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Thread: Some oil change weirdness

  1. #1
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    Some oil change weirdness

    I was doing an oil change this morning on my 3.0i and noticed a couple of things that didn't look right. I'm using Castrol 0W40 European Formula. About 3750 miles since the last change, which included a few hot summer (Mojave desert, 110F+) spirited driving trips. Never had any temperature issues as far as I could tell.

    1) the oil filter was buckled. It's a Bosch Steeltech. This didn't happen with the Wix XP I used before.


    2) I found some plastic fragments in the oil filter housing. The filter cap looks like it's intact. Is this a sign of timing chain guide deterioration?




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  2. #2
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    Any chance those pieces are from the previous oil filter? If they were laying there when you installed the new filter, that might be enough to buckle it.

  3. #3
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    If it was timing chain guide (especially the secondary one on top), wouldn't it make noise?

    It is not from the filter right?

  4. #4
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    Some oil change weirdness

    Edit: I haven't heard any rattling whatsoever, so hopefully that's a good sign.

    As far as I can tell the plastic on the filter is intact.



    Found a few more when I pulled apart the filter:


    I did the oil filter housing gasket 11 months ago so it shouldn't be that.


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    Last edited by nahvkolaj; 01-05-2019 at 03:16 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by saneesh8 View Post
    If it was timing chain guide (especially the secondary one on top), wouldn't it make noise?
    When we had to rebuild the VANOS system on my S54 Matt showed me the remains of the chain guide. The last inch and a half was about 90% gone compared to the new one, and it hadn't made any noise at all.

    Marty

  6. #6
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    I did the oil filter housing gasket 11 months ago so it shouldn't be that.
    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
    I want to be clear: You do know I was talking about pieces of the previous filter? ( the one you took out when you put in the one that is now buckled )
    I'm surprised that you still have it to inspect. The only way I'd know to try to determine this is to compare the pieces with the filter in the picture.
    The pieces I can see look like they have a radius to them, like they could have been part of something round, like the oil filter?,
    or pieces of the oil filter gasket you changed out?
    There is a reason that filter buckled. It's a clue about something...
    Last edited by zellamay; 01-05-2019 at 05:16 PM.

  7. #7
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    We may never know for sure, but it’s a good tip to make sure nothing is in the filter canister when reinstalling it with a new filter. Even if it’s not off the old filter, there could still be something left behind.

  8. #8
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    Some oil change weirdness

    Quote Originally Posted by zellamay View Post
    I want to be clear: You do know I was talking about pieces of the previous filter? ( the one you took out when you put in the one that is now buckled )
    I'm surprised that you still have it to inspect. The only way I'd know to try to determine this is to compare the pieces with the filter in the picture.
    The pieces I can see look like they have a radius to them, like they could have been part of something round, like the oil filter.
    I just looked at a new Mann filter I have, but it doesn't have the end-caps that yours does.
    There is a reason that filter buckled. It's a clue about something......
    I see what you're saying. I do not have the filter I pulled in June, only the one that I installed in June that I just pulled today. When I pulled the filter in June, I didn't notice anything off about it, but I can't verify that it was 100% intact.

    The pieces are extremely brittle, and so small that I don't know how they would cause the filter to not seat properly. They seem like a different type of plastic than the plastic caps on the oil filter.


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    Last edited by nahvkolaj; 01-05-2019 at 05:46 PM.

  9. #9
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    Does your 3.0 filter cap have the plastic cage?
    This is off my 3.0 M54.
    Could part of the cage broke off?
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nahvkolaj View Post
    ... I found some plastic fragments in the oil filter housing. The filter cap looks like it's intact. Is this a sign of timing chain guide deterioration?...
    The fragments do not look like they could be from breakage of the filter housing. They are so small, and you don't report any problem with the housing.
    They do look like the chain guide material.
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  11. #11
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    I am very curious what technology you believe was used to get these chain rail pieces into the oil filter. Do you believe they contain self-miniaturization tech to be able to pass through the oil pickup screen and then the 0.00x" clearances in the oil pump? Or are you thinking more in terms of direct teleportation?

    A properly fitting oil filter should crush slightly on installation to seal effectively. Further, they also tend to stick and thus get twisted when the cap is unscrewed during removal. Nothing unusual here.


    /.randy

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by rf900rkw View Post
    I am very curious what technology you believe was used to get these chain rail pieces into the oil filter...
    It was the OP who asked it the bits of plastic could be from the chain guide or the filter housing. I merely said the bits of material look more similar to the guide than the housing. Miniaturization and teleportation would rule out bits of chain guide appearing in the oil filter.
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by rf900rkw View Post
    I am very curious what technology you believe was used to get these chain rail pieces into the oil filter. Do you believe they contain self-miniaturization tech to be able to pass through the oil pickup screen and then the 0.00x" clearances in the oil pump? Or are you thinking more in terms of direct teleportation?

    A properly fitting oil filter should crush slightly on installation to seal effectively. Further, they also tend to stick and thus get twisted when the cap is unscrewed during removal. Nothing unusual here.
    I haven't had an oil pump apart (yet), but now that I know what's involved, it shouldn't be timing chain guide parts that I saw in there. I haven't noticed fragments in the drained oil, but I haven't checked closely either.

    Thanks for the help so far everyone.


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  14. #14
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    Are you sure they started as plastic? Could they be remnants of rubber that hardened via the heat?

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