VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 216 oil pressure part two

The other thread about the proper oil pressure and what is causing the high readings he's getting reminded me of a question I've been meaning to ask for some time but keep forgetting.

Being cognizant of the fact that a bypass filter only filters a fraction of the oil volume passing through the engine at any one time, the thought occurred to me early on that there may be a way to filter most, if not all of the oil. Thusly I had a device machined to go between the block and distributor valve body that would take the oil being pumped to the distributor valve and divert ALL of that oil to a remote, spin-on filter, then return it to the distributor valve to proceed on it's merry way. The oil passageways in the device were sized the same as those in the distributor valve.

The device is shown in the first pic below. Next is a pic of the filter, connected to the device, with the car in service.

The first thing I noticed was a huge increase in oil pressure. The oil pressure gauge would peg when cold, even at idle, and would stay pegged even when hot at normal operating speeds. Hot idle would show about 17 PSI. I noticed no undue noise from the engine but I was concerned that I might be doing damage to my engine so I removed the device after putting about 50 miles on the car with it installed.

My question is, would using this device cause damage to an engine? An inquiring mind wants to know.

Tennessee logic..Wouldn't that be like putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose because of the restiction you would be increasing pressuse but cutting the volumn of the flow.

Maybe that's why the government didn't locate NASA in Tennessee,....none of that made sense...smiles

BTW. don't do anything based on what I said, I don't have a clue. Just thinking outloud.

Tiny...Would not a drastic increase in Oil Pressure tend to "WASH" the bearing, or the surface that is being lubricated?
To high a pressure is (in my thinking) just as bad as too little pressure because the lubrication does not properly remain in contact long enough to coat the surface of the part that you are trying to lubricate...Just A Though...ED

All of the reasons above are why I removed it. Unusually high pressure generally means a restriction somewhere which 'usually' is bad news. I just don't know enough about the overall pathways of the oil to know if the restriction in that particular area is particularly harmful or not. It didn't stop the oil flow, just directed it through a filter before allowing it to proceed. If the oil pressure gauge port was located after the filter instead of before, I think it likely would have read close to normal. But again I don't 'know' that so that's why I'm asking.

Tiny,
You must have alot of time on your hands in good ole south Kansas---. I love discussing the pressure/temp/volume issue. Look back in your Chevy engine specs from 1965 I think and you will see where the higher HP Corvettes went to 100 psi oil pump/relief valves- but not for long. Engineering must have figured that would ensure oil got to bearings under extreme RPM and load. I never heard an explanation for why it got changed back, maybe ChevGene knows. Sorry to digress a bit. I was taught that oil must BOTH lubricate and cool so if volume falls too far you could lose the cooling effect so critical under hot/severe load conditions. What really needs to be measured is volume out of that full flow system you devised and comparative oil temps. A certain minimum psi is probably neccessary but your increase might mean the 'garden hose' was overly throttled!
Don't stop the experiment now, Tiny- this could give us something to debate for weeks ( or maybe toast your motor)
Dan

Yes, as the man said, you are putting a restriction in the oil supply to the engine oil gallery reduced the flow, put back pressure on the oil pump and probably have damaged your main bearings. Don't try to re-engineer your babbit slinging splishing, splashing old engine. You need to install a Lever B up in the cockpit to remind you to "Leave'er Be"!

Why do you insist upon having to filter all the oil flow anyway? Don't you realize that the bypass filter will eventually run the major part of the oil thru the filter, if not what the heck? I don't even run any filter on my 1953 or 1951 engines. I figure that those hoses running to and fro on the side of the engine and that tin-can filter holder are just several other placed to have an oil leak. My cars run fine and I just change the oil once a year I drive less than 2,000 miles per year.

Well it looks like the consensus is that it's not a good idea. I ran the experiment several years ago so hurting my new engine by using it isn't in the cards. My reasoning was that if I could filter more of the oil without damaging the engine it would be a good thing. I know that eventually all of the oil will be filtered but more is better.....right? OK, it'll take a place in my file of 'better' ideas.

I think Mack has taken the best approach with an old low pressure babbit burner. A bypass filter is more a decorative "accessory" and less of a useful engine component. These engines are meant to turn relatively slowly and 2000 mile oil changes with quality oil will work just fine IMHO.

I had a filter on my 235 at one time...IMHO, it was more trouble than it was worth...

What happened..leaks? I put one on mine. I hope I never have to do anything.

Don't like the original style?

What was the "original style oil filter"? Do you mean the accessory one from AC or one from Fram?

Mine was the original style ( can't remember the type ) And yes, after a while it would leak...Tighten things up, and after a while it would leak, again...I had to give it up...It was my "work" truck...I ran a tree removal service and you just can't park on customers drive-ways and in front of their house with a "leaker"...

Yeppers. Wrong terminology? Steve's picture looks like a modern spin on to me.

YEP. It's a spin on (chrome) type. No toilet paper for me...smiles

No toilet paper for me either. Just a Wix filter element.

My set-up was similar to Tiny's...And it would leak at the line connections...

Why are you guys going to all this trouble with all this filter stuff??
I change my oil every Spring, when I wake my car up after a winters sleep. I always use 10w30 with a quart of MMO.
The oil always comes out clean...Filter...Filter... I don't need no stink'n filter. Filters are for folks that think they can stretch the time between oil changes and save a few bucks by spending 4 times the $$$ that a oil change would cost on a filter installation......ED

There you go...Are you happy now...? grin

Gotta disagree Ed. The reason I installed a filter is my belief that removing any particulate is a good thing for the life of my engine. If filters weren't good for our engines we wouldn't have them on cars today. IMHO any filtration is better than no filtration. BTW I normally change oil in the spring too. My car is 'asleep' only about two months out of the year. With the new engine approaching 500 miles I'll be changing early this year.

Tiny...You Know and I know That what ever comes out on the market there is a brain trust sitting there thinking "How can I jump on this band wagon and make money on this"???.
With that said I will remind you of the 3or4 (maybe 5 or 6 or 7 ?) of isle's of additives for auto's to make your "Car Run Like New" in your local auto supply store....Or Drug store?? for that matter, To make your body "run like new"..With a testimonial from a person who has no interest in this product (Yea Right) saying.."I am 75 years old and I took a swig of this stuff and now I feel like I am 16 again!....Buy it....You wont be sorry Amen.
You Know and I know....Its All about the almighty Dollar...ED

Forty with original engine. Crank journals standard with no measureable wear. One shim left on rods. 132,000 miles. No filter. Something is working. Grandkids are gonna have to turn that crank in 20 years or so.