Bits of plastic in oil filter. Pics Attached. IMS failure imminent? Help!
 

Changed my oil on a 2001 Boxster 2.7L 57k miles. This is what I found...Translucent brown plastic pieces and black pieces in my oil filter..


http://i51.tinypic.com/2z4l3cj.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/nqv1mq.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/5vvn0l.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/14tlb92.jpg

Any ideas on what causes this? Thanks!

These pieces look like chain tensioner paddle wear pad (black) and vario cam wear pad (brown) fragments if they are plastic; I would make very sure they are plastic and not some strange gasket material. I would drop the oil sump cover to inspect for any debris sitting there. Do you have a cam shaft deviation reading from before you drained the oil? This may give you an idea about chain tensioner condition along with the ims bearing

From my limited experience in cutting open m96 filters, I m would say this more than normal wear and I personally would want to know the cause before continuing to run the engine. Perhaps the engine experts could chime in.

Thanks Jaykay. I will look up on your suggestions

Looked at my dealer records and they said they had the IMS seal and flywheel seal replaced 1.5 years ago from the previous owner....

Worrying...

In most cases, when an IMS bearing is heading south in a big way, you will find granular metal that is ferrous (can be picked up by a magnet), along with various other flakes and bits. I'd say that you have a tensioner pad wearing.

If this is keeping you up at night, have your cam deviation values measured at idle, if they remain steady, your IMS is still in working order. If they are bouncing around at idle, time for a retrofit..............

Agree with previous responses. I occasionally see the same bits in my oil filiter and believe that they are from the cam chain/Variocam tensioner pads.

90K mile engine continues to run fine with no variation in cam deviation values at idle. Spent 2hrs (four 30-min sessions) on Sunday running at Auto Club Speedway near redline and the engine was happy as a clam. :D

I see chain tensioner wear material.. More specifically IMS drive chain wear pad material... And maybe some IMS bering seal material.

This WILL NOT shop up in a used oil analysis... Anything big enough to visually see seldom shows up in UOA.

Don't run it any more at all and get it into the hands of a specialist with a good boroscope, experience with M96 engine failures and some sense.

Thanks Jake Raby Appreciate it!