Advantages of By-pass Oil filtration

You might look at a by-pass filter as an addition to your engine’s security system. Your regular oil filter passes the full flow of oil from the pump and removes particles bigger than about 20 to 30 microns. Left in the oil, particles smaller than this size can contribute to ring, liner and bearing wear. These same particles can also contribute to engine deposits, which can hurt engine performance and induce oil consumption.

If the regular “full-flow” filter were designed to filter smaller particles, there would be a risk of insufficient oil flow through the engine as particles accumulated in the filtering media of the full-flow filter element. In fact, regular filters come equipped with a “relief” valve, to allow some of the oil to by-pass them completely. These valves insure the proper flow of oil is maintained to protect the engine, even if the filter media accumulates enough material to cause excessive pressure drop across the filter, or the oil is too thick to pass through it fast enough.

By-pass filters are an addition to the regular oil filter. They take only a portion of the oil pump’s flow, and can therefore be more efficient in removing even smaller particles than 5 microns. Eventually, all of the oil gets circulated through the by-pass element. Removing particles smaller than 20 microns is another step in reducing the risk of engine wear, and can also help in reducing risk of oil viscosity increase.

A side benefit of a by-pass filter is that it usually increases the amount of oil necessary to fill the engine oil system. More oil means contaminants are less concentrated and likely to cause harm to the engine. More oil also means more additives are available to neutralize contaminants and protect vital engine parts.

By-pass oil filters can add to your line of defense against engine wear and deposits, helping maintain engine performance and long engine life. When it comes to providing you with security for your engine, a high quality filtering system goes along way. But then so does high quality synthetic engine oil like Amsoil