Oil filter bad news

[rwmastel]

I just changed my oil on Saturday and found two problems:

First, I did not have the upper oil filter seal installed in the filter canister mounting assembly (for lack of a better description of what holds the oil filter canister).  I had bought one about 1 year ago, but when I changed my oil last summer and this winter I forgot to check for this seal.  Maybe I have ADD?  I remembered this time and it was not there!  So, for an unknown amount of time (years?), my oil filter system has been fairly useless.  This explains how it gets so dirty so quickly.  It also explains the worn top end that allows all the oil smoke out the exhaust!  On a side note, I also replace the rubber seal in the bottom of the canister.  This was a little tricky because the old one was so hard, but it's something anyone can do.

The second (and related) problem is that during my oil changes I have been getting little carbon deposits left in my oil filter canister.  I believe they are carbon deposits because they are about the size of sand grains, appear to be black even after drying them off with a paper towel, have an angular crystal-like appearance, and they do not stick to a magnet.

How serious of a problem is carbon grit?

How much more serious is it since my filter was probably not filtering much of this?

Rodd
1966 230SL Euro
1994 E420

[Cees Klumper]

Moral of the story - always check this upper seal. Common opinion is indeed that the filtering action is cancelled if you don't have this seal in place, and it does not come with the regular oil filter seal set. So you need to order it specially. The engine Joe Alexander and I rebuilt two weeks ago did not have this seal which most likely accounted for the excessive wear, causing us to have to go to second overbore straight from stock.
As for carbon deposits in the canister, I would personally worry about deposits that are NOT in your canister but, rather, clogging up critical oil passages to the main and rod bearings, camshaft etc etc.
Rodd - check out the website of Metric Motors - they offer a cylinder head rebuild for not too much money. This may address your oil consumption etc problems. If not, you can always pull the engine block later to have that addressed.

[ja17]

Hello Rodd,
Those deposits are most likely crystalized sealing compound used ages ago somewhere on the engine. As long as they are not metal, and not too plentiful they probably will not cause any problems.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Bill Rader]

Hi Rodd,
Are you sure its carbon and not rubber?
Try taking the particles and expose them to high heat.If they melt,burn or bubble then they are probably rubber.If they stay hard or don't change much it might be carbon.
I'm betting its rubber from a deteriorating seal.
Also try putting cheap oil back in and run it for an hour or so then drain it out(hot)in a clean container.Let it set overnight and then pour off the oil and look for more particles in the bottom of the container.
If you have none or very few then put good(new)oil in and check it again after a thousand miles or so.
If on the other hand you have a disturbing amount of particles in the container then try the flush check again and it should be very clean this time.
Remember the particles have to get by the oil filter before they can plug the oil passages.
Keep an eye on the oil pressure gage.
E-mail me or call if you have any questions.
Good luck!
Bill Rader

[pkiefert]

I would suggest the next time you change the oil, that you might also take off the lower oil sump to see what may be settling in there. Hopefully nothing of concern. Or do it when you fix the head. It's not too much trouble. Gasket is cheap and readily available. I was pleasantly surprised to find my 100,000KM motor to be very clean. I recently checked my canister seals to find them intact but just like Joe predicted, the upper one was brittle and ready to crack apart and the lower one was quite hard.

[rwmastel]

- Cees
Yes, that is the moral of the story.  I have been repeating those wise words to people for over a year and I never check my own through lack of brain power.

- Joe
I'm not familiar with the sealing compound, but if it's not too harmful then great.

- Bill
I can try to heat some because I still have the drained oil in a pan (plastic container).  Reagrding your statement about keeping an eye on the oil pressure, see my next message thread that I start.

- Phil
I tried to put my finger in the drain hole and feel for more grit.  There is little space in there because the oil pump (I assume) is right there, less then one inch from the drain hole.  I would like to take off the lower pan at my next oil change and see what there is.  That oil change will be much sooner than normal, maybe at the end of July.  I already have about 150 miles on the car since Saturday's oil change.

Thanks everyone, I'll keep you updated on what I find.

Rodd
1966 230SL Euro
1994 E420

[pkiefert]

Rodd, since you still have the oil, I just remembered that NAPA sells an oil analysis kit that you send off to some lab.  Perhaps that would give you information about your residue and/or metal wear.

[rwmastel]

Phil,
Hello.  Yes I actually have used their kit in the past and received some very interesting information which I can not currently recall.  I do remember it being disturbing!  I will have to find my paperwork to see what they told me.  I do recall they said it was important to sample it warm and on it's way out of the drain hole.  This is because all the wear items and pollutants (fuel, coolant, etc) are evenly mixed where in my plastic oil catch pan everything has settled and seperated.

Rodd
1966 230SL Euro
1994 E420