Jason Bleazard wrote:
>
> Terrible Tom wrote:
>
>> The oil would have had to have flowed against gravity!
>
>
> I know more about physics than mechanics, but here goes... is it a
> sealed system, more or less air tight? As the fluid and air in the
> engine cool, they'll shrink and create a vacuum. I don't know how the
> system works, but if it's sealed, it might be possible for the oil to be
> sucked out of the filter, like Coke through a straw. Just a total guess.
>
Good theory Jason, but the crankcase and oil passages in an engine are
not air tight. The crank case has several ways it can vent to
atmosphere, one of the more obvious is the dipstick tube. Usually the
dipstick does not seal air tight. (depends on the engine and dipstick
design. Plus the engine has crank case breathers, which allow any
pressure from blow by gasses, to be vented and filtered, and pulled back
into the engine for combustion to reduce emossions.
I was unable to find any specific info on JUST HOW the bypass valve is
actuated. Manufacturers seem to like to keep things cloaked. Is the
valve actuated by high oil pressures going IN to the filter? If so -
that would mean the oil filter will be bypassed under many
circumstances. Cold starts, when the oil moves slower, high RPM
conditions when the pump is at full pressure...
The valve must operate on that basis... if pressure builds up too high
in the filter, the valve must operate and allow the oil to pass around
the media. The higher than stock pressure that the new high volume oil
pump generates, must be kcikign the bypass into effect.
Ya know, even with all that, that still does not explain why there was
no oil in the filter. If the bypass was activated - there should still
have been oil in it.
I think I've pondered this too much for one night. Time for sleep
-- ------------------------------------------------------------- Rocks are for skipping... I'm all about the mud 75 Honda CL360, 89 Dakota, 89 Dakota 4x4, 95 Dakota 4x4, 96 Neon, 01 Ram 4x4 http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/ AIM & Yahoo: SilverEightynine
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