Quote:
Originally Posted by Ol' Ron
Great thread, logic has it that keep ing all thad Gunk and ware products in suspension is great for an engine with a full flow filter. However, without the FULL flow filter we just pump all that cr*p through the bearings. Plan a head.
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At the risk of seeming to be Luke taking on Yoda that is perhaps marginally true in some instances, but not as universal as it might seem in the abstract.
It would depend on particle size and molecular weight (don't panic folks, this isn't going to get too wonky). Even if there is a full flow system the oil still changes color dependent on how much stuff/contaminant the engine produces/ingests. Particles smaller than the porosity of the filter media still get through. A large part of why a filter system has a bypass is so that if too much junk accumulates to plug the filter the engine will still get oil; the engineers knowing that "dirty" oil is better than no oil. The dispersant won't hold all particles in suspension either (this goes to the wear particle idea). Higher molecular weight particles will not be held in suspension by the dispersant, and maybe a few will be held "afloat" by fluid flow, but most will likely fall out of the oil flow. If the particle size is smaller than the bearing clearances they will likely flow past those bearing surfaces except in some unusual circumstances. In which case, a non-detergent oil would likely have the same issues. Frequent oil changes in an unfiltered system would help some, but, depending on how much contaminant the engine produces, isn't a complete solution either.