Sentinelist

This is slightly embarassing. And I can't say for sure. But I want to say while topping the 951 up with a half-quart late this evening that I saw an object flow out of the bottle with the oil and into the refill duct... it wasn't the white paper seal in the cap, that was still there. Most of the foil was tucked in around the opening of the bottle after I broke the seal a couple weeks ago (stayed capped of course). I'm sure, being as OCD as I tend to be, that I would have plucked any 'hanging chads' from the foil seal, and I usually tear out at least half of it to throw away. Maybe it was just the oil flow itself changing direction or an air bubble... I peered inside the duct and even went in with some flexible grabber tongs with a tiny LED light in the middle- nothing stuck in there, looks fine...

But what if perhaps 25% of a foil seal went in? I'm almost scared to start the thing now. Will the engine just tear it to shreds and munch it up, leaving it in crumbs at the bottom? Or is it going to jam the camshaft and I should just call a flatbed now for surgery?

gricec

Your be fine.

Oil pump has a screen so nowt will happen

Jrboulder

I wouldn't worry about it.

zcacogp

As gricec said, there is a mesh on the oil pump so it won't go anywhere. Worst case scenario is that it will lie flat on the mesh and partially block it, but this is unlikely.

If you are really worried, start the car, watch the oil pressure gauge, let it run to temperature and then drain the oil nice and quick. But, given you aren't sure there is anything in there, not finding anything in the drained oil wouldn't tell you anything.

Just drive the car and enjoy it.


Oli.

Van

I would be worried - any partial blockage of the oil pickup tube will reduce oil flow to the engine.

LC MotorSports

I have to agree with Van on this one... any blockage (even small) will reduce the oil flow...

No HTwo O

This has always crossed my mine. And when adding the yearly Techron or Sta-Bil prior to winter hibernation. Never happened, but does cross the mind.

aljolyn

I never had a 944 engine apart so I don't know how the oil flows to the pan but I've had the big block in my speed boat apart several times and can tell you when you fill it with oil It first goes through the head, rocker arms, springs and the valley where the cam is before the pan. Just saying I wouldn't want something stuck on a push rod, spring or cam.

Oddjob

944 motors, the oil fill drains pretty much directly into the pan. If the piece is large enough it may wedge in the bottom of the filler/breather tube and not even get into the pan. If it does get into the pan, it will likely not make it thru the screen of the oil pickup, if small enough to pass thru the screen it will get picked up in the filter. It will never get to the engine mechanicals.

The screen/head of the pickup is what.. maybe 3" diameter (7 in2 cross-sectional area with maybe 60-70% open area thru the screen mesh, so conservative estimate of 4 in2), and the oil pickup tube itself is maybe 3/4" diameter (0.44 in2 cross sectional area)? Certainly a legitimate concern, but I would think you can block off a lot of the screen w/o it signficantly reducing flow thru the pickup tube. It should be designed that way on purpose; thats pretty much the point of the big head and screen on pickup tubes - to catch large debris.

SalzundPfeffer

If Porsche engineering designed the screen/strainer properly, a substantial blockage shouldn't compromise the flow of oil. In the aerospace business, at least as a rule-of-thumb, fuel carrying components have filters/strainers sized such that if 80% of the filter surface area is blocked, the blockage should not cause more than a 1% pressure drop in the fuel circuit.

OddJob's logic seams correct. Kind of like the fuel tank screen, the screen for the oil sump probably functions as a "rock catcher" for foreign debris coming in through the oil filler.

f1rocks

Didn't Porsche even change the size of the pickup tube screen to a smaller size?

While I certainly wouldn't like something floating around in there as it will likely be stuck to the screen till you pull the pan for rod bearings and such. I wouldn't think a square cm of material would impede the pickup.

Just remembering, doesn't Lindsey sell a ring for the oil pickup tube that reduces the surface area as well when you buy the baffle kit? I would think that would be a far bigger reduction in inlet size.

TexasRider

You will be fine. Just run it and change oil and filter. If for nothing else, for piece of mind.

This is one reason that I use a box cutter to cut one swipe in the foil and fold it outwards and remove the foil. I even have a small screwdriver with the blade bent over a bit for the job too. When I went through a lot of quarts I used a funnel with a screen in it too.

It happened to me once way back on one of the motorcycles. Interestingly it flowed right out when I pulled the plug.

Sentinelist

You guys are great- thanks for not giving me any grief. I figured it was actually a legitimate concern, and I'm surprised I haven't seen one of these threads before due to human error. I had completely forgotten about the screen- that would definitely catch it. And yes, the oil does drain straight into the pan, or at least the bottom. So unlike on my Audi 4.2, it doesn't drain top-down over all the moving parts. Smart design by Porsche after going through this.

I checked this thread before I left for work this morning, and sure enough, no trouble. Runs great. I do plan to change the oil anyway before the summer.

StoogeMoe

Has anyone ever dropped a whole cap into the filler whole? I was thinking about that just a week ago when changing my oil. I think it would go right down there.

Hollywood D

Hmmm, that would definitely suck. I always use a funnel even though the filler neck on these engines is huge.

Sentilest, what if you try draining out the new oil into a clean container and then sifting through it for the foil. Then just put the oil back in so you're not out 7 quarts.