, it would be back fresh as a daisy if you have the skillz !! OH and a new 50 cent Welch plug !! lol
unsettling, but no metal at all. So that’s good I guess.
My car has only 48k miles. Is it totally not normal to find these chain tensioner plastic pieces in a filter? Seems like if it’s a wear part it’s more normal than you’d think.
It has been since 2017 since its last oil change, not because of me. I just bought it in December and finally drove it this week. Changed the oil today.
it makes no noise at all to indicate any problems. Runs really well and is clean as hell, top and bottom.
My car has only 48k miles. Is it totally not normal to find these chain tensioner plastic pieces in a filter? Seems like if it’s a wear part it’s more normal than you’d think.
Actually, it's pretty common on Mk1 5-chain engines like yours. More than likely it's the Variocam chain actuator wear pads. (see picture) Many people call them the Variocam pads. Chain guides could also be worn. Miles mean nothing in this equation. It's time in service.
It would be a good idea to check your camshaft deviations.
Last edited by ZuffenZeus; 03-10-2021 at 09:24 AM.
Actually pretty normal for oir cars. U may want to drop the sump next time to clean out the rest of the pan. As said run the cam deviations. The pads can look this bad.
Yeah, but b3freak and De Jeeper, those pads are brown. What about black bits?
The brown bits once suspended in hot oil over time turn black. If you notice in the picture those pads have turned amber brown. Brand new they're a light brown color.
If I remember correctly, there are some black plastic chain guides in there as well. Possibly some bits from that in the mix? Those are harder to replace, but clearly some wear is tolerable. I agree to have a shop or someone with a Durametric check your cam deviations.
17285919[/url]]The brown bits once suspended in hot oil over time turn black. If you notice in the picture those pads have turned amber brown. Brand new they're a light brown color.
Interesting, I did not know that. I assumed it was from the IMS tensioner pad, which as you know, requires a case split. And if that’s the case, I might as well rebuild it. So if my bits I found in December that were black, were just leftover from the 4 tensioner pads, then maybe I don’t have an IMS tensioner pad issue like I thought it did. I will have to check the oil filter again in 6 months.
If I remember correctly, there are some black plastic chain guides in there as well. Possibly some bits from that in the mix? Those are harder to replace, but clearly some wear is tolerable. I agree to have a shop or someone with a Durametric check your cam deviations.
Absolutely. IMHO, the most common source for plastic bits in the sump on a Mk1 3.4L is from the wear pad on the Varicam actuator. However, the black plastic bits could very well be the other chain guides which are a dark brownish-black color from the factory.
Interesting, I did not know that. I assumed it was from the IMS tensioner pad, which as you know, requires a case split. And if that’s the case, I might as well rebuild it. So if my bits I found in December that were black, were just leftover from the 4 tensioner pads, then maybe I don’t have an IMS tensioner pad issue like I thought it did. I will have to check the oil filter again in 6 months.
Like I was telling the OP, the most common source of plastic bits in the oil is usually the Varicam wears pads, but yes... the other chain guides, including the IMS tensioner paddle, have darker brownish-black chain guides that will wear off and could be what you're seeing Mike.
I encourage you to purchase the Focus On: M9X Engine Assembly series I produced for the Knowledge Gruppe and Jake Raby. That is, if you plan to rebuild your engine.
Here is a good image to show the BEFORE and AFTER...
Let me clarify my thoughts... when these pads are subjected to extreme heat and oil (mixed with hydrocarbons) overtime they will start to discolor as you can see in the picture. It's my understanding the process doesn't happen overnight; but instead, over time the plastic will become discolored and the bits will appear dark brown or even blackish in nature.
Last edited by ZuffenZeus; 03-10-2021 at 01:58 PM.
Forgot to add... you really need to drop the sump and examine for more plastic and/or metal debris. It's not uncommon for the plastic bits to clog in the screen of the oil return tube. That could be a big problem.
17286455]Like I was telling the OP, the most common source of plastic bits in the oil is usually the Varicam wears pads, but yes... the other chain guides, including the IMS tensioner paddle, have darker brownish-black chain guides that will wear off and could be what you're seeing Mike.
I encourage you to purchase the Focus On: M9X Engine Assembly series I produced for the Knowledge Gruppe and Jake Raby. That is, if you plan to rebuild your engine.
I already have a Stage II in mind if and when. I won’t be doing the work myself. I don’t yet know if my car or person would even be accepted, so if it’s not FSI, then it’s ‘trade her in.’ And I will be disclosing to the buyer, 100%.
If I could go back in time to June 2018 (see post 26 in this thread) . . .
I had been noticing the plastic bits in my oil. At Watkins Glen I got a check engine light, and my Durametric told me a camshaft was way off. What I did was go for a major rebuild, put well over $20K into the car, took it back out on the track, and then experienced a rod bearing failure.
If I could do it all again, I would have just had those Variocam guides replaced, had the camshafts put back in order, and stopped tracking the car. Despite the rebuild, tracking a 996 with over 100K miles was probably asking for trouble. Maybe today I would still have a nice 996 to have fun with.
Oh well . . .
If I could go back in time to June 2018 (see post 26 in this thread) . . .
I had been noticing the plastic bits in my oil. At Watkins Glen I got a check engine light, and my Durametric told me a camshaft was way off. What I did was go for a major rebuild, put well over $20K into the car, took it back out on the track, and then experienced a rod bearing failure.
If I could do it all again, I would have just had those Variocam guides replaced, had the camshafts put back in order, and stopped tracking the car. Despite the rebuild, tracking a 996 with over 100K miles was probably asking for trouble. Maybe today I would still have a nice 996 to have fun with.
Oh well . . .
You have to listen when the engine screams at you.
If you don't take care of problems first, they take care of your wallet later.
This is why I tell people to avoid failure at all costs, if you have symptoms you must take action before you "have to". Having to adds at least 5K to every build, if you are lucky.
08-14-2020, 07:07 PM
