I didn't find any pertinent threads....

1) What are some decent oil filter brands? There's the OEM Hengst, the Mann HU 719/5x, and the Mahle OX 128/1D available at various places for between $10 - $15. Any specifically to avoid?

2) I want to change filters several times after purchase of a car, perhaps every 400-500 miles. This way I can cut open and inspect the paper element for metal fragments. Can I remove and replace the filter without draining the sump? This question isn't addressed in the books I have on the Boxster. I presume I just need the filter and less than a quart of new oil to top up.

 

I always use oem porsche filters, but I'm ridiculous with my oem preference.

No need to drain the sump, just make sure you replace the lost oil- up to a quart.

 

I'm with Porschephile 924. I use what the parts manager hands me over the Porsche parts counter. With my PCA membership I get a discount which makes the difference between mail order and buying it local from the dealer a toss up.

Also, I ordered a filter online and when it came in it didn't look like the ones I had been using. So I bought one from a dealer and compared the filters side by side. I didn't like the looks of the one I bought online and trashed it and just stuck with the ones from the parts department.

You can change the filter without loosing much oil. Just what's in the filter housing. Be sure to replace the o-ring on the filter housing. When I do an oil/filter service I like to add fresh oil to the housing with the new filter in it rather than have this dry and have to add oil afterwards.

 

Here's a table of dimensions for the OEM Hengst.
http://www.hengst-katalog.com/en/fil...D77/oe-numbers

IIUC modern filters made in Asia are made of bamboo. Makes sense - "paper" may be ground up trees, cotton, etc. With marijuana legalization maybe even hemp fibers in the near future.