Oil Plug Screen

The "new to me" 8N front mount I've been converting to 12v, which typically mission-crept into other smaller repairs, has undergone its oil change. Previous owner had recently changed it, so it wasn't first on my list. But the drain plug was mostly rounded off and a bear to get out, even with the jack-and-wood device. But it was done. Old plug had no screen so ordered one from one of the vendors often mentioned here. The new plug's screen is poorly soldered, loose wire ends that are brittle and break off, besides being crunched in the shipment. I wonder if the screen is really helpful. Searching the archives there are opinions that the screen catches big loose things, that it sometimes causes the oil pick up tube to become loose due to vibration, and that it supports the tube to prevent it coming loose. Many opinions..., mostly several years old from writers not now posting. My opinion is that there are bigger problems happening if the screen is catching things, and I don't like the new one with friable loose wire ends that are small enough to get sucked into the oil tube. I would appreciate other opinions and experiences.

Someone before me used a bolt that was to long on the governor and chewed up the gear leaving big chunks of aluminum in the pan. My engine didn't have the screen and it sucked pieces of aluminum onto the engine and destroyed the bearings so I am now rebuilding the engine. I cant say the screen would have saved the engine or not but when I finish this engine I already have a new plug with the screen on it. Many of the small aircraft engines do not have a filter at all and use the same setup of a plug and screen that is cleaned at every oil change usually every 25 hours. These little engines fly thousands of hours with only a screen

i'd say don't let a defective part color your opinion of the usefulness of those parts. i'd absolutely be speaking to the folks u got it from, tho, and it sounds like the shipper too.

Thank you, Skip. I had a 180hp Grumman Tiger for 14 years and changed the oil and cleaned its screen every 50 hours; in that case it was a very substantial, hard metal screen about the gauge of electrical conduit, with punched holes. That would ease my worry here about the screen contributing to the problem of metal flakes or particles getting into the oil circulation. It is curious to me that both my 8N's came to me with no screens, on my first one I replaced it without questioning it at the time, but the new plug I got then (in the 90's) was substantially well soldered and nothing appears to be able to break off. I wonder what percentage run without the screen?

I use the screens in mine but I wouldn't use a damaged one.
Especially not one pieces might be breaking off from.
Like HFJ, I'd send it back for refund or replacement.
It may simply be a defective part. It happens.

All oil pump pick up tubes have screens in the automotive world. It would be nice to be able to clean them with out removing the oil pan so yes I would have a good'N on my N oil plug. Other than a screen there is nuttin else to trap debre before it goes thru the engine. Its not gonna catch it all but I will live with what it does.

I replaced the pan on a Chrysler a few weeks ago with a stripped out oil plug I was shocked to see that much chit from a stripped oil plug in the screen. Some got by it and in the oil filter it does not take much.

I have took apart a many pick up tube on a car engine pried the crimp open and replaced the screen with window screen wire. If window screen wire held up I would think what you have is nuttin to worry about.

Yeah the screen in an O-360 Lycoming is tough. I tell everyone it s just there to catch things that have part numbers on them. I have filters on both of mine