Oil Filter Housing Surprise

[Franco]

Hi,
Did an oil change today and found these plastic pieces in oil filter housing.
Anyone have an idea what they could be and do i need to put the car on sale

1997 Boxster with 98000 KM.

Thanks

[NewArt]

Bits of chain guide ramp. Plastic guides need replacing.

[Franco]

Thanks NewArt,

Nice to chat with someone from Montreal, do you know where I can get this done in our area.

Thanks

[NewArt]

Call Andrew at AGM (previously WeTune). Very capable, honest and not priced like the dealership! Specialises in Porsche and racecars. Phone 514-633-1497, he's located in Lachine.

[Franco]

Thanks NewArt, do you know if this repair is possible without removing the engine?

Franco

[Franco]

Hi, I have searched for hours trying to match these plastic pieces to all the chain related parts (photos) and I'm not convinced they are from the guides.

More opinions please

[ccjazz]

Disregard, was thinking cooling system

[BrokenLinkage]

If those pieces are indeed from the water pump and found their way to the oil filter housing, then you probably do need to list your car - as a roller.

[pomerlo]

Agree with you Franco.... normally the chain guide are more greenish/white plastic. But I maybe wrong here. Have you looked at the bottom of the filter housing to see if the spring valve mechanism is there and still complete ?

[particlewave]

Notice that they are all identical. That’s a big clue.

It’s definitely not chain ramp material.
It’s not water pump vanes.
It’s also not from anything in the filter housing.

.

[Franco]

Originally Posted by pomerlo

Agree with you Franco.... normally the chain guide are more greenish/white plastic. But I maybe wrong here. Have you looked at the bottom of the filter housing to see if the spring valve mechanism is there and still complete ?

Hi Pomerlo,

I did verify the bottom of the housing and the mechanism is still there.
Maybe these pieces are part of the housing serving as reinforcement seat for the spring and washer.
A diagram of the inside would clear up a lot of maybe's

Thanks

[Franco]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Notice that they are all identical. That’s a big clue.

It’s definitely not chain ramp material.
It’s not water pump vanes.
It’s also not from anything in the filter housing.

.

Can they be from the inside of the oil pan?

[particlewave]

I went through the PET and could find nothing matching the “s” curve. They do look like vanes of some type, but I can’t say for sure.

Hopefully someone with M96 engine tear down experience will have an idea.

[78F350]

Here's a pic of the big chain ramps that lead up to the heads. Note that the cracks can often form at a sharp right angle. Color is dark brown, not black.


Here's the chain guides on the cam chain adjuster. I don't think the fragments are from these.


I have a partially disassembled engine if anyone has a suggestion of another part to look at.

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by 78F350

I have a partially disassembled engine if anyone has a suggestion of another part to look at.

It’s hard to tell from the OP pics, but notice he has one on its edge so you can see the “s” curve that each piece has (if you look closely, you can see the curve in the others, as well).

How do the scavenger pumps work? I seriously doubt that they have plastic vanes, but just an idea.

[911monty]

Anything in the oil filter first has to get picked up from the sump, pass thru the oil pump pickup screen then get macerated thru the oil pump, not much chance of that happening with pieces that large. What type filter housing are you running?

[steved0x]

I had a piece in my used oil that even had a partial part number. The only match was the oil pickup tube. Ultimately I finally figured it was a piece off the oil filter end cap that broke off when I was cutting the ends to unroll it and fell down into the pleats. So depending on the mechanism you used to unroll the pleats to examine them, maybe it is a piece broken off in that process?

[Franco]

Originally Posted by 911monty

Anything in the oil filter first has to get picked up from the sump, pass thru the oil pump pickup screen then get macerated thru the oil pump, not much chance of that happening with pieces that large. What type filter housing are you running?

Hi, this is the housing on my Boxster.



Thanks

[78F350]

I'll offer you $1,500 USD for your broken Boxster.
...But, I think you just need a new oil filter canister.
Old style is smooth on the bottom:

New style canister has vanes at the bottom:


Vanes are "S-curved". Vanes are past the oil pick-up screen. Get a look at the bottom of your canister. Broken vanes?

[particlewave]

Nice detective work!

I checked my old canister and it doesn’t have those.