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YOUR RESEARCHStrange Oil Filter debris.
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Replace plugs
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Read evidence and context
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
The path is an o-ring probably was nearly coming apart when someone changed the plugs and when the tube was pushed home the o-ring came apart and ended up under the camshaft cover.
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Suggestion
Might add when I had the spark plug tube o-rings replaced in my Boxster the tech told me the o-rings were in pieces due to age and miles (>275K) Had I bothered to check the filter after this work was done I suspect I'd have found some spark plug tube o-ring debris in the filter and filter oil but it is not a big deal.
Leading evidence: 'Replace plugs' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check filter' (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
These tubes are about two years old and were replaced when the coil's were done.
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Suggestion
Might add when I had the spark plug tube o-rings replaced in my Boxster the tech told me the o-rings were in pieces due to age and miles (>275K) Had I bothered to check the filter after this work was done I suspect I'd have found some spark plug tube o-ring debris in the filter and filter oil but it is not a big deal.
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Suggestion · Original poster
I'll check the filter again shortly to see if I have any further pieces.
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Check filter
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Suggestion
Might add when I had the spark plug tube o-rings replaced in my Boxster the tech told me the o-rings were in pieces due to age and miles (>275K) Had I bothered to check the filter after this work was done I suspect I'd have found some spark plug tube o-ring debris in the filter and filter oil but it is not a big deal.
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Suggestion · Original poster
I got lazy and let an Indy do the coils, plugs and tubes last time (two years ago) instead of doing it myself as I have in the past, but I had a misfire, CEL and a clean air test in two weeks and just didn't have a spare weekend to do them myself.
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BTW, when the tech replaced the passenger side VarioCam actuator we talked about replacing the one on the other bank to address any wear if he believed the one he had out of the car showed excessive wear and he said the wear was well within reason and saw no reason to replace the other side.
Replace passenger side variocam actuator we talked about
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Suggestion
BTW, when the tech replaced the passenger side VarioCam actuator we talked about replacing the one on the other bank to address any wear if he believed the one he had out of the car showed excessive wear and he said the wear was well within reason and saw no reason to replace the other side.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
The path is an o-ring probably was nearly coming apart when someone changed the plugs and when the tube was pushed home the o-ring came apart and ended up under the camshaft cover.
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36 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
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Generation: 20261026T122219Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I did an oil change today and found a huge amount of red rubber or silicone looking debris stuck in the outside of the filter. Now I've inquired around and I have been told that the only red rubber material in an early 3.4 could be the O rings around the spark plug tubes. These tubes are about two years old and were replaced when the coil's were done. At the time I did have some oil leaking into the tubes so I changed everything at that time. Previous to today's oil change I have no oil leaks. With the exception that someone had the engine apart during the cars first few years before I got it, (unlikely) and used weird gadget material - can someone describe the migration path into the sump that these spark plug tube O rings could take that would make sense?
image_zpsyd8pgbum.jpeg
Are the bits soft/pliable or hard?
If soft/pliable that could be some kind of sealant though probably not factor sealant. The factory sealant is black I think. Or it could from some o-ring.
However, AFAIK the spark plug tube o-rings and chain tensioner o-rings are not red but black (spark plug tube o-rings) or blue/green (chain tensioner o-rings).
If the pieces are hard (composite plastic) then they are from one of the chain guide plastic rail coverings.
These guide rails can shed debris once in a while but they can be rather long lived. For instance all of the chain guides in my 2002 Boxster are original (except the passenger side VarioCam actuator rails) and the engine has covered just over 310K miles.
BTW, when the tech replaced the passenger side VarioCam actuator we talked about replacing the one on the other bank to address any wear if he believed the one he had out of the car showed excessive wear and he said the wear was well within reason and saw no reason to replace the other side. That was 50K miles ago and so far the engine has not manifested any signs of any chain guide wear.
Also, the bits may not be fresh. Upon the first engine start and for a short while after the rails can shed debris as they wear to conform to the chain. Once this happens then the debris shedding for the most part just stops, or becomes very very infrequent.
Some of the debris the rails shed get pulverized by the oil pump and end up in the filter or drained out with the old oil during any one of the first few oil/filter services.
(You won't believe how "filthy" the oil and filter were from my 2008 Cayman S's first oil/filter service that I did at just 750 miles from new. However, I have pics...)
But any larger debris in the oil sump that at least initially doesn't get ingested into the oil pump can over time break into smaller pieces and one of these can be picked up and of course routed to the filter where it is caught.
My usual advice is as long as the engine is not showing any signs of any issues, is not running poorly, and there is no CEL and no pending error codes you can run the engine as many miles as you feel comfortable with then drop the oil filter housing and the filter into a *clean* drain pan and paw through the oil and cut the filter open and check it for any debris. Most likely you'll find much much less debris than what is visible in the pics and probably none.
The pieces are really soft and spongy - you can split them in two with your finger nail.
The rubber looks exactly like the O rings on the spark plug tubes.
So my question is - what path could these pieces take that allowed them to get into the oil supply. The O rings look exactly like the ones I've replaced in the past.
Could be from the head to the oil sump then to the filter. Perhaps you can remove the spark plug tubes and check the red o-rings? If some pieces are missing, you need to replace them anyway.
Were the red o-rings genuine part?
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So is it possible that this oil ring (or likely pieces) can get pushed through the valve head and into the area behind where I assume is an oil flow area? These tubes do fill up with oil - I had that in the past and they can cause misfires as the oil conducts the coil energy trying to get to the plug. My plan is to drive a few hundred km's and drop the oil again and inspect the filter once more. I changed the oil last fall and these pieces weren't there and the car sat for the winter (unstarted even once) so what has occurred as happened probably this or last week when it went back on the road.
Whats 'genuine' now a days.
I know they came from worldpac.
If I don't find any more pieces in the oil I'll leave well enough alone as there are zero oil leaks from the car - unlike the last time I had these stupid tubes fill up with oil.
I believe the red o-ring is #29 and it's quite concievable pieces of it (deteriorating) fell into the head (cams area) and get carried to the oil pan via the scavenge pump.
The reason I asked is based on my personal experience the quality of rubber can vary a lot and aftermarket rubber can be inferior. Genuine Porsche parts has guaranteed quality, maybe except the AOS haha
Yeah, or it could have been 'pinched' going in and that might not have helped.... I got lazy and let an Indy do the coils, plugs and tubes last time (two years ago) instead of doing it myself as I have in the past, but I had a misfire, CEL and a clean air test in two weeks and just didn't have a spare weekend to do them myself. Sigh...
If it did, you would have MUCH bigger problems I'm guessing as it would have to pass by the piston and rings. Otherwise I would think it would simply be spit out the exhaust.
I think I have the answer, I can't find any pics but I have seen some around somewhere here before. I may be way off because no one has mentioned it, so take it with a grain of salt.
It is gasket material from an oil pan replacement. You need to drop the pan and I will bet you will find a bunch in the pan and on the oil pick up screen.
I looked around with a fibe optic camera probe inside the sump and it looked clean as far as I could see. The gasket seal that I see peeking out the seam of the sump plate
appears to be yellow.
Ok, then, the spark plug tube o-rings are red. Most likely given how soft the material is that's what you are seeing in the oil filter.
Really then that's nothing to worry about.
The path is an o-ring probably was nearly coming apart when someone changed the plugs and when the tube was pushed home the o-ring came apart and ended up under the camshaft cover. Once there the debris can and will make its way to the oil sump and being small and light be ingested by the oil pump and pass through this though probably not intact and end up in the filter. There were probably smaller pieces in the filter housing oil that you didn't see.
Might add when I had the spark plug tube o-rings replaced in my Boxster the tech told me the o-rings were in pieces due to age and miles (>275K) Had I bothered to check the filter after this work was done I suspect I'd have found some spark plug tube o-ring debris in the filter and filter oil but it is not a big deal.
So you are saying these pieces can't travel around and jam up small oil routes or squirters? I'll check the filter again shortly to see if I have any further pieces. Its such an odd issue huh? Could be worse - could have found a hunk of piston in there!
Plugged oil squirters or plugged oil passages do not seem to be a common problem. (Someone tore down an engine and found one of the piston oil jets (squirter) had a piece of aluminum (probably machining swarf) in it and this was somehow left in the engine when it was assembled at the factory.)
Anyhow doesn't appear to be that common. If so lots of Porsches would be on the side of the road with an engine suffering from some internal oiling problem.
If you do any engine work the engine will then shed debris when you fire it up and for some time after. There'll be pieces of sealant and some aluminum. If you replace any of the cam rails the new rail plastic will shed material as the chains wear the plastic to confirm to the form of the chain as it slides over the rail.
Well I showed the rubber bits to a well known Indy here in Toronto and he says its a bit of silicon gasket material. How / why / where it came from I have no idea but I'm going to drop the filter and check again soon. Shrug. Its got 172K on it and pulls really well, so I still drive it hard and change the oil quite often and won't worry about it.
Really soft, I can cut through pieces with my fingernail easily. I've seen ramp material from a friend's issues - this isn't remotely the same material. Its very 'chewy'
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I had a similar situation. I sent the oil out to be analyzed and they confirmed it was silicone gasket material and not to be concerned. It was caught by the filter.
