Black String-Like Debris Found on/in M-108A Oil Filter

[ClevelandCWRU]

Hi Everyone! I typically come here to read and learn and today I'm diving in with a question about something I haven't yet seen. Hopefully with your help I can gain a better understanding of what's going on. Here's the scoop:

Tonight while changing the oil on my 2017 Mazda 6 (2.5L Skyactiv-G), I was surprised to find some black string-like debris at the top of the oil filter I removed. It was both in and on the filter housing, sort of intertwined in the perf holes. It looks like it could be plastic?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Uz4useeQU119EP8FA

More Details:
[*] The filter was a Mobil 1 M-108A. I still have it, and add a picture once I figure out what
[*] It was installed on April 26, 2018 and removed on August 23, 2018 after 6,713 miles.
[*] The oil used Mazda 0W-20 with Moly.
[*] The vehicle has 27,308 miles on it.
[*] This is it's 5th oil change, and the longest drain interval yet.

My first thought is that the filter failed and something inside is falling apart. If that's true, I'm very glad I didn't ride this out until the oil life monitor prompted me to change (it was saying to go for another 5,500 miles!). I reached out to Mobil 1 customer service, but didn't have a way to attache any pictures. So we'll see what they say, and in the meantime, I'd love to hear what you all think it may be! How concerned would you be if this were your freshly removed oil filter?

 

[StevieC]

Maybe sealant that was floating around in the engine from new?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: ClevelandCWRU
Tonight while changing the oil on my 2017 Mazda 6 (2.5L Skyactiv-G), I was surprised to find some black string-like debris at the top of the oil filter I removed.


Was it loose, or glued on to the base plate? If loose, probably some sealant debris inside the engine. Dirty oil enters the filter through all those holes in the base plate. Filter did it's job.

 

[PimTac]

Deja vu? There was a thread just like this about a month ago.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub...ter#Post4822985

 

[rubberchicken]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Deja vu? There was a thread just like this about a month ago.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub...ter#Post4822985


First post was a Mazda as well. Sort of looks like RTV but could be paint.

 

[Shata]

Looks like everything is good. I mean do UOA to check wear levels. If everything checks out I wouldnt worry about it. Maybe was piece of plastic or sealant from engine being fairly new.

 

[Omahaug]

I wonder if it's seam sealer where the inner ring meets the baseplate, to hold the gasket in place. Usually they have seam sealer there, you can see it as a brown goop but it doesn't shed and seems unaffected by oil.

If you look "under" the ring, do you see anything? What about when you pull off the rubber gasket?

 

[quint]

I recently picked up a M1 filter at my local Autozone for my 240sx as I can no longer find the spec'd Fram Ultra for it, and after I got home I went right back and returned it. There was stringy black sealant type goop all over the inside of it, and looking straight down inside there were clumps of it on the drainback valve. It was dry and hardened, and I don't know if it would have dislodged or stayed put, but I wasnt taking the chance. I was not impressed with it at all. I have opened other M1 filters at our local Meijers and some looked great and others had the same thing. They feel like heavy, solid filters and some of the cut open ones I've seen here look good, but I'm thinking they have some quality control issues.

 

[StevieC]

When I dumped the Factory Fill in my Highlander recently the filter house had all sorts of grey metal looking bits in it. Upon closer inspection it was the silicone type sealant they use all over the place in this engine.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
I wonder if it's seam sealer where the inner ring meets the baseplate, to hold the gasket in place. Usually they have seam sealer there, you can see it as a brown goop but it doesn't shed and seems unaffected by oil.

If you look "under" the ring, do you see anything? What about when you pull off the rubber gasket?


Seam sealer is my guess also.

 

[PimTac]

I had to search for a decent filter as well when I bought my last M1 filter recently. The sealant robots must be out of whack. I did find a good one after opening a couple of boxes.

Next time I may consider another brand.

 

[ClevelandCWRU]

Originally Posted by NoNameJoe
I wonder if it's seam sealer where the inner ring meets the baseplate, to hold the gasket in place. Usually they have seam sealer there, you can see it as a brown goop but it doesn't shed and seems unaffected by oil.

If you look "under" the ring, do you see anything? What about when you pull off the rubber gasket?



You're right! I heard back from Mobil 1, and they said that's exactly what it is. Doesn't seem to be any damage, but we'll see what the UOA says.

Glad to learn that it's not a problem with my car. And while I can appreciate that Mobil 1 is owning up to the fact that it's a manufacturing defect, it's the last filter of theirs that I'll be buying.

Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[Omahaug]

Originally Posted by ClevelandCWRU
Originally Posted by NoNameJoe
I wonder if it's seam sealer where the inner ring meets the baseplate, to hold the gasket in place. Usually they have seam sealer there, you can see it as a brown goop but it doesn't shed and seems unaffected by oil.

If you look "under" the ring, do you see anything? What about when you pull off the rubber gasket?



You're right! I heard back from Mobil 1, and they said that's exactly what it is. Doesn't seem to be any damage, but we'll see what the UOA says.

Glad to learn that it's not a problem with my car. And while I can appreciate that Mobil 1 is owning up to the fact that it's a manufacturing defect, it's the last filter of theirs that I'll be buying.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Yeah I'd be leery too if I was in your position. If the seam sealer is coming off I'd wonder why. Is it the heat? Or the oil? If it does come off is the inner ring going to detach from the baseplate and move around? What about the gasket that the inner ring keeps in place?

That's not even considering the stuff ending up in the filter and possibly going through it if it ever went in bypass and it wasn't stuck in a pleat. No thanks, especially not when every price I've seen for those are a premium compared to Fram. There are tons of good oil filters that don't do that.