How important is good oil "flow"?

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+1 for the K&N but don't overlook the Purolator Classic in white for great oil flow.

Originally Posted By: Spector
K&N is a great compromise, pricey but a great filter.
 
So to sum up what I've learned:

Filtration is secondary to flow when it comes to motor oil.

Glass media filters are better than paper media filters, because they flow more and filtration is secondary to flow.

Stainless steel media flows the most but isn't very good because its filtration is quite limited. Better to use glass media.
 
Anything oil related is important flow,correct pressure,right viscosity,rating I mean why even ask such a question?
 
Originally Posted By: boxcartommie22
i saw the royal purple filters and the flow tube small holes and inlet holes small in no way that this filter flow fast...i don't buy it...i do not believe 2 psid @ 12 gpm...


You can't just look at an oil filter and make a guess at how it's gonna flow. You need accurate bench test data to know for sure.

Here's such data for an average sized PureOne oil filter.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...451#Post1619451
 
Originally Posted By: DrScientist
So to sum up what I've learned:

Filtration is secondary to flow when it comes to motor oil.


The thing is, with today's filter technology you can have BOTH excellent flow and excellent filtration efficiency.

99.99999% of the engines on the road don't flow 12 gpm of oil at redline, and 99.999999% of the people on the road never hit redline while driving.
 
Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: boxcartommie22
i saw the royal purple filters and the flow tube small holes and inlet holes small in no way that this filter flow fast...i don't buy it...i do not believe 2 psid @ 12 gpm...


http://freepdfhosting.com/f06329551a.pdf

That's the data provided to me by RP for the filter for my application. So, either they're lying about the data, or your eyeball flow meter isn't as well-calibrated as you think. Given what I know about fluid dynamics, and the repeatability of standardized SAE tests, my money is on the latter. I simply do not believe that the inlet holes of any (non-defective) filter are the limiting factor for flow.


Per the linked flow vs PSID chart above, the Royal Purple flows very well ... better than most I've seen with similar test conditions.

Any filter that has 5 PSID or less at 12 GPM of hot oil flow is a pretty free flowing filter IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: DrScientist

So that is where I came up with the question. If the Royal Purple brand filter that I am wanting to use filters as well as they say, then surely it must be restrictive.


This is a common mistake ... it's a old internet tale that is slowly being defeated with real data (instead of someone's guess or imagination theory) to prove otherwise.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
Flow should take priority. Insufficient pressure will grenade a motor quickly. A bit of contamination *might* *slowly* damage the motor. But like everything in life, it's a compromise between the two.


The only time a more restrictive oil filter would actually be noticeable to an engine by cutting some oil flow, is when the oil pump is in pressure relief mode. Not many people run their engines to the point of oil pump pressure relief.

This is one reason it's a good idea to have an accurate oil pressure gauge in a car ... so you can tell when there's a difference in max oil pressure seen under the same operating conditions.
 
i like the high flow because its less drag on the engine and gives you about 4-7 more hp..also faster flow gives better protection in the frigid winter...all is my opinion and what i have learned..most paper filters 40u and let pass up to 200u...glass media is the best in comparison to synthetic or paper media...i just prefer the stainless route..you all have valuable opinions..bottom line is reg. oil and filter changes to keep your vehicle in top shape...we all kind fine tune that in our own way...this site is so valuable to learn all kinds of ways to take care of our vehicles...we do things over kill here which is a good thing.
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: DrScientist
So to sum up what I've learned:

Filtration is secondary to flow when it comes to motor oil.


The thing is, with today's filter technology you can have BOTH excellent flow and excellent filtration efficiency.


So which one would you recommend, sir?
 
Considering that I've learned on this board that the engine's oiling system itself is typically 15X more restrictive than the oil filter, I don't concern myself with the question.

I look for the best value filter(s) I can find. That is solid construction and good filtration at a great price, ie., value. For the OCI's I generally run that has been Pure One and Classic. Others may have different perameters(OCI's)or priorities(Synthetic fiber) of what works for them, which is fine with me.

Perhaps if I raced a car regularly at WOT, I might consider the question, but I don't so it's a non factor for me.
 
Originally Posted By: DrScientist
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: DrScientist
So to sum up what I've learned:

Filtration is secondary to flow when it comes to motor oil.


The thing is, with today's filter technology you can have BOTH excellent flow and excellent filtration efficiency.


So which one would you recommend, sir?


For an everyday street car that isn't ran hard very much, I'd consider filtration performance because even a PureOne with 99.9% @ 20 micron efficiency will still flow many times better than the engine will need. The link I posted a while back in this thread showed that a medium sized PureOne will flow 12 GPM of hot oil with a 5 PSI pressure drop. How many stock street car engines can pump 12 GPM? ... not many at all.

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Perhaps if I raced a car regularly at WOT, I might consider the question, but I don't so it's a non factor for me.


Exactly why I said what I did above.
thumbsup2.gif


If I was looking for a filter for a race car (ie, WOT at redline very often), then I'd use a racing filter that is specifically designed for super flow performance.
 
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