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YOUR RESEARCHHow ?clean? should the oil filter look?
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Inspect oil filter or collected a sample
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I�ve owned a lot of cars over the years, but never before have I inspected an oil filter or collected a sample for a professional oil analysis.
Leading evidence: 'Inspect oil filter or collected a sample' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check filters and a few examples of some extreme clutter' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
That�s a fair point that I don�t know what oil was used and whether then selling dealer used any additives.
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Use oil analyst, machine analyst and previously an oil formulator
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
BTW I�m a retired tribologist, certified used oil analyst, machine analyst and previously an oil formulator.
Check filters and a few examples of some extreme clutter
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Suggestion · Original poster
Lots of talk about checking filters and a few examples of some extreme clutter, but not much about what�s normal or expected.
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Suggestion
At my job at a power plant, each of our engines have 1200 gallons of oil so we don�t change oil often, we just test the oil and sweeten it (take out 200-400 gallons and add new) if the test show contaminants.
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16 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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I�ve heard a lot about taking apart the oil filter and giving it a thorough exam, looking for debris. My question is. - how much debris is normal, and how much is distressing?
Here�s a pic of my oil filter. 86k miles, 3.6L C2. About 1500 miles since the last oil change. I can find some very tiny silver flakes in the filter.
Should a good engine be 100% clean in the filter? Is any amount of stuff in the filter a bad sign? Is in simply normal to find some flakes in the filter?
In my VERY uneducated opinion, the amount of silver flakes in the filter was pretty small. But I sit at a keyboard for a living. I�m not an engine builder. Haha!
Also interested to know on this. Recently did my first oil change on my c2 (obviously new to me...) And things looked pretty good. But maybe I didn't look closely enough.
I sure did! I have the Blackstone mail-in kit ready to go.
I�ve owned a lot of cars over the years, but never before have I inspected an oil filter or collected a sample for a professional oil analysis. Not until my 996, which was new to me last Fall. It�s all kinda interesting. I�ve owned other sporty, enthusiast cars, including one other P-car, BTW.
That was my thought, too. I spread out the filter and was happy it looked very clean. Then I looked super up close and noticed those tiny silver flecks. Hmmmm.....
Same here. I never inspected filters before, and I always find some debris. On just a visual inspection, the filter looks almost pristine. But then after taking it apart and going through every single pleat front and back, I can find lots of little items. Some black bits, very few metal bits, etc.
I�m sure pristine is the goal, but there will always be some wear. How can there not be?
Yeah - that�s pretty much exactly what I found. If anyone has knowledge on how to properly inspect a filter, I�d love to know more.
I�ve searched Rennlist, Google, and YouTube. Lots of talk about checking filters and a few examples of some extreme clutter, but not much about what�s normal or expected.
since this was your first oil change my suggestion will be not to analyze this one. 1. You don�t know what oil it had in it. 2. Whoever sold the car May have put some magic potion in the oil to do something I.e. stop leak, noise reduction, lower oil consumption etc. Analyze the oil that you put in at oil change. A quick thing that you can do is run a magnet on top of the filter pleats to see what you can pick up. Now if you really want to spend a ton of money, get a lab to run ferrography. That�s where they are going to analyze wear particles by shape size
and material. BTW I�m a retired tribologist, certified used oil analyst, machine analyst and previously an oil formulator. I did the first oil change on my car last week, the filter looked great, the oil looked great, no I�m not analyzing it at this point.
That�s a fair point that I don�t know what oil was used and whether then selling dealer used any additives. In my case, I think it�s pretty safe, because as part of the sale, we had an independent shop do the clutch, IMS, and RMS. So the oil would have been freshly done by them.
Also, I�m a dope and didn�t run a magnet through the filter before I tossed it. I only did a visual inspection.
The sample went off in the mail to Blackstone yesterday. I�m eager to see what those results look like.
At my job at a power plant, each of our engines have 1200 gallons of oil so we don�t change oil often, we just test the oil and sweeten it (take out 200-400 gallons and add new) if the test show contaminants.
we also change filters every 3000 hrs, these things run 24 hrs a day
Ditto on this. I use the LN magnetic plug on my 996 and 997. Just like the filter, it will pull any particles out of the oil and keep them from circulating. luckily I have had not significant accumulation of metal on the plug over several years.
I added this when I did my first oil change a few days ago. I was disappointed to learn the drain plug already installed was not magnetic and revealed nothing about the oil condition.
I�m good from here on out, though! 🙂
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