Downsides to bypass filters

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I think the biggest barrier to entry in bypass oil filtration is what slalom alludes to - mechanical inpetitude. You have some people with new cars, money to spend and no clue. All they know is they want to take care of their baby and make it last, all the while paying someone else to do it.

Better to just plan on using, abusing and throwing it away (or trading for minimal value) after a few years in those cases.

But that is not a bad thing! GM may just survive with enough of these type customers.
 
The reason that a certified mechanic won't install it is because there is no computer code for it. How would they know what to do. Worse than that, they might have to drill a hole, cut a hose and figure out where to put it and how to route the lines. There isn't a computer code for any of that stuff. Besides, where would the mechanic find a drill? When changing parts, the holes are already drilled. And they will be looking for the old filter to remove it first. A certified mechanic would look at Gary Allan's work and have a stroke, if he had to do the same.

There is one other issue. The bp filter could hide a problem. You could have a wear problem that reads normally on a used oil analysis, because the bp filter is catching a lot of the evidense.
 
by-pass filters are plumbed in parallel in vehiles if i understand the literature i've read, if installed in series(not smart), then a post bypass uoa would be more misleading than a pre bypass uoa. both used oil analysis should still indicate wear issues out of the ordinary since only a portion of the oil is being filtered by both filters. the oil is neither all clean or all dirty at any given time.
 
A bypass filter will pick up particles that might otherwise just continue to circulate in an oil system. The ratio of particles to the severity of the problem will be different with the bypass filter. The filter only filters a small amount of oil at a time but it won't take much time at all for the biggest percentage of the oil to have gone through the filter many times. On the other side of the problem is the ability to look at some bypass filter elements to see what has been picked up. This is especially true of the tp filters. Everything about bypass filters is positive except the purchase price and difficulty of installing them.
 
THATS funny about warranty denial because of a bypass filter.
all my trucks had em or have em and no one has ever said you can't do that.
i would imagine it would be an intersting conversation at the service bay,
:-)
 
To deny a warranty claim wouldn't you need proof that the bp installation acutally caused the problem. I can think of one situation, a broken line that would allow the oil to be pumped out of the engine. But as far as the function of a bypass filter causing a failure, I doubt it.
 
Lets go on the flip side of that. Can you prove that it hasn’t caused problems. The only way I think that could be done is to save used oil analysis, and have someone to translate and back up what you have written down for those idiots(warranty people) who don’t want to give out any money
 
So when it is all said and done, the only downsides to bypass filters we can determine are the relatively minor issues slalom mentions and a "potential" warranty issue arising in an "extremely unlikely" scenario (lube-related failure).

Which by the way, is easily remedied or worked around by anyone willing to spend 20 minutes un-installing a few pieces and maybe plugging a hole.

Once again we demonstrate how an isolated case or two get over-analyzed and blown all out of proportion, generating another Internet myth:

WARNING: BYPASS FILTERS INVALIDATE WARRANTIES!!

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!

Sheeesh...
rolleyes.gif
 
Well I had a problem with my BP setup. The Hose blew in 5000 miles. Lucky I noticed it quickly and shut it down. Lucky I had a spin on filter and 5 quarts to replace it in the trunk. No damage was done. I removed it when I got home. Its still in the barn. I may hook it up to my Dakota if I can find a place to fit it. Any suggestions on where to install on a 93 Dakota ?
I understand how it works. I do OA in my job. But there isnt alot of places to put the filters in these new cars.
 
I'm researching this kind of thing now. If you don't mind - what kind of hose was it that blew? Was there any printing on the hose that would identify it? Was it part of a commercial kit or something you genned up?
 
If you don't want the hoses to be a problem, go to your local hydraulic outlet, and have them make you a couple hi pressure/temp hoses. I had 2 three foot lengths done with fittings for 30$. Not sure on the hose brand, but it is 3000 psi and 312 degrees F. Then I used brass fittings for the rest.

Another idea I had after I got the thing installed was to have steel lines fabricated. The guy at the hydro shop told me a trick. you take a role of solder and map out where you want the lines to go. Then take it into the shop and have them make one identical to the solder with rubber hose on the ends for minor adjustments. Im pretty sure this is what I am going to do on my next setup.

good luck
 
"I have (3)engine oil TP filters in use for almost 2 years now, and haven't changed the oil on any of the vehicles. That's about 13 oil changes that I didn't have to do!"

Yes, I did this with my 1968 Nova. Problem is that the oil chemistry does not keep up with what it takes to keep the rings from sticking. I ran with a TP change every month and full flow filter change every year. After about 3 years, the 30 year old engine failed due to poor maintenance... at 325,000 miles. Looks like a joke, but its not. All the oil rings were coked in place. Half the compression rings were stuck in their grooves. Had to bore 0.040" to clean up the cylinders. The crankshaft miked new.

You still need to change the oil!! However, when filtration falls below the micron level, the upper ring travel wear falls dramatically. I had a piston fall out of a 145,000 mile Olds diesel. No ridge at the top of ring travel. There were hone marks under the top of ring travel.

One more time: You still need to change the oil!!! I'm sorry. I am starting to cry...
 
Boyce, you know, you have actually pointed up a downside to bypass or any additional filtering.

It's only human nature to think "Oh, boy, I've really fixed up that filtering mess, and now I can go a long time between changes." and then to go *too* far between changes.

Over confidence is one side effect of additional filtration.
 
Couple of points here fellas:

1) Hoses don't just "blow." It was either the wrong type of hose, incorrectly installed, and/or damaged by a nearby moving part or other obstruction (stupidly installed).

2) Overconfidence is an indication of people who don't know what they are doing. People who don't know what they are doing get into trouble with all sorts of things - not just bypass filters.

As Clint Eastwood once said, "A man has got to know his limitations." A smart bypass user has got to know his oil's limitations.

The term "UOA" comes to mind.

So what is the downside? Human stupidity?

crushedcar.gif
 
I'll go along with you on this one Gary! Here's my premise:

Vehicles with internal combustion engines NOT equipped with bypass filters off the assembly line are fundamentally defective. Designed to expire shortly after falling into the hands of owners who for whatever reason (carelessness, incompetence, ignorance, or just plain stupidity) allow them to do so by not changing/checking their oil often enough.

Maybe a "premium lube system" option for those willing pay for it?

Then I woke up...
pat.gif
 
I should have put a bunch of smileys in my comment.

But yes, manufacturing defects in the hose was what I had in mind, too.

'course, there's always manufacturing defects in the ... owner....

smile.gif
 
I have used oil analysis to support the continued use of the oil with bypass filters installed.
A 325,000 mile engine going south after 3 years of bypass filtering cannot necessarily be blamed on the filtering IMHO.
 
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