Oil filter bypass PSI problem

[wood_e]

After running the ARX clean phase with a Purolator L40416 on my Audi I went to find a Wix 51333. The guy at Orileys didn't have one but went and got me a 51452. I figured good enough, right? It fit fine and I didn't have any problems installing it for the rinse phase.

Fast forward to today. I got my hands on a 51333, and being that my rinse phase is over I put in some Q Torque Power 10w30.

I then noticed that the 51452 has a bypass setting of 8-11PSI, where the 51333 has 30. My Audi specifies a 3bar bypass pressure.

Was my rinse phase all for nothing?

 

[Big Jim]

My conversion program shows that 3 bar = 43.5 PSI.

That just doesn't sound right. 2 bar would be a little under 30 PSI.

In any event, a filter would need to have a lot of restriction before bypassing, even at 8-11 PSI. I would think that all is well in your cleaning process. How did the media look when all was said and done? Did you cut it open and take a look?

 

[wood_e]

Thanks Jim, I will be cutting the filter open tomorrow. I will post pictures of the L40316 (clean) media and the 51452 (rise).

Well, "requires" 3bar is what I've heard, but I haven't had a problem with the engine, and I can get the 51333s for a great price on fleetfilter.com

Thanks again!

 

[Gary Allan]

I'm not sure the reason for the ultra high bypass number on the Audi/VW filters ..but the media is substantially beefed up for the task. Now if they have some ultra high ceiling to the oil pressure that is substantially lower then the normalized operational pressure ..then it would be to assure filtration under high shock/transitional periods ..or to maintain filtration integrity over extended drains.

The bypass valve is there to protect the engine from oil starvation.

The bypass valve setting is to protect the media from ruptured/collapse.




There's nothing magic about Audi engines. Yet they choose this filtration oddity exclusive of all others (VW granted).

 

[wood_e]

Gary,

Thanks for clarifying what bypass means. I'm well aware that Audi engines aren't magic but they like to do some funky things.