Correct way to blocking the oil filter bypass ?

[tom h]

I went ahead & blocked the oil bypass in my 87GN's filter adapter, I just wanted some re-assurance that I did correctly.

I used a Dorman brand, cup-shaped plug # 555-009, 19/32" ouside diameter.
This fits INSIDE the existing little cup & bypass assembly, I did NOT attempt to remove the existing bypass.

Before installing the Dorman plug on the car, I practiced on spare filter adapter/ bypass assembly. The fit of the Dorman plug was snug, but it could be popped out without too much difficulty -- not good.

I then practiced (on the spare) staking the Dorman plug with a center punch, but staking it at the top of the Dorman plug in same fashion as the original bypass, doesn't really work -- the plug and surrounding area of the adapter get a little messed up.

I tried center punching the new Dorman plug near the BOTTOM of its SIDEWALLS (ie, at the bottom corner of the cup-shape) -- this "seemed" more secure (??).

Is this the right way to do it ??

The Dorman plug, if it came loose, is small enough to eventually float back up into the oil pump gears
with potentially catstrophic consequences. If it "can" happen, it probably will.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Plug??

I use a pipe plug. If you take the bypass assembly out, you can tap the hole w/ a 1/4" NPT tap, without having to drill the hole any larger. I then loctite a plg in there. I use a plug w/ an allen wrench recess in it.
I would be afraid of the drive in deal coming out... REMEMBER, Murphy is watching!!

 

[tom h]

Down deep, I realize you're probably right, Chuck. A threaded, loctited plug will be the most reliable.

Since I re-installed the oil filter adapter just a few weeks ago, I was hoping there was someway that I didn't have to take it off again.

But, off must come the adapter, if I am to tap the hole and clean it out properly.

 

[tom h]

Well, I bit the bullet and removed the filter adapter from the GN.

The Dorman plug I had staked into the oil bypass valve, was actually in there pretty tight. I supposed it probably would have stayed. But until you try to remove it, you just don't know -- it's unverifiable.

Removing the stock bypass plunger assy was a PITA. Eventually, I had to carefully grind the plug's sidewall away in a few places, and then pry out the plug.

Anyone thinking of doing this, wrap masking tape on all the adapter's exposed sealing surfaces & the center threaded filter post -- real easy for the grinder or tool to jump & scratch the surfaces.

Chuck,
Once the bypass assy is removed, it turns out the hole in the adapter is 0.70" = 45/64".
That's exactly the size needed to tap 1/2" NPT, not 1/4"

Didn't have a 1/2 NPT tap, so I'll have to finish the job another day.

 

[FJM568]

Tom, are you running a hi-vol oil pump???

After running it, pull the filter off and look inside the large center hole on the filter and check to see if your filter collapsed...

When blocking the bypass, you have to let the car/oil come up to temp before you drive it...

Be careful...

 

[tom h]

Originally posted by FJM568
Tom, are you running a hi-vol oil pump???

After running it, pull the filter off and look inside the large center hole on the filter and check to see if your filter collapsed...

When blocking the bypass, you have to let the car/oil come up to temp before you drive it...

Be careful...

Yes, I've read many cautionary tales of the risks. I have only the standard stock oil pump, but I do have an old (circa 1990) Kenne-Bell pressure booster plate and the (stiffer??) relief spring that came with it.

I use a Baldwin B9 filter ("super Biggie", 25% larger than PF24), they also seem to be of more rugged construction than Purolator or Delco (Baldwin: 100 psi operating, 200 psi burst, differential pressure drop unknown). I generally use 5W-30 oil. My climate is mild (winter temps rarely below 50ºF). Hopefully, I will not have any problems ... and I will be very cautious at first.

 

[BoostKillsStres]

I did my plug a little different than what I'm reading here based on input from another other list member and so far results have been fine.

I did use the dorman plug but installed it upsidedown so it wasn't pushing the bypass plunger down, like an upsidedown bowl. I did flare the opening of the plug just a tiny tad so if fit very snug and had to be lightly tapped into the hole. Since the oil pressure normally pushes the plunger open, its now pushing on the plug so it shouldn't try to come out. I've had it in there for about 800 miles since I did my timing chain and rod and main bearings as some of the timing gear parts had been able to get to the bearings because the stock bypass allowed this and after dropping the pan to clean it out and do the rear main seal I decided to check the other bearings and they didn't look too bad but I didn't feel good about putting them back in. Let me tell you, doing all the rods and mains while under the car and trying to do them perfect, clean, and plastigauged is a job...

I plan to change the oil in the next couple days and cut open the filter to see if its trapped any other debris that may have been in the top of the engine that I couldn't clean out. I'm using a synthetic mobil 1 filter because of the good reviews and very strong case. I have been letting the water temp get to at least 100 before driving and then not getting on it until the temp was up to normal.

I liked this idea as when or if I need to remove the plug I can simply center punch the cup and drill slightly then thread in a screw and pull to extract, do some minor cleanup and bolt it all back together. But at this point I plan to leave it in.

By the way I also installed a TA Performance booster plate and a biggie oil filter adapter as it didn't seem anyone had had any filter crush failures with the extra filter capacity.

HTH

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

the correct way is the way gm done it ..leave the by pass working.

if your oils that contaminated you have problems that need adressing.

 

[tom h]

Originally posted by Chuck Leeper
I use a pipe plug. If you take the bypass assembly out, you can tap the hole

Originally posted by tom h
Chuck,
Once the bypass assy is removed, it turns out the hole in the adapter is 0.70" = 45/64".
That's exactly the size needed to tap 1/2" NPT, not 1/4"

Chuck,
since a 1/2" NPT plug is actually 0.83" OD, it turns out there is a slight interference between the plug (or tap), and the adapter's center boss (into which the 18mm male filter nipple is press fit).

I suppose the 1/2 NPT tap will "cut" it's own clearance, but because I'm using a hand tap, it appears keeping the tap straight & true, so it cuts a path, may be difficult.

Does all this seem right to you?

I'm also a bit concerned about potential thinning of the wall, as I tap the 1/2 NPT hole -- although it's a bit hard to judge wall thicknesses due to the odd shapes involved.

If it helps to visualize what I'm talking about, I could email or post a picture.

 

[G McCall]

Woa ! ............there partner. Are you saying you removed the Oil cooler lines and plugged the oil cooler adapter holes the cooler lines were in ? I did that and had to rebuild my motor. The bypass holes in the oil filter adapter are not a sufficient size to run the motor under pressure. Please run a search on this subject starting last spring. It was a nightmare. Either leave the adapter totally off or connect the cooler lines.

 

[GRANDNAT87]

OIL FILTER LINES

DO NOT PUT PLUGS IN THE HOLES WHERE THE COOLER LINES CAME OUT OF. YOU WILL SPIN BEARINGS AND CAUSE A TOTAL ENGING REBUILD. REMOVE THE ADAPTER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE THE OIL COOLER.
I STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT TO PLUG OFF THESE LINES. I HAD A FRIEND LEARN THE HARD WAY AND VERY EXPENSIVE. THE OILING IN NOT ADEQUATE IN THE LINES ARE NOT USED.
REMOVE THE ADAPTER IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO USE IT.
RICK

 

[tom h]

G McCall and GRANDNAT87,

No, there is some confusion here -- I don't mean the "Cooler Adapter", what I've been referring to is the "oil pump cover", which I've also heard referred to as the "oil filter adapter".

My "oil cooler adapter" is staying intact, no plugging here! I agree plugging it would be catastrophic.

The context of the previous posts, if read thru in their entirety, should clarify it's the "cover" or 'filter adapter" we've been talking about.

 

[FJM568]

Guys, there is what is called an oil filter adapter and an oil cooler adapter...The oil cooler adapter bolts to the oil filter adapter by the large nut that the oil filter screws on to...The oil filter adapter bolts to the timing chain cover by 6 small bolts and is actually the bottom plate/thrust surface for the oil pump gears...

Blocking the oil filter adapter bypass will have no effect on the oil cooler adapter's function...But as has been brought up, blocking the oil cooler adapter lines will cause all kinds of problems...

 

[FJM568]

Beat me to it!!!

 

[G McCall]

Woo... that was close. I'm easily led down the wrong path. Happy for you I was wrong. Thought I might have been too late here. (wondered what Chuck was thinking....gotta read more thoroughly..... )

 

[TurboBob]

???

What about putting a stronger spring in the oil filter bypass?

Bob

 

[tom h]

Re: ???

Originally posted by TurboBob
What about putting a stronger spring in the oil filter bypass?
Bob

True, that would probably achieve the same end purpose, namely preventing the filter from being bypassed under most "normal" conditions. However, I had to semi-destroy the little spring loaded bypass plunger while removing it -- and new ones are Not separately available, AFAIK.

Interestingly, even "racing filters" sold for use with external oil filter setups (eg PTE's "Turbo Saver") have internal bypasses, albeit at high pressures. Eg, the Baldwin B253 is typical, it has a 20 psig built-in bypass.

 

[1of1547]

I have to agree with Red. Leave the plug ALONE. I did the mine the way the Power Manual explained it. First it collapsed the oil filter. Then it ended up blowing the drivers side lifter feed plug out. So that wiped out 6 new lifters. Then the plug went through the new timing chain. Of course the timing chain broke. Then I had seven bent valves and a very, very mad wife. And this was a brand new motor. To each ther own, alot of people have done it successfully. I would rather have dirty oil at a start up than no oil at all. The Power Manual didn't say nothing about running a bigger oil filter. What are you going to do if your wife/girlfriend doesn't let the car warm up enough? And she collapses the filter. Let it the way the General Motors designed it.

 

[FJM568]

Actually, there may be a way to raise the pressure in the spring loaded plunger without changing springs...

I'll have to look at one of my oil pump covers that I have had disassembled, but I think that if you just drive the original plug that holds the spring/plunger in place in a little farther, it should increase the spring tension some...I couldn't even begin to tell you if it would increase it enough to make it worthwhile even doing...

I don't thing that there is any way of even getting that plug out of there without destroying it...The only other thing that I can think of is to take another plug and drill the same size hole in it that the original one has(making sure that you deburr all the sharp edges off) and replace the spring with one that has more tension and reassemble it...I may have to try that out...But I don't have any idea how you would know what kind of difference it would make other than knowing that you did it...All that bypass does is open up at a certain pressure differential when the oil backs up and isn't able to flow through the filter...I think I read somewhere that factory spec was like 7# of pressure...I may be wrong on that spec...It wasn't much though...

There are two different inserts that I've seen to block that hole off in the stock bypass...One is a flat piece of material that covers the hole and is held in place by the spring...The other one is a long piece of plastic that extends back in to the spring to keep it inline and has a tapered tip to center it in the hole to block it off...The long plastic one is better...I've seen the flat plastic ones cocked in the hole so that oil is ALWAYS bypassed and you would never know it without knowing what to look for when changing your oil filter...

Personally, I wouldn't try to block the bypass...I've tried it and have had some problems with collapsing oil filters...But I have also radius'd the passages in the pump cover and timing chain cover so I definately had more oil pressure getting through...Not saying that it wouldn't work on your motor and that some have done it and haven't had any problems, but IMO, I won't do it anymore...

Just some of my thoughts on this...

 

[tom h]

Originally posted by FJM568
... IMO, I won't do it anymore...

Well, I'm committed now, plug's removed! Or I'd have to get another whole new filter adapter. I did read nearly every past post on the subject, so I can say I'm making an "informed" , albeit perhaps controversial choice.

It did seem some of the past problems were related to use of 20-50 oil and/or High Volume pumps (longer gears).

I have a std volume (with pressure boost plate) pump, and will typically use 5W-30 oil. The Baldwin B9 filters I use are 25% bigger, and also sturdier, than the normal Delco PF24 or Purolator "Biggie".

But , yeah, if wrong filter is installed (eg PF47), or 20W-50 oil is used, or someone other than me drives "my precious-s-s-s" (apologies to Smeagol/ Gollum) and mashes it while cold, it could have a problem.

Does anyone think I could test for potential problems while priming the engine? eg, if it's feasible to turn the oil pump shaft @ 2000 rpm with a drill (= 4000 engine rpm?) for a few minutes, shouldn't that be a good test for problems with a cold engine?