Changed the oil this weekend and there was a paste of metal attached to the magnetic oil pan bolt. The engine was rebuilt 9k miles ago. This is the 3rd oil change since then. I installed the magnetic bolt the last oil change I have used mobile1 0-20w in the last oil change, there is a 5600 miles between the last oil change and this one. I wiped the paste on a piece of paper and took a picture of it. This is a 1999 manual carrera the ims was changed at the time of the rebuilt but not updated.

Is this the ims going out?
Is this normal to have metal in the oil and this much?

 

A new or rebuilt engine can shed some metal. But after 9K miles and 3 oil changes the shedding should be pretty much over.

(For example I changed the oil in my new 2008 Cayman S at 750 miles and the oil filter oil was loaded with very fine alum. metal flake. This is normal. Another oil change at not quite 1500 miles found the amount of alum. metal flake quite reduced to the point it would not even show up in a photograph. At the 2000 mile (end of "break in") oil service done this time at the dealer I never bothered to check the oil by catching it in a clean drain pan because I expected the shedding of any metal to be pretty much over with.)

Have to comment: Are you using 0w-20 oil in the engine? If so stop that right now. You should be using 0w-40 (Mobil 1) which is the factory fill oil and suitable for all temperature ranges from real cold to Damn it is hot.

If you have been using 0w-20 oil that can account for the metal. The IMSB is probably unaffected unless is is the type (aftermarket) that requires oil lubrication but other parts of the engine can suffer severe wear from too light an oil.

If you switch oils there is no guarantee that the engine will be ok. The *damage* from running 0w-20 oil may have already been done and there is no undoing that short of a rebuild.

 

Thank you for your reply Macster. I changed it to 0w-40 mobil 1 now. From the picture of the paper could that be considered quite a bit of an amount? Giving the fact that some of it could of been lost in the filter.

 

As always, Macster's comments are spot on...but how did you ever select 0W-20 as your oil?

 

At this point is it worth keeping the car? If in the future I use the 0-40 oil and change it often?

 

I would think 5W-40 would be a better bet in CA.