I changed the oil on my 997.2 for the first time, but I forgot to grab a sample of the oil for a Blackstone test as it drained out. Is it a bad idea to take a sample out of the (new, plastic) oil drain pan? My instinct says wait for the next change to avoid contamination from the container, but I thought I would seek your opinions.

Oil filter was the cleanest I've ever seen, and she's running tip top.

Thx

 

I am not an expert on oil analysis (albeit I am sure there are several that are and will chime in) but general logic would suggest that if your catch pan is brand new, clean and unused then obtaining a sample from it shouldn’t really introduce any significant contamination. Once you receive your results from Blackstone you can compare to previous analysis and confirm. Subsequent samples can rule out any anomalies.

If this is your first Blackstone analysis you may want to hold off for a fresh sample direct from the drain so you don’t set a bogus baseline if my contamination theory is incorrect.

 

I would wait for the next change. You don't know how the drain pan was made or cleaned (or with what) prior to buying it. The worst thing that could happen is you get some funky reading, fret about it, decide that the IMS is about to blow, with bore scoring filling your nightmares, then you sell the car because you can't take it anymore, only to discover later from the new owner that everything was fine, you just used a contaminated sample

 

Not the best method, but you could take your sample from the drain pan. As long as the drained oil hasn't been sitting around open for weeks I don't think you'll see anything seriously out of whack. Elements in sample are reported in parts per million, so there's that. When you submit it make a note to the analyst. Next time catch your sample at mid-stream drain.

 

If the oil drain pan is new and this was your first time using it then I would make a note of it on the paperwork you send in to Blackstone. The plastic drain pan may contain some strange chemicals from the plastic manufacturing process, but what you really want to keep an eye out for in your oil analysis are "metals" like aluminum, iron, steel, and other things like silicon and fuel contamination, which none of those should be present in a clean plastic drain pan. Blackstone also recommends taking a oil sample from the "middle" of the draining process. Basically a sample that would catch the most floating debris. So I would consider shaking up the drain pan to get any heavier metals that may have settled on the bottom to mix with the oil and then take a sample. I would not be surprised if you are not the first to take an oil sample from the drain pan. Just as long as it was "new/clean" and unused before. I am sure the Blackstone analysis and notes will reflect your disclosure to them and taken into account. They will note it on your paperwork as well for the record.

 

Just to close the loop, I went ahead and pulled a sample from my oil drain pan, and my Blackstone test came back healthy.

 

Great news and great to see that Blackstone noted your drain pan method. You are off to a good start! From now on send that oil in like clock work and you will start to see some patterns that you can keep an eye on that all is good, or for any red flags.

 

And, it sounds like your 911’s powerplant is in great shape!

 

Torch -Thanks for sharing. How long/how many miles did you wait before doing your first oil change? I took delivery of my 997 C2S in early November and was planning to do my first oil change in May but I've only driven about 800 miles. Should I wait for 3K miles or 1 year? Car was freshly CPO'd when I bought it. Any others have any thoughts?

 

After exhaustingly trying to figure out best practices on this question here via the many oil and bore scoring threads, I settled on 6 months or 3K miles, whichever comes first. I was at 6 months, which for me was 2,500 miles. Probably overkill according to many, but seems like cheap insurance to keep the oil healthy and detect any changes early.

 

whichever oil change interval you decide, mileage or once a year time, try to keep it consistent. Although i prefer some type of mileage mile stone, I understand not everyone drives 5k or more annually. Your report notes will reflect more apples to apples oil breakdown analysis when done at similar intervals. Hope that makes sense.

 

Getting a baseline oil sample on your new to you car is a good idea, even though you haven't driven it much. Call it peace of mind.

 

If your car just got an oil change prior to purchase, you do not need to worry about making a change within 6 months if you're not putting on a ton of miles. 1600 miles a yr only warrants an annual oil change... unless you're doing some extreme driving / racing in those 800 miles.

If you get to around 2500-3k, you're approaching what some would consider a range to start to consider changing which should depend on how you drive. If you're in extreme weather doing stop and go traffic, you're probably harder on the car than someone exclusively going 70 mph in SoCal cruising on the highway for even 2-3x the miles.

Owner's manual says 12k miles or 1 yr. Indy's will mostly say 6k miles or 1 yr. Anything more frequent than that is completely optional.