Anyone use a by-pass oil filter with 997 engine?
04-30-2009, 04:57 AM
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Anyone use a by-pass oil filter with 997 engine?
Has anyone added a by-pass oil filtration system to their 997 engine to keep the oil extra clean? If so, where did you insert the extra filter circuit into the lubrication system?
I used to be obsessive about my engine oil in the early 90s. This meant running synthetic oil (not as popular then as now), sampling the oil every 3000 miles (instead of changing it), and shipping the oil sample to Analysts Inc who provided a detailed analysis of the viscosity (tribology), chemistry, contaminants, metal content (so you can guess what engine parts are wearing), fuel and coolant in the oil, and much more (some 20+ parameters).
The oil analysis was a break-even proposition back then only because I was able to reduce the number of synthetic oil changes. In the case of the 997, I really don't think this will extend the time between oil changes. I think it will only give me peace of mind that nothing strange is going on in the engine.
What I learned: contaminants sucked into the engine via the air filter were more of a problem than the oil itself breaking down. Analysts Inc will tell you in the report when one of the things they measure is getting out of range for a particular brand and type of oil. Usually contaminants were the first to go out of range, right around 12k miles. I believe that most normal oil changing is needed not because the oil has lost its lubrication (and other) properties, but rather because the oil is dirty. And it's the fine dirt that will, over time, wear out the engine.
So I added a low-pressure by-pass oil filter (a secondary oil filter system, made by companies like Amsoil) that removed the fine particles in the oil (in this case, the car was a Miata). Once I added the by-pass filter, the oil measured "good" until about 18k miles, at which point the oil would start breaking down chemically or the viscosity would start going out of range. 18k miles was the extreme case to see just how long the oil would last (I did this just once).
After my recent oil scavenging pump failure and (soon to be ready) new engine, I'm thinking I will return to performing regular oil sampling and analysis. Should be interesting. And it will provide me with a heads-up about any unusual conditions in the engine, from wear to oil dilution from fuel to small traces of coolant appearing in the oil. It will also provide me with critical documentation to either prevent or help identify the source of an engine failure.
I'd love to add a by-pass oil filtration system, but after having viewed the 997 internals, I'm not sure how you would connect one (3.6L engine in my case).
I'm guessing that few - if any - have considered a by-pass oil filter, let alone tried this with their 997, but you never know... so I ask.
I used to be obsessive about my engine oil in the early 90s. This meant running synthetic oil (not as popular then as now), sampling the oil every 3000 miles (instead of changing it), and shipping the oil sample to Analysts Inc who provided a detailed analysis of the viscosity (tribology), chemistry, contaminants, metal content (so you can guess what engine parts are wearing), fuel and coolant in the oil, and much more (some 20+ parameters).
The oil analysis was a break-even proposition back then only because I was able to reduce the number of synthetic oil changes. In the case of the 997, I really don't think this will extend the time between oil changes. I think it will only give me peace of mind that nothing strange is going on in the engine.
What I learned: contaminants sucked into the engine via the air filter were more of a problem than the oil itself breaking down. Analysts Inc will tell you in the report when one of the things they measure is getting out of range for a particular brand and type of oil. Usually contaminants were the first to go out of range, right around 12k miles. I believe that most normal oil changing is needed not because the oil has lost its lubrication (and other) properties, but rather because the oil is dirty. And it's the fine dirt that will, over time, wear out the engine.
So I added a low-pressure by-pass oil filter (a secondary oil filter system, made by companies like Amsoil) that removed the fine particles in the oil (in this case, the car was a Miata). Once I added the by-pass filter, the oil measured "good" until about 18k miles, at which point the oil would start breaking down chemically or the viscosity would start going out of range. 18k miles was the extreme case to see just how long the oil would last (I did this just once).
After my recent oil scavenging pump failure and (soon to be ready) new engine, I'm thinking I will return to performing regular oil sampling and analysis. Should be interesting. And it will provide me with a heads-up about any unusual conditions in the engine, from wear to oil dilution from fuel to small traces of coolant appearing in the oil. It will also provide me with critical documentation to either prevent or help identify the source of an engine failure.
I'd love to add a by-pass oil filtration system, but after having viewed the 997 internals, I'm not sure how you would connect one (3.6L engine in my case).
I'm guessing that few - if any - have considered a by-pass oil filter, let alone tried this with their 997, but you never know... so I ask.
Last edited by useridchallenged; 04-30-2009 at 05:00 AM. Reason: added mention of low-pressure wrt by-pass filter
04-30-2009, 11:21 AM
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Just punch a whole on the engine and..... oh, wait.... you already did that! J/K! 
Which leads me to the next part. You are getting a re-manufactured engine with a 2 year warranty on it. IMO, the last thing you want to do is risk voiding the warranty by adding an oil by-pass system. If I was in your situation, I would not do it, but that is just one man's opinion.
Which leads me to the next part. You are getting a re-manufactured engine with a 2 year warranty on it. IMO, the last thing you want to do is risk voiding the warranty by adding an oil by-pass system. If I was in your situation, I would not do it, but that is just one man's opinion.
