When i dropped mine on the track car to install a techno sump...

I dropped the oilpan/oil pan last night after draining the old ( maybe 24! month old) oil from my Boxster S.

Nothing, notta, zilch. No particles at all.

Do I inspect the inside of the filter for bits? The outside of the filter looks clean at 1st glance of the pleated media.

My car has 119K km (72K miles on it), Got a nagging little drip from the passenger side cylinder bank. I'm guessing sparkplug tube, but will investigate further. I get one dime size spot on my garage floor everytime I park the vehicle hot in the garage.

This is a summer only car, April til early November.

one finds things that scare the bejesus out of one and for no real reason. Pans generally collect trash and this is from the outset and over the life of the engine, though the amount tapers way way down after just a bit. It can pick up again if the engine is "opened up" for any reason, but then trails off very quickly.

With no noises, no scary bits in the filter or filter housing oil, no leaks at the pan, there is no reason to remove the pan. This is one place where a home auto mechanic should not let curiosity get the better of him.

jlegelis,

I actually did collect midstream oil for analysis. I will do the TBN as well, as this oil was not used for many miles, but was very old in Porsche circles..... I'll try to remember to post on here for comparison to yours. I used Castrol Syntec in my car as it's frequently onsale locally,

Guenther,

Dave - Alcantara, and a local mechanic who took Raby's m96 course suggested I check the pan.... only debris small enough to get through the pickup screen would get to the filter, n'est pas?

I'll cut the filter, open, and clean up the pan and get it sealed back on. And carry on with a summer of great driving.....

Quote
Petee_C

Dave - Alcantara, and a local mechanic who took Raby's m96 course suggested I check the pan.... only debris small enough to get through the pickup screen would get to the filter, n'est pas?

I'll cut the filter, open, and clean up the pan and get it sealed back on. And carry on with a summer of great driving.....

Say Hi to Dave for me. Haven't seen him in quite a while. Local mechanic - Mike?

When I had the filter in my '06 cut open, there were a few tiny bits and pieces. Mechanic said they were just ordinary wear and tear - maybe bits of chain guide. He said if the IMS starts to go, the opened up filter looks like a star filled night sky when you shine a light on it - lots of sparklies.

Got it all buttoned back up, including replacing the sparkplug tube on the middle passenger side cylinder.

Used a tiny bit of moen (yeah the plumbing company) silicone grease that I bought at home Depot to lube the new o-rings. Only enough grease was put on to give them a little bit of shine. 6 grams worth for $7.

Took it for a, test drive, and psychologically the car always feels so much better with fresh oil. Plus now I've got a quiet starter.

Parked over cardboard in the garage to check for any oil leaks. Hope the weather stays war. The and sunny tomorrow.

Next time try analyzing the oil by sending a sample to Blackstone Labs (no affiliation, just a happy customer). I do it every fall, see below for my results from the last five driving seasons (so far so good)!

When you're changing the oil, might as well check the inside of the filter. That's where any debris would be trapped. Just cut it open and spread it out. It makes it easier to see if there is anything.

It was almost surgically clean. Except for a few pieces of what i suspect to be gasket material on the oil pickup, which i removed.

Shiny, no dirt, residue, varnish, sludge, nothing.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com