Bits of plastic in oil filter. Need Advice. Pics Attached.
 

Hi All!

Great forums, so I did my first oil change on my 2001 Boxster 2.7L with 57k miles.

Took apart the filter and attached pictures is what I found. Bits of stuff that looks like plastic. Seems to have two colors, black and translucent brown.

Help! Attached is also my blackstone oil analysis. Interval should be 6.5k not 1k written on the report.

IMS failure? Thanks all!

The plastic could be from the IMS bearing seal. The bearing could be going bad and is starting to wobble, which in turn tore up the plastic bearing seal. Whatever it is, it's def not a normal thing to be finding in your oiling system.

Your oil is also starting to show increased iron levels. That could be coming from the bearing itself.

Now may be a good time for you to do an IMS upgrade.





Phil

Plastic is either from the cam chain guides or as Rolling says, it could be the IMS bearing seal. Is the plastic hard or soft. I get some soft, light tan,spongey plastic in my filter and that is just engine sealant which is not a problem. Looks like you have tan and black plastic, maybe someone else can ID it as either guide or IMS, For what its worth, I get some hard black plastic in my filter, very few, very small bits less than 1mm.

You might want to drop the oil sump plate and see whats collected in there, and also get a magnetic drain plug. Keep us advised.

By the way, what oil did you use?

Thanks for the respose!

I had my oil changed when I did my RMS at the dealer. I am assuming its Mobil 1 0w-40.

Is the plastic hard or soft? If hard it can be a piece broke off from one of the camchain guide rails. These (aluminum) are protected with a composite plastic covering. The plastic is hard. And there are two colors, a light brown (caramel colored) and a darker almost black brown.

It doesn't take a very large piece after going through one or more oil pumps (high pressure at least and perhaps a scavage pump as well) to be broken up and make a lot of little pieces.

If the plastic is soft, and the fact the engine was just worked on, this could very well be from the sealant that is used. It is a given that a new engine or one that has been opened up recently will shed all sorts of stuff.

Sorry, hit the post button too soon...

Anyhow, while copper is a bearing material (the bearing inserts are bronze) it can also be from thread lube. I note the engine just had some work on it.

And this can account of for the higher level of iron. Bolt threads when threaded into the block and into open space can shed material and this will show up as iron.

Also, I'm not sure Mobil 1 0w-40 oil was used. The additive package contents don't look like what I would expect from having Mobil 1 0w-40 used. The zinc level seems high, to name one.

I think some oil additive was added, at least something with molybdenum.

Is the engine otherwise quiet? If the IMS bearing was acting up enough to put bits of its bearing seal and even bits of its metal in the oil I think the engine would be making some noise and an experienced tech would detect this.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Follow up
 

I sure would like to know end result of this, my sons 2000 996 has about 30 of those small plastic black and brown hard plastic pieces in filter change today. Was this the seal breaking down on bearing or what was it. Will not drive car until I gather more info

I agree with previous responders - chain ramp plastic is disintegrating. Just had my engine apart and that was the cause of the plastic bits in the filter.
Unless you have an LN full flow filter+adapter, the debris is now deposited throughout the oilways.
Some of the oilways are very small diameter and easily plugged by debris.
You could drop the sump plate and inspect but it is unlikely to change the prognosis or remedy.
Postponing the required action may cause a catastrophic engine failure ,after which the engine may not be rebuildable. So you could say this is a timely warning to plan a 'refresh' type rebuild rather than having to fund a replacement engine ?
Others may be able to suggest less draconian resolutions.

I don't intend to postpone it, if it is indeed the chain ramps, is that a costly repair? I do not have the ln filter or adapter. Should I have the IMS checked at that time too?

Thanks Joe

Variocam chain rails cost a couple of hundred DIY; about $2000 if you have a shop do it. The difference is labor. The work can be done with the engine in or out of the car.

There 's no dependable way to inspect the IMS without removing it. Once you've done that, you should replace the bearing with a new one and not reinstall it.

If you do plan to DIY any of the work you can use our tech articles as a reference/help. They have some great information in them as well.

-Luccia

I recently found some caramel colored plastic bits in my oil filter and it sounds like this is the chain guides?

Is there a DIY chain guide replacement thread out there? I'd prefer not to drop the engine if possible.

Thanks,
Mike

You might find this link of some value:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Tensioner.htm

Hard plastic caramel or real dark caramel (almost black) bits are camchain guide wear pad material. The lighter color plastic comes from the VarioCam actuator rails and possibly the tensioner guides for the chains that run from the IMS to the exhaust cams. The darker material is from the crankshaft to IMS chain tensioner guide.

The nature of these pads is once in a while they can shed a fragment and after the fragment has gone through possibly a scavenge pump and then through the high pressure pump a fragment can be busted up into many pieces.

When I changed the oil in my Boxster (and Turbo) I never bothered to cut the filter apart. I did look at the filter pleats some and check the Boxster oil filter housing oil for signs of anything but my inspection was not exhaustive.

Attached is a pic of the actuator rail from my Boxster. The solenoid failed and I think took out the actuator. I spoke with the Porsche tech about the other side and told him if he saw anything on this side that suggested the other side may need something replaced: solenoid, actuator, rails; he had my ok to proceed. He said the condition of the hardware on this side did not look bad at all and he saw no reason to replace anything on the other side. That was close to 50K miles ago and so far the engine has been CEL and symptom free of any signs of any trouble from this area.

I didn't get a pic of the new actuator but the tech had a servicable "spare" or used actuator laying around. Attached is a pic of it.

While the replacement even the VarioCam actuator guides can be done with the engine in the car it is a pretty expensive undertaking.

To replace the chain guides of the chains that run from the IMS to the exhaust cams I beleve requires the engine be removed from the car.

For the chain guide for the crankshaft to IMS chain the engine not only has to be removed but I think the cases split.

'course, if the hardware needs to be replaced...

Unless you have a handful of debris and the cam timing is out of spec you might be overreacting.