What is more important flow or filtration??

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PhoenixTL

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Hello,

Just picked up a bunch of Pure One filters from Amazon.

These filters appear to have excellent filtration BUT is it at the expense of flow?

What is more important in an oil filter....Filtration or Flow???
 
You want both. That said, I switched from DELCO Premium UPF-44 filters to WIX on my Corvette for better flow.

If you can eliminate some early, start up noise with a different filter, I would change, otherwise no problem. You see, the filter is not the most restrictive part of the oil circuit (usually the bearings are), so the filter will only affect start up oil pressure, until the steady state is reached. Now, a lot of people say this is when you get your most wear.
 
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Understood!....but the higher the filtration(stronger element) the lower the flow through the filter...

It is my understanding that there can be "too low flow" through the filter which would affect the engine
 
Originally Posted By: PhoenixTL
Understood!....but the higher the filtration(stronger element) the lower the flow through the filter...

It is my understanding that there can be "too low flow" through the filter which would affect the engine


Re-read my post above, I edited it and added info.
 
Originally Posted By: MarkC
Well, they're not called "oil flow enhancers"....

lol.gif


A bit crude, but for a street-driven vehicle I agree. If you're looking to eke out as much cold flow as possible, look to the oil IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: PhoenixTL
Corvette Owner

Did you have problems with the Delco Premium or just empirically switched????


Others on Corvette Forum said that they noticed less start up noise with other filters. My start up oil pressure increased 10-15 psi, since the Corvette's oil pressure sensor is AFTER the filter, more pressure equals more flow.
 
Originally Posted By: PhoenixTL
Understood!....but the higher the filtration(stronger element) the lower the flow through the filter...

someone correct me if im wrong, but from how i understand it, the flow will be the same, the oil pressure will just be a lil higher
 
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Yep, oil pressure before the filter will go up but with the positive displacement oil pump, flow will be the same.

Remember, there is a bypass there too whether it's on the engine or in the filter.

Don't assume that better filtration means less flow. This may be true of the conventional cellulose filters but not the synthetic media Amsoil and Royal Purple filters.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Yep, oil pressure before the filter will go up but with the positive displacement oil pump, flow will be the same.

Remember, there is a bypass there too whether it's on the engine or in the filter.

Don't assume that better filtration means less flow. This may be true of the conventional cellulose filters but not the synthetic media Amsoil and Royal Purple filters.


You forgot Fleetguard and Donaldson! LOL
 
The PureONE's media is a blend. When I asked them (Purolator) about percentages, it was the only time they played the propriatary card on me. But whatever the percentages, it must be something special to have almost unmatched filtering efficiencies(92.8% at 10 microns!). Check out the thread "PureONE Beta Ratios" further down this page. SuperBusa posted some info in it about flow rates.
 
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A little reduced flow in a street engine is not a big deal. In a racing engine yes.

In a true since I would say flow would be more important than a slight reduction in filtration as oil does many things including cooling the engine. But in a street application where a filter is changed at resonable intervals lack of flow should not be an issue.
 
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Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: MarkC
Well, they're not called "oil flow enhancers"....

lol.gif


A bit crude, but for a street-driven vehicle I agree. If you're looking to eke out as much cold flow as possible, look to the oil IMO.


That's about it. You've got a mix of compromises at start up that are way out of whack with a warmed engine. When they make fluids with 600VI or above, then the visc of the oil will be out of the equation.


To the OP: Try and find your engine's max oil flow potential. The average appliance peaks at about 5gpm. Some can go much higher or may have rpm ranges of operation that get them there.

..but we don't dwell in those ranges often. If we do, I would think that filtering ability would be secondary to fundamental wear. That is, some Fast & Furious type will be packing more power density into the thing ..or suffering from using the built in higher power density ...and paying the price for it in terms of longevity.

That is, the difference between one filter over another is more or less a mute point. You're wiping years off of the thing in how you're driving it ..why worry about the 0.5% you may avoid with a filter
21.gif


The filter will limit its apparent restriction to flow at those times. When in that scenario, the "real" difference between one filter over another is limited.

There may be some niche nuances for some owners ..but the vast ....vast majority of the rolling public don't experience them.

So are you a would be racer ..or a daily commuting driver subjected to all the mundane aspects of the habit for the largest portion of your motoring life? If the latter, buy the filter that you get the most value out of. Shorter OCI's ..cheaper filter. Longer drains, better filter.
 
Originally Posted By: PhoenixTL
Hello,

Just picked up a bunch of Pure One filters from Amazon.

These filters appear to have excellent filtration BUT is it at the expense of flow?

What is more important in an oil filter....Filtration or Flow???


According to this relative flow chart, the PureONE is a good flower too. Probably due to the large area of media used in them.

pi_filt_oil_gold_coldoil_thumb.jpg


Guys on the Vette boards report no loss of maximum oil pressure while using the PureONE. If the PureONE was restrictive to flow, you would see less max engine oil pressure when the oil pump was in pressure relief mode (ie, when at high engine RPMs). The reported max oil pressure on a stock C5 Vette using a PureONE and 5w30 Mobil 1 is 70 psi at high RPM (~5000) with hot oil (200 F +). I believe the oil pump pressure relief valve is set to ~75 psi ... so there is only ~5 psi pressure drop due to the PureONE filter at high flow rate.

I see the same 70 psi max engine oil pressure with a NAPA Gold on my C5 ... so the PureONE flows just as good as a WIX or NAPA Gold filter. In fact, if you look at the graph above, they are almost on top of each other.

The rumor that PureONEs restrict flow is false IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Yep, oil pressure before the filter will go up but with the positive displacement oil pump, flow will be the same.

Remember, there is a bypass there too whether it's on the engine or in the filter.

Don't assume that better filtration means less flow. This may be true of the conventional cellulose filters but not the synthetic media Amsoil and Royal Purple filters.


Not quite. Higher pressure before filter will force more oil to bypass valve after the oil pump and less to the bearings.

Mobil 1 and PureOne are more restrictive. There are many studies that document that. Not sure Amsoil, but possible.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Yep, oil pressure before the filter will go up but with the positive displacement oil pump, flow will be the same.

Remember, there is a bypass there too whether it's on the engine or in the filter.

Don't assume that better filtration means less flow. This may be true of the conventional cellulose filters but not the synthetic media Amsoil and Royal Purple filters.


Not quite. Higher pressure before filter will force more oil to bypass valve after the oil pump and less to the bearings.


The filter's bypass valve function is only based on the PSID across the filter media. The function of the filter's bypass valve has no connection with the oil pump's pressure relief valve. Given the right conditions (ie, flow, viscosity and bypass setting) a filter can go into bypass mode regardless if the pump is in pressure relief or not.

Of course if the oil pump pressure relief is set high, then the maximum oil supply pressure to the filter/engine will be higher and the result will be higher oil flow through the system. With higher and higher oil flow, the chances of the filter going into bypass mode becomes greater.


Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Mobil 1 and PureOne are more restrictive. There are many studies that document that. Not sure Amsoil, but possible.


You got a link to this data? I'd like to see it.
 
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