Oil Filter Bypass Valve

[c3po]

Hopefully the small block chevy experts can chime in, obviously I have a small block chevy and I was wondering if the bypass valve is either in the engine block or is it in just the oil filter. Could I have a bypass valve in the engine block too, since I am sure oil filters come with a bypass valve that is like a spring.

If there is a bypass valve in the engine block, can this go bad, and are there any symptoms too look for, when I change my oil and I take off the oil filter it is full of oil.

 

[SuperBusa]

What year engine are you talking about? I know on the newer SBC engines that bypass valve is definitely in the block. Filters for these engines do NOT have a bypass valve at all.

Any mechanical device can "go bad". If a filter bypass valve goes bad, regardless if in the block or in the filter, it would be hard to determine.

If the bypass valve failed to open, one hint would be that your max engine oil pressure would be much lower than normal because the filter would be choking flow more if the bypass valve wanted to open, but didn't open enough or not at all when it should have.

 

[c3po]

Sorry, this is a 1983 model year engine.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: c3po
Sorry, this is a 1983 model year engine.


Not sure on an 83, but I'd think the filter bypass is in the block.

If you go buy a filter for that engine, does the filter have a bypass valve in it?

When I go buy a filter for my 2002 small block Chevy, the filter has no bypass valve. The shop manual also shows the filter bypass valve in the block.

If you have a service manual, I'd suggest looking there to see what it shows.

 

[Colt45ws]

If the filter has an adbv, it should be full of oil. This would not be affected by a bypass.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: Onmo'Eegusee
If the filter has an adbv, it should be full of oil. This would not be affected by a bypass.


If it's on a SBC, it's probably mounted with the base facing up anyway ... so it will always be full of oil, even if it didn't have a ADBV. Small block Chevys have mounted the filter like that forever.

 

[Gary Allan]

All SBC had in block bypass valves before the 2007 model year. I think this is GM wide for any spin-on filtered engine. The filter may or may not have an ADBV depending on application. Most do not.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Originally Posted By: Onmo'Eegusee
If the filter has an adbv, it should be full of oil. This would not be affected by a bypass.


If it's on a SBC, it's probably mounted with the base facing up anyway ... so it will always be full of oil, even if it didn't have a ADBV. Small block Chevys have mounted the filter like that forever.

Yes, I forgot about that. Still has nothing to do with a bypass valve, though.

 

[JT1]

For ALL gen1 sbc's the by-pass valve is built into the mount in which the filter screws onto. The filter will not have a bypass valve.

There are actually companies that sell a mount which does NOT have a bypass valve at all, aparently some feel it is unnescessary provided that a normal oil and filter change interval is followed. I have no experience with these but I know some very respected engine builders who swear that the bypass valve actually causes more harm than good.

 

[Gary Allan]

Yet no Ford or Mopar aftermarket company offers a 3/4-16 thread filter without a bypass valve to get "the Chevy advantage" (this is not to say that there are no 3/4-16 thread filters without bypass valves).

I would LOVE to figure out where this originated. Just who translated this into a "must do" for lower E.T.s ..or whatever was going through their mind.

It's better than the P.F. Flyer "action wedge" that allows you to run fast and jump higher. Extended benefits