Smaller filter improves flow?

[LouDawg]

I read this comment from a member on an Accord forum I'm on, and I'd never heard it before. It was a casual comment regarding flow vs. filtration. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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"Honda address this by using the smaller filter. Use good media = good filtration but lower flow. To counter lower flow, run a smaller filter = higher oil pressure = flow back to normal. Ok, so that's oversimplified and probably the oil pressure difference isn't that big...but that's my guess anyway."

 

[rpn453]

Quote:

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"Honda address this by using the smaller filter. Use good media = good filtration but lower flow. To counter lower flow, run a smaller filter = higher oil pressure = flow back to normal. Ok, so that's oversimplified and probably the oil pressure difference isn't that big...but that's my guess anyway."

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He seems to think that putting more restriction into the line will somehow increase flow. Not a very good guess!

Unless the pump is bypassing, flow won't change either way.

 

[Dave Hess]

They chose a small oil filter, that way the parts dept only has to carry one size oil filter.

 

[Gary Allan]

He may be mis-articulating that with a smaller filter the velocity through the filter is increased. It will have no impact on pressure or flow ..just the intermediate velocity change. It will slow less since it's not entering as big a chamber

That is, I agree with the honorable representative from Saskatchewan ..AND the distinguish representative from the Sunshine State.

 

[Titan]

I don't think flow has anything to do with why Honda went to a smaller filter. I think it is because the size they use is more than adequate, so, why go bigger? Not a very USA-type of attitude, or we wouldn't have so many SUV's rumbling around the grocery store parking lots with 250+ HP V-8 engines.

 

[harry j]

It seems to me that if you increase the flow through a filter, you may have more carrythrough of contaminents. That said, I think a larger filter would be prefered. Not just for more filtering media and oil capacity, but to offer more surface area vs oil flow.

 

[Tempest]

I agree with all that is said above.

I look at it this way: Filter media has a bunch of holes in it. A larger surface area of media will have more holes in it. This will offer less restriction, and as said above, improve filtration.

This of course assumes same media/oil flow.

 

[Kestas]

I think this depnds on a number of factors. If the filter has no drainback valve and the filter drains after shutdown, then there's a tradeoff between pressure-up at start versus filtering capacity. Otherwise, at steady state it doesn't matter. I wonder if that's what he meant by flow.

 

[harry j]

I was talking about steady state conditions. The oil surge at startup will force some contaminents through the media and into the sensitive areas of the engine. I would not consider using a filter without an anti drain valve (unless of course the filter is mounted vertically). Some ADBV's are better than others so that has to be considered as well.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Orientation of the filter doesn't matter if you have ANY engine oil passages that are located higher than the filter. Those will drain back if the ADBV is defective.
I'll agree there will be less oil draining back if the filter is located base up, however.

 

[harry j]

I didn't think about that Bill, you're right. How much oil could that be though? It is best to choose a filter that has a good ADBV to begin with and hope you didn't get one made on a Friday.