I am considering trying an Amsoil bypass oil filtration system merely out of curiosity and the fun of tinkering. However, I am concerned about the 10% reduction in oil flow to the engine. Isn't this reduced oil flow/pressure in and of itself a potential cause of increased wear? Would replacing the stock oil pump with a higher volume pump be optimal or completely unnecessary?
Reduced Oil Flow Question
- Thread starter BerndV
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You wouldn't see an increase in wear from the loss of 10% of flow, unless that engine was already suffering from low oil volume (read: it was already worn out).
A higher volume pump typically only generates higher volumes at speed, not idle...and idle is were you have the lowest volume of oil being pumped through the system.
And in my guestimation, the volume they talk about would be the volume of the pump at free flow (0 psi), not the volume of the pump as its trying to push the oil through the tight tolerances of the engine (60psi). As long as you had oil pressure at idle, above the lowest recommended pressure stated by the manufacturer, you should be fine.
And to put it into perspective, a typical car oiling system is capable of gallons per minute, a bypass is only scavenging quarts per minute (typically around a quart per minute or less at idle).
A higher volume pump typically only generates higher volumes at speed, not idle...and idle is were you have the lowest volume of oil being pumped through the system.
And in my guestimation, the volume they talk about would be the volume of the pump at free flow (0 psi), not the volume of the pump as its trying to push the oil through the tight tolerances of the engine (60psi). As long as you had oil pressure at idle, above the lowest recommended pressure stated by the manufacturer, you should be fine.
And to put it into perspective, a typical car oiling system is capable of gallons per minute, a bypass is only scavenging quarts per minute (typically around a quart per minute or less at idle).
Originally Posted By: BerndV
I am considering trying an Amsoil bypass oil filtration system merely out of curiosity and the fun of tinkering. However, I am concerned about the 10% reduction in oil flow to the engine. Isn't this reduced oil flow/pressure in and of itself a potential cause of increased wear? Would replacing the stock oil pump with a higher volume pump be optimal or completely unnecessary?
I know Amsoil says "It draws approximately 10 percent of the oil pump’s capacity at any one time and traps the extremely small, wear-causing contaminants that full-flow filters can’t remove." When talking about the Dual Remote
But this does not mean the same as "10% reduction in oil flow to the engine"
The oil going through bypass is still at the same "pressure" and is with the rest of the volume in that oil line supplying the same volume of oil to the engine (at the same pressure)
I am considering trying an Amsoil bypass oil filtration system merely out of curiosity and the fun of tinkering. However, I am concerned about the 10% reduction in oil flow to the engine. Isn't this reduced oil flow/pressure in and of itself a potential cause of increased wear? Would replacing the stock oil pump with a higher volume pump be optimal or completely unnecessary?
I know Amsoil says "It draws approximately 10 percent of the oil pump’s capacity at any one time and traps the extremely small, wear-causing contaminants that full-flow filters can’t remove." When talking about the Dual Remote
But this does not mean the same as "10% reduction in oil flow to the engine"
The oil going through bypass is still at the same "pressure" and is with the rest of the volume in that oil line supplying the same volume of oil to the engine (at the same pressure)
Amsoil's Dual Remote Bypass Filter doesn't reduce flow. It just increases backpressure in front of the filter. Theoretically that could raise the pressure at cold startups above the pump's pressure relief setting, reducing flow for a short time but I don't think that is a problem. I have several used oil analysis that confirm this.
Other conventional bypass filters do reduce flow when the engine is warm (cold oil doesn't flow very freely through dense media), but consider this: Oil flow is not proportional to film thicknes in bearings - engine RPM is. Here is an interesting read:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/bearing-film-thickness.41177/
Depending on how the bearing lubrication is designed, I believe that relatively small variations in oil flow would have no effect since you still maintain hydrodynamic lubrication. You would have to be putting heavy loads to approach boundary lubrication state. This is especially true at higher engine speeds, where film thickness is naturally increased (think of a slip-and-slide).
Besides - It is likely that most of the wear in your engine occurs during boundary lubrication conditions (during startup) and is increased with the presence of larger, hard suspended particulates (Silicon is a primary culprit). This is precisely what all bypass systems avoid. IMO, the primary purpose of increased flow is the reduction of heat buildup and the flushing of any suspended particulates.
It is unlikely that the benefits realized by countless bypass filter users is just a fluke.
Other conventional bypass filters do reduce flow when the engine is warm (cold oil doesn't flow very freely through dense media), but consider this: Oil flow is not proportional to film thicknes in bearings - engine RPM is. Here is an interesting read:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/bearing-film-thickness.41177/
Depending on how the bearing lubrication is designed, I believe that relatively small variations in oil flow would have no effect since you still maintain hydrodynamic lubrication. You would have to be putting heavy loads to approach boundary lubrication state. This is especially true at higher engine speeds, where film thickness is naturally increased (think of a slip-and-slide).
Besides - It is likely that most of the wear in your engine occurs during boundary lubrication conditions (during startup) and is increased with the presence of larger, hard suspended particulates (Silicon is a primary culprit). This is precisely what all bypass systems avoid. IMO, the primary purpose of increased flow is the reduction of heat buildup and the flushing of any suspended particulates.
It is unlikely that the benefits realized by countless bypass filter users is just a fluke.
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Originally Posted By: BerndV
I am considering trying an Amsoil bypass oil filtration system merely out of curiosity and the fun of tinkering. However, I am concerned about the 10% reduction in oil flow to the engine. Isn't this reduced oil flow/pressure in and of itself a potential cause of increased wear? Would replacing the stock oil pump with a higher volume pump be optimal or completely unnecessary?
I can't add much to what's already been said. I will just point out that you can achieve the dual remote "no loss" effect by using a single Amsoil bypass mount and using a Permacool sandwich adapter. This is what I recommend where room is at a premium. You can just put the EaO on the sandwich.
I am considering trying an Amsoil bypass oil filtration system merely out of curiosity and the fun of tinkering. However, I am concerned about the 10% reduction in oil flow to the engine. Isn't this reduced oil flow/pressure in and of itself a potential cause of increased wear? Would replacing the stock oil pump with a higher volume pump be optimal or completely unnecessary?
I can't add much to what's already been said. I will just point out that you can achieve the dual remote "no loss" effect by using a single Amsoil bypass mount and using a Permacool sandwich adapter. This is what I recommend where room is at a premium. You can just put the EaO on the sandwich.
Keep in mind that the oil pump has its pressure control valve in the sump. At high rpms (or cold, thick oil), this control valve dumps part of the pump output back to the sump to prevent excess pressure. The conventional bypass oil filter (not the Amsoil dual remote) is just another path for the oil to follow and does not rob oil from the engine when the engine is up to speed with warm oil--the pressure control valve just doesn't have to open as far and dump as much oil to maintain pressure. If the oil pressure is low at idle rpms, little or no oil is forced through the dense bypass filter.
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